Monday, May 9, 2011

Butler Making Great Rose, Chambourcin



I posted a photo similar to this one (shot with my iPhone) to Facebook over the weekend. I made my first-ever visit to Butler Vineyards near Bloomington, In. Friday evening.

I loved the similar shot I took with a camera ... and being in the vineyards so soon after budbreak ... that I had to put the photo up here as well.

Jim Butler worked at the well-known Oliver Winery for six years before opening his own winery in 1983. I had a nice visit and will have a future newspaper column about Butler.

They do make really great Indiana wine and would be high on my recommendation list. The winery sits out in the country surrounded by vineyard a few miles north of Bloomington. Butler has a downtown Bloomington tasting room and three years ago opened a tasting room in northwestern Indiana's Chesterton.

Butler has a big claim to fame from the 2009 Indy International Wine Competition. Their dry Chambourcin Rose won best Rose from thousands of wines submitted from 10 different countries. No Indiana winery had ever won one of the best-of-category awards before or since.

The 2008 award-winning vintage is all gone but the 2009 is pretty good wine. Butler also does some fun dessert wines. The dry Chambourcin may have been one of the best-balanced versions I've tasted.

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

No comments:

Post a Comment