The riverbank of this otherwise quiet Switzerland County village springs to life during its annual festival. And the stars of the show aren't only the entertainers on three stages. For many in the crowd, the big draw is wine. And not plastic cups of some mass-produced California wine-in-a-box either. At the Swiss Wine Festival, it's locally produced wine.
Indiana and "locally produced wine" may seem contradictory at first blush. But there are more than a dozen wineries, some with their own vineyards, now operating in Hoosier towns along or near the Ohio River, all within a grape's toss of the birthplace of the American wine industry: Vevay.
"My understanding is it was the first commercial, successful winery in the United States. The first vintage was in 1807," local winemaker Tom Demaree said of the efforts of John James Dufour more than two centuries ago.
Local books support Demaree's account of history. Dufour, a Swiss immigrant, was sent to the New World to find a good place in which he and other settlers could grow grapes and produce wine. They found that place along the banks of the Ohio in Vevay (pronounced VEE-vee).
The town became famous for its wines. Bottles from Dufour's vineyard were served by Thomas Jefferson to guests at the White House. But, by the 1830s, the once-flourishing business had gone bust. Winemaking moved elsewhere.
Only over about the last 20 years have vineyards and wineries returned to Switzerland County and its neighbors. Sturdy grape varieties that can withstand the sometimes harsh Indiana winters provide most of the produce for winemakers such as Demaree.
He and wife Jane have operated Vevay's The Ridge Winery since 1997. Each year, they produce about 25,000 bottles in 14 varieties, then sample and sell them in an inviting year-round tasting room east of town along Indiana Highway 156. During the warmer months, guests enjoy their purchases while sitting at tables on a large wooden deck that overlooks the river.
"We've hit several wineries and enjoy this one," said Mike Thompson while sipping wine on the deck with his new bride, Patty.
"They've always been really nice to us here," Patty said. "It's always beautiful, and it's very relaxing."
The couple, who live a few hours away, near Indianapolis, always stock up on the Ridge Winery's best-seller, Black Jack, during visits.
"It's sweet, but it's not real sweet," Mike said, glass in hand. "(Patty) likes drier, and I like sweeter, so we compromise, and this one hits the spot."
"The Black Jack is a very good product, and it's sold very well," Tom Demaree said of his blend of fermented blackberries and apples.
The wine's origin reminds some folks of the vintage TV commercial for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, the one in which a man carrying a chocolate bar bumps into a woman holding an open jar of peanut butter.
"I was trying some hard cider that wasn't really that appealing to me," Demaree said. "My wife came by, and she had a sample of blackberry (wine). I mixed the two together."
Black Jack now accounts for about 30 percent of the winery's sales.
"I think anyone who's not really a wine drinker could drink this one, because it's not too strong or too dry," customer Patty Thompson said.
Though southern Indiana may be best known for its fruity, sweet wines, other varietals are getting their due.
"We're not just making blackberry anymore," said JoAnn Connolly, who operates the Wine Cellar in downtown Vevay.
"(Visitors are) surprised at the varieties we're making and how good they are. We're making pinot noir. We're making dry wines. We're making Cabernet."
"People are learning how to make them, whether they have to buy the grapes or juice, or grow the grapes," Connolly added, noting that she prefers buying from people who not only make wine but grow their own grapes too.
One such place is the Madison Vineyards Estate Winery in Madison, a charming river town 20 miles west of Vevay.
The estate's Black Dog, a sweet red wine made from hybrid grapes, is a top seller in JoAnn Connolly's shop. It's among the 12 red and white wines produced by co-owner Steve Palmer and his team. They also run a bed-and-breakfast with four guest rooms.
In America's original wine country, things are picking up.
If you go
Both Madison Vineyards (888-473-6500, madisonvineyards.com) and Ridge Winery (812-427-3380, theridgewinery.com) are stops along the Indiana Wine Trail (indianawinetrail.com). It stretches across several counties in the southeast corner of the state.
The Wine Cellar (812-599-1358), at the only stoplight in Vevay, is open Monday through Saturday.
The Swiss Wine Festival (swisswinefestival.org) runs Aug. 25-28 at Vevay's Ogle Riverfront Park.
Driving, Vevay is about a 51/2 hours south of Hammond.
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