Judging wine @ the 2011 Indiana Wine Fair
with Allen Dale 'Ole' Olson
April 29, 2011
It sounds like a lot of fun. Imagine, an entire day sampling wines. Lots of wines. Rating them, identifying the best. In the video, the judges of the annual Indiana Wine Fair at the Story Inn tell us what it’s really like.

The Story judges are not connected with the wine profession. They do not produce or sell wine. They are consumers who use wine, who like wine, and who know what a wine should taste like. So they judge wines with the consumer in mind. What will the average consumer like? How will consumers like the wines we find the best in their category?

All the wines are produced in Indiana, though much of the fruit may come from other states. In the competition, wines are grouped by dry and sweet white, dry and sweet red, dessert, and non-grape. Judges appraise color, aroma, taste, and finish, awarding a score for each characteristic.

In the course of a day, each judge may rate close to 100 wines. Watch the video to learn what they think of the task.

Be sure to watch the video at top right featuring Dr. Allen Dale 'Ole' Olson at the Story Inn, Story, IN »

Story Inn press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 28, 2011

IT'S OFFICIAL: These are the Best Wines in Indiana

Huber Winery Shines in Wine Fair Competition

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For Hoosier vintners, the Indiana Wine Fair is a debutante party. For Dr. Allen Dale ("Ole") Olson a/k/a the "Pontiff of Palate", the Indiana Wine Fair is serious business. Ole has the delicious privilege of establishing criteria and assembling judges to determine the best wines produced in the Hoosier state.

"It is a fact, often overlooked, that Indiana is an agricultural state" says Ole, who helps to select the wine list at the Story Inn, Indiana's oldest bed & breakfast. "We have more than 50 wineries that match up favorably to the Californians, and that is no longer a well-kept secret." The Story Inn is Indiana's oldest bed & breakfast, located south of Nashville, which has hosted the Indiana Wine Fair for the past eight consecutive years.

On Thursday, April 28, Ole's judges blind-tasted 101 submittals from Indiana's best wineries. "We award gold, silver and bronze medals to the best three wines in each of seven categories: Dry Red, Sweet Red, Dry White, Sweet White, Dessert, Non-traditional/Non-Grape, and Blush" says Rick Hofstetter, owner of the Story Inn. "The cumulative highest point total gets 'Best of Show'. We award another Gold medal to the highest-scoring wine made from fruit grown right here, in Indiana."

Then we feature the medalists at the Indiana Wine Fair the following Saturday at the Indiana Wine Fair, and add them to our wine list".

This year's panel consisted of dentists Jerry Cartmel and Lisa Baker, broadcast journalist Yael Kysander, WJAA-FM owner Robert Becker, print journalist/photographer Joe Persinger and Joan Olson, Ole's wife. "These folks all know wine, but none is a Sommelier, which gives us a good, representative and fair assessment" says Ole, who was available to break a tie if necessary. "There was a level playing field here, with no pre-conceptions" says Hofstetter, who assisted Ole in brown-bagging the wines to assure anonymity.

It is theoretically possible for one wine to claim three Gold Medals (category, "Indiana Grown", and "Best of Show"). That has never happened in the nine-year history of the Indiana Wine Fair. Until today.

For the first time ever, one wine earned the proverbial "Triple Crown". It was the Starlight Red, N.V., of Huber Family Winery in Starlight, Indiana, with bragging rights to being the best wine in Indiana. "The judges took another run at the finalists, so this was no mistake" says Ole. "This is an exceptional dry red wine, and the grapes were grown right here".

Another sleeper was the Gewuertztraminer from Winzerwald Winery in Bristow, which handily won the "Dry White" category and made a good run for "Best of Show". "We were pleasantly surprised with Winzerwald. This was dry, crisp, with no residual sugar", says Joan Olson.

Huber, Winzerwald, Oliver Winery (Bloomington), Buck Creek Winery (Indianapolis), and Best Vineyards (Elizabeth) each earned multiple medals.

FINAL JUDGING RESULTS:

BEST OF SHOW & BEST OF INDIANA:

Huber Winery, Starlight
Starlight Red, N.V.

Dry Red:

• SILVER - Huber Winery, Starlight
Generations, 2009

• BRONZE - Mallow Run, Bargersville
Merlot, N.V.

Sweet Red:

• GOLD - Huber Winery, Starlight
Sweet Marcella, N.V.

• SILVER - Buck Creek Winery, Indianapolis
Roadhouse Red, N.V.

• BRONZE - River City Winery, New Albany
Lazy River Red, N.V.

Dry White:

• GOLD - Winzerwald, Bristow
Gewuertztraminer, N.V.

• SILVER - Oliver Winery, Bloomington
Viognier, 2008

• BRONZE - Huber Winery, Starlight
Vignoles, N.V.

Sweet White:

• GOLD - Best Vineyards, Elizabeth
Catawba, N.V.

• SILVER - Creekbend (Oliver), Bloomington
Vidal Blanc, 2010

• BRONZE - Huber Winery, Starlight
Starlight White, N.V.

Dessert:

• GOLD - Buck Creek, Indianapolis
Pfendler Farm Red

• SILVER - Winzerwald, Bristow
Cherry Red

• BRONZE - Cedar Creek, Martinsville
Harvest Moon Cabernet

Non-Traditional/Non-Grape:

• GOLD - Best Vineyard, Elizabeth
Mango

• SILVER - Buck Creek Winery, Indianapolis
Red Raspberry

• BRONZE - Scout Mountain, Corydon
Apple Cherry

Blush:

• GOLD - Huber Winery, Starlight
Catawba Rose, N.V.

• SILVER - Buck Creek Winery, Indianapolis
Autumn Blush, N.V.

• BRONZE - Brown County Winery, Nashville
Vista Rose, N.V.

As a condition of judging, each winery has agreed to make the medalists available to the public on Saturday, April 30, at the Indiana Wine Fair in Story, Indiana. Gates open at 12:30 p.m., admission is $20, parking is free.

For more information, visit www.storyinn.com.

For human contact call:
Dr. Allen Dale ("Ole") Olson (505) 702-7128
Rick Hofstetter, Story Inn (317) 590-3207