Indiana Uplands is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) encompassing much of the Indiana Uplands landform located in south-central Indiana. Its southern and eastern boundaries border the established multi-state Ohio River Valley AVA. The area was established on February 4, 2013, by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Jim L. Butler, president of Butler Winery of Bloomington, Indiana, on behalf of himself and local vintners, proposing the viticultural area to be named "Indiana Uplands."
TTB modified the boundary of the established Ohio River Valley AVA decreasing its size by approximately to eliminate a potential overlap with Indiana Uplands. At the outset, Indiana Uplands contained 19 vineyards with approximately under vine, 2 planned vineyards of each, and 17 wineries; the existing and planned vineyards are geographically distributed throughout the viticultural area, according to a map submitted with the petition. Once the final rule was established the Indiana Uplands viticultural area and the boundary of the Ohio River Valley viticultural area became effective, the TTB set a transition rule to label wines produced from grapes grown in the area that was formerly within the Ohio River Valley viticultural area. Labels containing the words "Ohio River Valley" in the brand name or as appellation of origin may be used on wine bottled within two years from the effective date of the final rule, provided that such label was approved prior to the effective date and the wine conforms to the standards for use of the label in effect prior to the final rule. At the end of the two-year transition period, a wine was no longer eligible for labeling with the Ohio River Valley viticultural area name or as an appellation of origin would not be permitted on the bottle.
Indiana Uplands' extends north to south beginning at the line that separates Morgan and Monroe counties and extends south to the Ohio River at the Kentucky border. The viticultural area extends approximately east to west at its widest point, from Clark County to Martin County. Nineteen Indiana counties are located partially or totally within the viticultural area: Monroe, Brown, Morgan, Owen, Greene, Lawrence, Bartholomew, Orange, Washington, Floyd, Harrison, Perry, Crawford, Jackson, Martin, Daviess, Dubois, Scott, and Spencer.
History Most pioneers and early farmers in the Indiana Uplands grew orchards and vineyards. Apples, peaches, grapes, plums and pears were common. In several places peaches were canned for the commercial market before 1880. Between 1843 and 1846, Simon Huber planted vineyards and orchards in Starlight in Clark County, Indiana, and he commercially produced wine until the early 1900s. During that same era, south of the Huber vineyard, "Pop" Stumler also grew grapes and made and marketed wine. Each winemaker produced approximately of wine annually. The 1880 census reported that of wine were produced within the Indiana Uplands region that year, which constituted approximately one quarter of the wine produced in Indiana. Winemaking in the region continued in the 1890s and early 1900s, with John Sacksteder producing of wine annually in Leavenworth, Perry County, Indiana, which included the ceremonial wine for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kentucky. Prohibition halted the commercial production of wine in the Indiana Uplands region, but grape growing in the region regained popularity beginning in the 1960s. In 1966, grapevines were planted at the Oliver Winery northwest of Bloomington; in 1971, grapevines were planted at the Easley Winery at Cape Sandy near the Ohio River and the Possum Trot Winery near Unionville; and, in 1987, the Huber family started replanting grapevines. The “Indiana Uplands" geographic name was first commonly used for the region in which the viticultural area resides beginning in the 1920s, and today that region is still referred to as the “Indiana Uplands." Oliver Winery is the largest and oldest winery in Indiana.
Terroir The distinguishing features of the Indiana Uplands viticultural area include its geology, topography, comparatively high plateau elevations, thin residual soils mantled with loess, and a distinctively cool growing season climate. In contrast to the viticultural area, the surrounding regions outside of it have lower elevations, evidence of repeated glacial advances, and different soils and topography. In addition, the surrounding regions to the east, south, and west of the Indiana Uplands plateau have a warmer growing season climate.
