Our Girls’ Day Out was designed to be a very hands-on experience for a beautiful fall day! It first centered around a fashion show of “CABI” Clothing by stylist Polly Craig where the latest fall and winter fashions were modeled followed by try-on opportunities. Other activities included a chance to build-your-own-bouquet from the flower bar presented by “Rooting For You” and “Gillespie Florists.”
Other shopping included a generous display of hand-crafted jewelry and decor items by Dawn and Ally. Stacy Miceli offered her paintings and inspiration for guests to create their own versions in a class scheduled here later that month.
The patio was dotted with seasonal tablescapes featuring decorative items for sale. Additional places to sit outdoors allowed guests to visit with friends and enjoy some complimentary snacks and soft drinks. Free wine tastings were available during the event and wine was available by the glass and, of course, for carry-out!
We were thrilled for the guests who turned out on this lovely day. And we are are truly grateful for the ladies who participated with their products and services. Lots of effort put forth together and we hope to do it again soon!
The planning for our Total Eclipse Watch Party began over a year ago. Actually the hope was first there after seeing the total eclipse during a trip to Kentucky in 2017. Could we possibly host such an event and be lucky enough to be in the path of totality for 2024? I procrastinated looking at the upcoming map for YEARS in fear the shadow would miss us but when I finally confirmed the next total US eclipse is OURS – I knew we would have to do something special!
We started the 1-year countdown with a Facebook post saying “SAVE THIS DATE NEXT YEAR.” That day was also a chance to see exactly where the sun would be in the sky during the expected time. The position was optimal for viewing from our lawn area between the winery and the vineyard. The mid-afternoon timing was also favorable to allow guests to arrive and depart at comfortable hours. The only odd element was being on a Monday – but we knew from what we had seen before that people would make an effort and plan a trip determined to witness a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon.
Our celebration plans took the focus of a family-friendly event. The first vendor we booked was the Penny Lane VW Photo Bus! It’s a photo booth on wheels, specifically an adorable vintage VW bus decked out with all types of 60s vibe. Soon after, The Wine Trough signed on to provide their famous “Charconerie” which is an assortment of meat, cheese and other tasty tidbits all wrapped up in a bamboo cone. Of course, there would be a designated wine called “Totality” and a blue adult beverage named “Solar Eclipse.” With these anchors in place, we could fill the day with other eclipse-themed activities and games. (Here’s a link to the full catalog of photo bus pics taken that day.)
The Hamilton County Tourism organization promptly got busy promoting the virtues of the lodging and restaurants fully in the path of totality but still north of the congestion of Indianapolis. Our winery was third to join the list of venues in the county as hosting an eclipse event. The list quickly drew attention from many people living in the Chicago area.
By February this year, we had sold out our designated 100 tickets. We decided to NOT charge an admission fee but created a ticketed event using the Eventbrite web tool. This would manage the crowd size and more specifically the number of vehicles we can safely park on our property.
As the day approached, the real possibility of bad weather began to loom in our minds. We assumed in a rain-out situation that the crowd would just not come at all. But a cloudy sky could sustain uncertainty until the last minute. I regret that I did not use the ticket service to send a follow-up email to our expected guests but many of them reached out to us with last-minute questions. Most asked if they could arrive earlier than 1:00pm – we said yes – and that helped spread out the check-in process.
Rain had persisted the week prior but the morning of Eclipse Day, April 8th, we had a cloudless blue sky! Our crew of helpers erected 7 canopies across the lawn area, covered tables with blue plastic, arranged chairs and inflated blue and yellow balloons. Every helper then had a station to man for the day while they snuck peeks at the partial and increasing eclipse. There was a Science Zone, Galaxy Donut crafting, and Corn Hole to educate and entertain.The photo bus had parked the previous evening and its owners arrived early to set up all of their extra features including a bubble machine and radio-controlled car for their dog, aptly-named “Sunshine.”
The crowd entered smoothly, eager to purchase some beverages from the bar that still didn’t open until 1:00pm. From that moment on, the day sped by and was a blur to me although I had no alcohol myself! Only after photographs taken by many different people were collected, was I able to see what elements of the plan came together and some that did not.
