Hello Wine Club Members,
Summer in Southern Indiana is truly enchanting. Crawdad mounds dot the landscape, while lightning bugs and butterflies dance around us. The air is filled with the aroma of bonfires, the sizzle of barbecues, and the melody of music and laughter. At Owen Valley Winery, summer is a celebration of great friends, vibrant music, delightful cuisine, and countless glasses of exceptional wine. We are delighted to share this special season with you!
The summer months and the weeks leading up to them, mark our busiest time of year here at the winery. Both in our tasting room and behind the scenes. Our days are filled with meticulous care for our vineyards. From fertilizing and treating to training, pruning, and finally harvesting, hundreds of hours are dedicated to nurturing our vines. It’s a labor of love that we cherish deeply. Crafting locally grown and produced wines and sharing them with our friends, old and new, our loved ones, and our wine club family is at the heart of everything we do.
After a challenging 2023 growing season, marred by adverse weather, 2024 has brought us a bounty beyond expectations. We are anticipating what likely will be our largest harvest EVER, with a projected yield exceeding 30 tons! This year also marks the debut harvest of our newest vineyard addition: a two-acre block of Marquette grapes, four years in the making. In previous seasons, these young vines were not harvested but instead pruned early to promote vine length and root system maturity. It takes several years for newly established grapevines to meet our rigorous standards for production. Patience is indeed a virtue, and the rewards are evident in our wines.
In July we submitted 12 wines into the Indiana State Fair Wine & Spirits Competition and received awards for every bottle we submitted including a coveted gold medal for our Covered Bridge White semi-sweet wine. In addition to the gold medal for Covered Bridge White, we secured 5 silver medals and 6 bronze medals across various categories, showcasing the breadth and consistency of our wine portfolio.
Cheers,
Joshua Pedroza
Front House Lead