SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) – A South Bend wine bar is marking Indiana’s football national championship with a commemorative wine it calls “Hoosier Nouveau,” made from locally grown grapes using a fast-fermentation technique.
Ironhand Wine Bar owner Dave Sabato said the wine was inspired by the Hoosiers’ title run.
“It’s a victory wine for us and it’s a victory wine for the Hoosiers downstate,” Sabato said.
A winemaking process built for celebration
The wine is produced using carbonic maceration, a fermentation method that allows the wine to be consumed shortly after harvest without a lengthy aging period.
“These are big grapes. We decided we had such a good yield that we should try this carbonic maceration. It’s a way of fermenting wine grapes so it quickly produces a kind of a form of wine that’s very fruity, not much alcohol,” Sabato said.
Karl Selzer, a winemaker and instructor of wine and viticulture at Lake Michigan College, described how the process differs from traditional fermentation.
“So traditional yeast-based fermentation is going to be happening from the outside in. That grape gets crushed and the juice comes out, and the yeast is able to metabolize the sugar. … Whereas this process is happening from the inside out. The grape is almost fermenting itself, but it’s through an enzyme that breaks down certain acids in the grape, and it turns it into a little bit of alcohol,” Selzer said.
The technique produces what is known as Beaujolais Nouveau, a style of wine with roots in France. Sabato explained the origin.
“Beaujolais is an area of France, it’s not a type of grape or anything. And the French must have run out of wine. And so as soon as grapes could have been fermented, they fermented it and began drinking it,” he said.
Lake effect plays a role in the harvest
The grapes used in Hoosier Nouveau are grown in South Bend, where the region’s lake effect weather contributes to the vineyard’s conditions.
“Basically, we’re protected. The presence of the lakes buffers the weather a bit, so it’s not as cold,” Sabato said. “We also get a lot of snow on this side of the lake, so this is an unusually good place. … We will put canes on the ground and cover them. And if they get this kind of snow cover, they are protected to 20 below zero.”
Sabato added that snow cover acts as insulation for the vines.
“Snow is like a comforter for the grapes,” he said.
Patrons rally behind the commemorative bottle
Selzer drew a parallel between winemaking and championship-level teamwork.
“When you think about the football team, right, you’ve got to work as a coherent unit. You have to be able to work together in order to achieve a goal. And winemaking is very similar to that,” Selzer said. “It’s not just made on the spot. It’s something that has to have a lot of intention to it. Just like a football team, there’s a lot of intention behind planning the plays. … We’re finding ways to work collaboratively with Mother Nature, but then also with the vineyard crews and then the fermentation.”
Patrons at the wine bar said the drink fits the moment. Jim Haris, a customer at Ironhand Wine Bar, called it a fitting tribute.
“I think it’s just a great celebration of the Hoosiers’ victory. And surprisingly good wine, just like the Hoosiers’ football team this year,” Haris said.
Kate O’Brien, another patron, said the wine adds to the celebratory feeling.
“If you think about ‘pop the bubbly’ and just the fun fizziness of it … it just feels a little extra special I think,” O’Brien said.
Hoosier Nouveau is available at Ironhand Wine Bar. More information can be found at ironhandvineyard.com.
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