All-in-all, the visitors were extremely courteous and seemed to be pleased with how things went. Clear skies prevailed though the afternoon with a few plane trails. Lots of picnics, a family reunion, and even a small wedding took place under the shadow of the moon. Several serious photographers came to document the phases of the eclipse. Visit the Instagram page of Sastry Karra to see shots we are proud to say were taken from our vineyard!
The experience of totality took many by surprise. Being such a unique sensation of so many dimensions, it is difficult to explain to someone else just how special it is. Experiencing it with others has a bonding, unifying effect. For those few minutes, we are cohabitants in a creation too awesome for words. What a privilege it was to welcome people from at least 9 other states who came to share this eclipse with us. Huge thanks are due to our vendors, helpers and guests who all worked together to make it a day we will ALWAYS remember!
The city of Noblesville is marked by many signs signifying its beginnings in 1823. As time has a way of passing by, it doesn’t seem long that we have arrived at 200 years from the date we have grown accustomed to seeing on those familiar signs. But 200 years is a long time and especially the last 200 years has contained the most dramatic changes known to mankind.
As the anniversary year approached, the Hamilton County Bicentennial Commission was formed with members from each city and town. Through the year, 45 events were planned allowing each community to celebrate in their own way. A traveling exhibit was created and scheduled to be displayed in over 25 different locations. We volunteered the winery to host the exhibit from May 27th through June 2nd. This inspired us to extend our normal Saturday hours and be open everyday through that week. It also inspired us to gather up some of our own nostalgic items and turn the tasting room into a small museum for those few days. We enjoyed many visitors during that time but in case you missed it, we have captured much of it here in photos and videos.
1) The traveling exhibit 2) The Noble-opoly game 3) Logo corner
The Traveling Exhibit is a 16-foot by 8-foot mural which fit nicely along our west wall. Filled with lots of interesting facts, the reader could enjoy a glass of wine while they took in the information. We created a perpetual game of Noble-opoly using a game board designed in the 1970s featuring prominent Noblesville businesses from that time. Adjacent to the game table was a display of our own collection of logo-bearing items from Hamilton County businesses and churches.
Other displays feature themes relative to the winery such as changes in agriculture and trends in food and beverages. Did you know in 1930 that farmers were 21% of the population and 1 farmer could feed 10 people? Those 10 people could easily be the farmer’s household. Today the modern farmers in Indiana are 2% of the state’s population and each one can feed 128 people. This reflects how improvements in technology have increased crop production and efficiency. It also demonstrates how workers moved from the farms to the factories (like Firestone) to create a wide variety of goods in a growing economy. We created 4 sets of work clothes to illustrate this story, the first accompanied by a photo of Brian’s great-grandparents. The last outfit represents us here in the vineyard as Hamilton County struggles to hang on to public green space.
1) Great-Grandpa’s scythe and saw 2) Milk can, milk bottle crates, butter churn and Starbucks 3) Work clothes through the years
“Tooling Through Time” was a theme which explored the progression of materials used in creating common tools. For example, sugar was sold in a fabric bag and then stored in a wooden bucket, but later in a metal canister and most currently a plastic Tupperware container.
Similarly, fuel types progressed through time from man-power to oil, gas, electricity and battery-power to accomplish the same task. This applied to tools used inside and outside the home. Even fabric types reflect moves in technology as we went from linen (flax) and cotton to micro-knits, permanent-press, and sun-guard UPFs.
Exploring “Food and Beverage Trends” seemed appropriate so we started with a look at the first processed beverage – milk, and discovered that milk sales per capita have continued to fall since 1970 in spite of aggressive marketing by the American Dairy Association. (Got Milk?) Even the coffee shop latte surge wasn’t enough to increase the over consumption of fresh milk. Today Americans consume 3 times the milk equivalent in the form of cheese, yogurt and butter compared to cooking use and beverages. The frequency of milk use is beat out by bottled water, coffee, tea, soda, and even alcohol in that order.
