2013 Indy International Wine Award Winners
The Indy International Wine Awards were held on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette and concluded on August 1st. Wineries from all over the world shipped their finest to ‘The INDY”, the nation’s largest scientifically organized and independent wine competition.
For the second consecutive year, an Indiana wine topped over 2300 entries from across the nation and around the world to win ‘Wine of the Year” honors at the prestigious Indy International Wine Competition.
Ted and Dana Huber of Huber’s Orchard, Winery and Vineyard
Huber’s Orchard, Winery & Vineyards, Starlight, IN received the coveted Wine of the Year award for their 2012 Vignoles. (MWP says: Vignoles is on a roll, that’s two years in a row that good old Ravat 51 has taken the top prize.)
Rosé Wine of the Year was awarded to Eagles Landing Winery of Marquette, IA for their Volga Lake Blush which is 95% Catawba and 5% Concord. (MWP says: Congrats to Eagles Landing for winning such a prestigious award with a Labrusca based wine.)
White Wine of the Year honors also went to an Indiana winery — Indianapolis’ Easley Winery – for their Traminette. (MWP says: Easley is one of the best urban wineries in the Midwest and one of the friendliest too.)
Von Jakob Vineyard of Pomona, IL won Fruit Wine of the Year for their 2012 Streakin’ Johnny. (MWP says: There’s some darn good fruit wine being made in Southern Illinois, hats off to Von Jacob!)
Two categories – Honey Wine of the Year and Honey Wine Blend of the Year — were awarded to Oliver Winery of Bloomington, IN for their Camelot Mead and Strawberry Honey Wine, respectively. (MWP says: Oliver has been making Camelot Mead since the mid-70’s and is now probably the largest producer of Mead in the country. For $8.50 a bottle, Camelot Mead is one of the best wine values anywhere.)
Italian Winery Tedschi won Red Wine of the Year for their 2008 Amarone Cassico.
Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards of Sonoma, CA was awarded the Winery of the Year Trophy. The trophy honors the Best International Brand of the entire competition.
The Sparkling Wine of the Year was won by Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards of Sonoma, CA for their Sonoma Brute. Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery of British Columbia, Canada took Dessert Wine of the Year honors for their 2012 Riesling Ice Wine.
Not only did our VOLGA LAKE BLUSH get the double gold at Indy, but also at the Iowa State Fair’s commercial wine competition AND a double gold at the Mid Almerica Wine Competition. Three-for-three isn’t a bad batting averagel but it is a great feat for our son, Jay, who is making tremendous wine at EAGLES LANDING WINERY in Marquette, Iowa.
Jay’s Volga Lake Blush isn’t just a great Catawba wine, it’s a great wine period. I thought Volga Lake was in Russia, but now I see on Google maps that there’s a Volga Lake in Iowa. That must be where the grapes were grown? Can we give a shout out to the grower?