Indiana's wine country is a run of rolling hills in the south-central part of the state, from Bloomington to the Ohio River, with more wineries in the northwest. Cruv shows who is open now and lets you save the stops you want as a plan.
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Rolling hills and ridges across about 4,800 square miles of south-central Indiana make up this AVA, where many winemakers work with hybrid grapes.
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Hybrid grapes, crosses suited to Indiana's cold winters and humid summers, are the state's main wine grapes. Six are described here, starting with Traminette, which Purdue Extension calls Indiana's signature grape.
White
Purdue Extension calls it Indiana's signature wine grape, adapted to the state's varied climates and hardy enough for normal winters across most of Indiana. The Uplands wine association names it among the hybrids grown in its AVA.
Red
Chambourcin is a late-ripening red hybrid needing a long season and mild winters, so Purdue limits its recommendation to the southern half of the state. The Uplands wine association names it among the grapes grown in its AVA.
Red
Marquette is a very cold-hardy red from the University of Minnesota. Purdue says it ripens early enough to work even in northern Indiana. The Uplands wine association names it among the hybrids grown in its AVA.
Red
Usually called Foch. Purdue and a Northwest Indiana visitors authority both name it among the most popular red grapes in northern Indiana. It ripens early, tolerates cold, and makes wines from light and fruity to full-bodied.
Red
Norton, also called Cynthiana, is a red grape that began as a seedling of a vine native to eastern North America. Purdue considers it best suited to southern Indiana because it ripens late; careful handling can yield excellent wine.
White
Chardonel is a white hybrid from Cornell University, a cross of Seyval and Chardonnay that is almost as cold hardy as Seyval. Purdue's guide calls it widely grown in Indiana, and wine from mature fruit shows aromas of both parents.