Topography The Indiana Uplands viticultural area plateau landscape contains numerous creeks that feed into lakes and rivers, according to the USGS maps. The terrain is generally hilly throughout the region, especially in the rural forests, parks, and wilderness areas. In addition, according to the USGS maps, steep ridges predominate along much of the boundary line, marking where the plateau descends to the surrounding lower elevations. At the approximate center of the Indiana Uplands viticultural area are the Hoosier National Forest and Monroe Lake, which are surrounded by other forests, parks, lakes, and recreation areas. According to USGS maps, the plateau that comprises the Indiana Uplands viticultural area gradually descends from an elevation of in the northeast corner to an elevation of in the southwest corner, although glacial till deposits moderate some differences in elevations along the boundary line. The Ohio River bluffs rise to a height of above the water line in some areas within the viticultural area. Elevations generally are higher within the viticultural area than in the surrounding areas. In the northeast portion of the Indiana Uplands plateau generally reach , and the Knobstone Escarpment, which defines part of the eastern and northern portions of the boundary line, reaches an elevation of approximately , according to USGS maps. Elevations in the southeast portion of the Indiana Uplands viticultural area generally vary between . The lowest point in the viticultural area is at an elevation of at the confluence of the Anderson and Ohio Rivers in the southwestern corner of the viticultural area, according to USGS maps. As noted above, there are three physiographic units within the Indiana Uplands viticultural area: The Norman Upland, the Mitchell Plateau, and the Crawford Upland. Each of these physiographic units is underlain by different rock materials of different ages (including shale, limestone, and sandstone) that have different rates of erosion, resulting in a variety of landforms within the Indiana Uplands region: The Norman Uplands in the eastern portion of the viticultural area is generally characterized by flat-topped ridges with steep slopes that form deep V-shaped valleys and strong relief; the Mitchell Plateau in the center ranges from relatively steep topography drained by surface streams to undulating plains with sinkholes for underground drainage; and the Crawford Upland in the west resembles the Norman Upland but with greater local relief of . By contrast, the surrounding areas to the east, north, and west contain different physiographic units, which similarly affect the topography and soils in those areas. The Illinoian glacial advance stopped before reaching the Boonville Hills to the southwest of the Indiana Uplands, where windblown sand and silt cover the predominant undulating topography. The wider valleys of the Boonville Hills are characterized by island-like masses of bedrock covering several square miles that rise above the surrounding areas. To the east of the viticultural area, relatively nonresistant late Devonian and early Mississippian shales underlie the low relief of the Scottsburg Lowland, with elevations below the viticultural area ranging from approximately to the northeast of the viticultural area to to the southeast of the viticultural area. The northern portion of the Scottsburg Lowland is partially filled with up to of glacial drift, which reduces the elevation differential compared to the Indiana Uplands plateau to in that area. The area to the north of the Indiana Uplands area, recently designated as the Martinsville Hills, contains thick glacial deposits that nearly obscure the general form of the bedrock units.Lindsey (1966), pp.65–66 The Wabash Lowland, a broad lowland with an average elevation of and a partial blanket of glacial till, is locate to the west of the viticultural area. Although the same three physiographic units of the Indiana Uplands area—the Norman Upland, the Mitchell Plateau, and the Crawford Upland—generally extend south into Kentucky, the region to the south of the Indiana Uplands plateau is separated from the viticultural area by the Ohio River Valley.
Climate The elevations and topography of the Indiana Uplands viticultural area contribute to the unique climatic conditions within the viticultural area. Cold air drainage from vineyards on the hilltops and ridges of the elevated plateau landform flows as much as to the valleys below, creating air movement, limiting frost accumulation in the vineyards, and extending the growing season in spring and fall. In addition, the hilltops and ridges in the area catch breezes that keep the fruit dry and free of fungus and mildew. Consequently, as described below, air temperature and precipitation are distinguishing climatic features of the Indiana Uplands viticultural area. Summer and winter temperatures in the Indiana Uplands viticultural area normally are cooler than those in areas to the east, south, and west of the plateau. The cooler temperatures result in lower total accumulated growing degree days (GDD) during the growing season (April through October), as compared to most surrounding areas. Temperatures and GDDs on the Indiana Uplands plateau are generally lower than in most areas outside the plateau; only the adjacent northwest area has cooler growing conditions. According to petition data, most of the viticultural area is located in climatic Region III, with some Region IV areas on the western and southern margins. By contrast, the surrounding areas outside of the viticultural area generally are in Region IV. As previously noted, over time, the heavier precipitation in the region has contributed to greater soil erosion on the Indiana Uplands plateau than in other parts of the state as well as an increased breakdown of organic material in the soil. The increased precipitation does not negatively affect grape-growing in the region, however, because the heaviest precipitation occurs from November through May (according to data from the National Climactic Data Center (1971–2000)). The annual rainfall in the Indiana Uplands viticultural area is approximately the same from June through October as compared to the rest of Indiana, resulting in relatively dry soils for the important grape ripening months of August, September, and October.
Geology