We visited Huber’s Orchard and Winery in Starlight, Indiana.  This is a 7th generation farm that started with 80 acres in 1843.  Huber’s now is 600 acres growing fruits and vegetables, the largest producer of grapes in Indiana.

We left the dogwoods behind in Kentucky and crossed the Ohio River into the hilly Indiana farm countryside.  The half day we spent at Huber’s is a memory that will remain for a long time.  Our tour guide was wonderfully knowledgeable about wine making and the distillers art. I could tell that she enjoyed her work.

We began our tour by descending into the wine cellar containing the casks of aging wine.  And explanation was given of how the degree of charring to the inside surface of the oak cask imparts flavor to the wine as time passes.  The same process of flavor addition applies to the distillery where spirits are aged in  wooden barrels.  The heavier the char the deeper the flavor.

After our primer on wine making, we had a look at the bourbon and gin making distillery, the newest business.  Our tour was complete.

We were ready for a wine tasting.  The tasting took place on the upper level of the restored barn.  From two pages of varietal wines, ranked from dry to sweet, each of us picked 7 wines..  For the better part of an hour we sampled our picks as we learned about the

character of the wines and stories about the farm. I was educated and for the $10.00 tasting fee was served the equivalent of two glasses of wine.  That is a good deal all the way around.

We finished our visit to Huber’s with a light lunch in their restaurant, while enjoying a bottle of wine which we purchased.  Live music was played outside on the patio.

I hope to visit Huber’s farm again sometime.  May they continue for seven more generations.