Jim Pfeiffer Just Won't Leave Traminette Alone

I've written several times lately about Indiana's signature grape Traminette. Just three weeks ago I was visiting family and ran down to Turtle Run Winery and Huber Winery and Orchard.

Jim Pfeiffer was busy pouring for customers at his Turtle Run winery but he took a few minutes to talk about his latest "Picaso-like" concoctions. That actually dates back a couple of years. I once called Jim a mad scientist, he said "I actually think of myself more of a Picaso." And that was followed by hearty laughter.

Nonetheless, the man doesn't rest on any laurels. He is always trying new things, tinkering with wines and such. And his 2009 Traminettes is a great example. He makes a standard stainless steel aged Traminette with nice lime and grapefruit hints. But as he puts it in the video below, had just a littel too much Traminette on his hands.

Kick in the mad scientist. Watch Jim explain:



Both Traminettes sell for $12. And Pfeiffer remains one of few, if not only, Indiana wine makers with a truly dry Traminette. It's great stuff.

I poured Jim's traditional Traminette for my wine drinking buddies - the Dudes on The Porch. "This is really pleasant, reminds me a little bit of Semillion," said Alex, who used to run a wine shop in Denver, Co. Patrick and Mike both found pear on the palate and a little bit of sour finish that worked nice with the salty crackers we were snacking on that night.

His other great recent experiment is even a bit more shocking for Indiana winemakers. I'll put up that video up in the next day or two.

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