It was fun to research the origins of some beloved brands, discovering Dr. Pepper to have preceded Coca-Cola by 1 year. The pretzel is arguably the oldest concocted snack food for eating between meals, dating back to Middle Age Europe. The first pretzel factory opened in America in 1861. Automated food processing made snacks a large part of our culture. Soft drinks started as pharmaceutical products or, what we would now call, “energy drinks.”
1885 Dr. Pepper 1886 Coca-Cola 1917 Moon Pie 1924 Nehi Orange 1932 Fritos 1937 Big Red Soda 1942 Charles Chips 1985 Fritos BBQ
In the list above, I differentiated “Fritos” from “Fritos BBQ” because we were fortunate to meet the man who developed the BBQ version. During our Bicentennial week, a visitor entered the tasting room and almost immediately asked, “Are those BBQ Fritos?” I said, “Yes, but that is all I have,” since I bought only a small bag and didn’t find regular at the store the day I shopped. He said, “I made those!” and proceeded to tell us about his job in Plano, Texas where he developed new products for Frito-Lay. “Fritos BBQ” was his first project in 1985. He’ll never forget it and neither will we! Thanks, Mark, for sharing your story with us!
To continue the discussion of fabric evolution, these ladies’ garments feature elements of animal origin such as suede leather, wool, and horse-hair hems. A new chintz fabric was glazed with egg white for a shiny stiff appearance. Fibers include straw, silk and cotton. The art for our “Sunbonnet” wine label took a position near its namesake. Tea sandwiches were on the menu that week for a Victorian experience. I could not resist the opportunity to display a few quilts but kept it to a minimum.
The cobalt blue bottles we use for wine always catch comments. Our historical exhibit wouldn’t be complete without a nod to the element, cobalt, that creates the signature blue in compounds used for tinting glass and pottery.
Our bottles found places to be at home within the nostalgia. “Wapahani White” nestled near the photo of Potter’s Bridge and “Squirrel Stampede,” of course, has its place as a featured theme of the Bicentennial. If you haven’t heard the story of the Great Squirrel Stampede of 1822, come visit for a guided tasting and get your commemorative bottle!
Thanks for taking this little trip with me down memory lane.
Photos (left and center) courtesy of Connie Miller
AN ARCHIVE OF THE EVENT: SEPTEMBER 8-19, 2021
A few weeks before we “opened the gates” I strolled through the unpruned vines. I saw so much nice fruit and sincerely hoped someone would come get the Sabbath harvest, free for the picking. My fears were quickly dispelled when shortly after 9 a.m. on opening day, September 8th, a caravan of cars arrived. People carried grapes out in buckets, baskets, bags – by the wagon load! A delightfully heavy crowd would persist for 5 days until most of the fruit was gone…and then I sadly pulled the Marketplace ad. Yet our website had promoted the event running through the 19th so we continued to welcome vineyard visitors and they continued to come through the following weekend. Generally buckets were less full, some finding only handfuls. But determined pickers amazed us by filling 5 gallon buckets right up to the end!
One bucket, two buckets, Red buckets, blue Old buckets, new buckets, Many buckets…few
Photo courtesy of Bayette George
For many visitors, this was their first experience picking grapes. Several families were repeats from the 2014 Sabbath! Some came alone and enjoyed the peace and quiet. Some came as mother/daughter teams. One group signed in with 13 members! Bayette George, an accomplished photographer and filmmaker, shared photos he took of his family’s adventure. When I first saw the photo above, I was concerned about the large pair of clippers being used. Then I realized how serious and focused these two were, carefully wearing their gloves and I fell in love with the intense look on their faces. Their father had captured the precious moment I hope all our visitors experience – a connection with the land and its Creator.
As people depart, the patio’s overflowing clematis provides a nice backdrop for a farewell photo. These images (and a few more on Facebook) represent only a fraction of the crowd. I feel truly blessed to have chatted with as many as possible. Some left behind various gifts of their own which we will savor and treasure. I am already looking forward to Sabbath 2028 when we can do it all again!
“Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and [collect] in the fruit thereof; But in the seventh year shall be a Sabbath of rest unto the land, a Sabbath for the Lord: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither [enclose] the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land.” – LEVITICUS 25:3-5
AN ARCHIVE OF THE EVENT: SEPTEMBER 8-19, 2021
Our vineyard does not actually have a gate, but the concept of “opening the gates” means that the community is welcome to come in and get grapes, free for the picking. Our first Sabbath year was 7 years ago in 2014. At that time, we had 6 previous years of commercial harvesting so we decided to follow the Old Testament principle of allowing the land to rest on the 7th year. An additional detail forbids enclosing the vineyard which would normally keep out trespassers or animals while grapes were ripe and desirable. So the full objective of the Sabbath is to let the land rest (the owners, workers and animals too) but also to provide the community with an opportunity for free food. In 2014 we announced our plans on Craig’s List and, wow – we had an overwhelming response! (Check out the Vineyard Journal, archive link 2014)
Here we are 7 years later and able to do it again. The Lord’s promise to create an abundance in 6 years proves true that we can happily forego this year as a commercial harvest. Please come join us during this time of community as we “open the gates” again.
Pick a pumpkin, pick your colors, then pick a glass of wine to sip while you create! As part of their “Sip and Paint” series, we welcomed Kiln Creations to teach a ceramic painting class. This was a ticketed event and the $40 class fee included:
One medium ceramic pumpkin
One small ceramic pumpkin
All of the paint and instructions to make these beautiful masterpieces
Your first glass of wine or a Pick 4 Sampler
The guests chose their colors and painted their items in just over an hour with efficient guidance from the teacher. At the end of the evening, the pumpkins were taken to the ceramic shop for a short dip in a hot kiln. Guests were later notified of when their items were ready for pick up at Kiln Creations, located at 60 N 9th St in downtown Noblesville.
Ceramic painting takes both planning and faith since the raw glaze is often quite a different color than the finished product. We are so thankful for the beautiful fall evening we had for hosting the painting event. The outdoor setting worked well during a time of “social distancing.” It was a pleasure to see some old friends and meet some new ones. We look forward to hosting similar events in the future!
We love to have visitors take a tour through the vineyard any time of the year. But late August is the most colorful and rewarding and we encourage folks to take advantage of the opportunity to visit the grapes at their peak. Some guests enjoyed a guided tour with details about each variety growing here and how they are featured in our wines. Others preferred a private romantic stroll. The vineyard always provides the perfect place for a family conversation about where grapes come from and what wine is.
Concords are still ripening while the Swenson Reds and Prairie Stars are ready for harvest.LaCrescent vines enjoyed a leafy year after the late freeze. The Norton block seems to have most of its primary shoots carrying fruit with only minimal freeze damage.
To help meet the challenges of 2020, we are changing the format of our wine tasting. The new individual packages include a flight of 4 wine selections totally 6 ounces and a shot of crackers. The “Pick 4 Sampler” sells for $5.00 and creates several advantages including faster service and ensured sanitation. The disadvantage is we will miss the opportunity to chat with visitors about each wine as our previous presentations afforded. Please feel free to ask questions or request a tour through the vineyard where we can again drone on about the vines.
We like to celebrate “moon” themes so, of course, we had to do something special for the the 50th Anniversary of the first man to land and walk on the moon. The moon landing in 1969 was a victory for the United States, but more importantly, a unifying, exhilarating, humbling experience for all mankind. We created some interactive exhibits and games for an educational family-friendly event.
The day’s activities included: Goofy Games and Silly Prizes all day Photo Opportunities with Space Suits, Flag Planting and the Big Blue Rock Videos and Stories Retro Snacks Moon Walk Contest Walking Taco Bar Team Trivia
It was fortunate the anniversary date was on a Saturday. But it was unfortunate that the temperature approached 100 degrees! Still there were some ultra-good sports that managed to put on the space suits at least long enough for a photo!
This is the day to “Drink Pink.” We will be serving up tall glasses of “Chia Pink Sangria” made with our own Patchwork Pink wine. Carry out some Patchwork bottles for later at a 50% discount – one-case limit, one day only. Normal Saturday hours: 1-7pm
