No better time to write about Oliver Winery than when I am drinking the Strawberry Cider from Oliver.
Might I say, it is delicious.
Because I cannot drink beer, hard cider is often my substitute. Like beer, each cider has it's own unique taste. I have tried the blueberry and strawberry cider and have thoroughly enjoyed them both. They are light, fizzy, delicious ciders that remind me of summer. This is something I would love to sip on while sitting on river on a hot day!
While at Oliver, Chad and I had the opportunity to taste several of their wines, walk around their grounds, and take a short tour of where their wines are made. The ground themselves are beautiful and we did noat get to explore nearly enough of them due to rain. On our tour, Tiffany, our guide, was incredibly informative and willing to answer all of our questions along the way. Tiffany told us about Oliver's history as well.
The winery began with Mr. Oliver, a former professor, making wine as a hobby in his basement. The winery itself opened in 1972, with only 5 acres of land. The vineyard now has 54 acres, boasts 35 wines, and distributes to 20 different states. Mr. Oliver's son Bill is now the head of the company and the wine maker. You can tell that even though the company has grown significantly, they still care about making great products that their consumers will love.
The Wine
Because Oliver's wine list is so long, there was no way we could try them all! We tried to stick to the wines produced with grapes locally grown at the Creekbend Vineyard as well as the popular items recommended by Kathy Bodle-Perez, our guide for the day.
Some of the wines we particularly enjoyed include the following:
Creekbend Traminette 2011 - Indiana's signature wine! Floral, fruity, inviting, this grape loves our Indiana climate. This was a very light and lively wine. It reminded us of honeysuckle in spring. A great picnic wine.
Creekbend Vavlin Muscat 2011- Aromatic and exotic, this dry wine is the perfect match for cream or cheese based dishes of poultry. Amazing color, like champagne without the bubbles. An excellent citrus finish. For a dry wine, it was very light.
Maximum Port 2007 - Soft rich flavors in a classic ruby port made from petite sirah. Chad noted that the nose was quite oaky and earthy. Not too sweet but left a rather sweet finish. Nicely balanced, a good winter wine.
If you are ever in the Bloomington area, or find Oliver Winery products near you, we recommend you give them a try. They have something for everyone, no matter your taste!
For more information please visit their
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