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  • Lisa Chattin, Jordan Gaultney, Susan Batterman, Kayla Cornwell, bride-to-be Ashley Mattingly, mother-of-the-bride Lila Fitzgerald, Kylee Coatney, and Bonnie Dellinger pose with their commemorative wine-tasting glasses at the German American Wine, Cheese and Art Festival Friday night. The group attended the festival to celebrate Mattingly’s upcoming nuptials. Kelly Overton

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September 4, 2012

A wine time had by all

By Andrea McCann Washington Times-Herald

WASHINGTON — Tropical Depression Isaac cooperated Friday evening, providing a rain reprieve for participants and attendees of the German American Wine, Cheese and Art Festival.

Though rains were forecast for most of the weekend and fell earlier in the day, the sky cleared, the sun was out and there was an occasional breeze for the event, which ran 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Because of the forecast, Smith Winery of Columbus decided not to make the trip, but Windy Knoll, Vincennes; Monkey Hollow, St. Meinrad; and Cedar Creek from Martinsville were present and keeping busy filling commemorative wine glasses.

“It’s a real good crowd,” said Larry Elsner of Cedar Creek Winery.

It was Cedar Creek’s first year at the annual festival. In fact, the family-owned and operated winery is not quite 2 years old. Elsner said all their wines are made at their winery. He said they have their own vineyard — 2 acres of Catawba and Traminette vines — but it won’t produce much fruit until next year.

“September 29th will be our second-year anniversary,” Elsner said, adding they’ll be celebrating with music and catered food. “It’s gonna be like an art festival.”

He said they have music every weekend, and interested individuals can find out more about the winery and its events at www.cedarcreekwine.com.

Lisa Chattin of Vincennes said her favorite wine was Cedar Creek’s Pomegranate Zin. Chattin was part of a bachelorette party for Ashley Mattingly, who will marry Luke Coatney on Sept. 15.

“We like wine,” Chattin said, explaining why they chose the festival for the bachelorette party. “They’re local wineries. We’ve got to support them. It’s a good deal.”

Mattingly said they were having a good time celebrating her upcoming nuptials at the wine festival.

“We love it,” she said. “It’s perfect. We wish they’d do one in Vincennes, but we’ll just come to this one every year.”

Mattingly’s mother, Lila Fitzgerald of Washington, also was enjoying listening to American Pie perform classic rock on Main Street and looking at classic cars a half block in the other direction.

At the Monkey Hollow Winery booth, the line was nonstop. Jaime Zellers, part of the Hedinger family that owns the winery at St. Meinrad, said it’s their second year at the Wine, Cheese and Art Festival, and they liked the new, more spacious layout. She said they’d seen wine tasters of all types at their booth, and their sweet wine was the most popular.

“Our dessert wine is definitely No. 1 right now,” she said, adding their Pasture Limit2 label with a bear on its back was getting a lot of attention, as well. “It’s a Concord aged in a Kentucky Bourbon barrel.”

Zellers said they have a 5-acre established vineyard where they raise French hybrids and American varieties, as well as 2.5 acres of vines not yet producing. For more about their operation, go to www.monkeyhollowwinery.com.

Food vendors at the festival also were doing a good business. Linda Wichman, president of Red Barn Rescue, said the organization is about five or six months old and is going through the nonprofit application process, so they can’t accept donations yet. The festival gave them an opportunity to raise some funds to support the animal rescue endeavor. They were selling hot dogs and turkey strips.

“It’s our first fund raiser, and it’s going very well,” she said.

Sue Smith and Melanie Wayman of Mudderhen Designs were selling handmade fabric bags. They had everything from wallets to tote bags, iPad covers to computer bags, wristlets to diaper bags.

A local author who writes under pen names Molly Daniels and Kenzie Michaels was on hand promoting her adult contemporary romance books. She said she’s published eight books and has two pending.

“I just signed a contract for book five of the Arbor University series,” Daniels said.

Nearly 300 had purchased a glass and tickets for the event by 6:45 p.m., and the crowd was growing thanks to Isaac’s respite.

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