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Sunday, February 1, 2009
West Lafayette, Ind. - Two popular Indiana winemakers received awards at the 13th Annual Taste of Elegance.
Sponsored by Indiana Pork, Taste of Elegance is a culinary competition designed to inspire innovative and exciting ways to prepare pork. The competition brings together talented chefs from across the country to compete in regional and national competitions. The Indiana competition featured chefs from a variety of backgrounds, from upscale dining establishments and country clubs to catering facilities.
The Indiana Wine Grape Council served as the Wine Tasting Sponsor, featuring wine from eight Indiana wineries. The participants were given the opportunity to taste wines from all around the state. After determining their favorite, they cast a ballot for People's Choice for Favorite Wine, sponsored by Indiana Pork. For the 3rd year in a row the award went to French Lick Winery for their Catawba wine.
"Winning the People's Choice award for the second year is a humbling honor, said John Doty, Owner and Winemaker at French Lick Winery. "We are excited our Catawba was enjoyed by the attendees and applaud Indiana Pork for an excellent event."
Chef Greg Schiesser of Indiana Downs in Shelbyville won the Wine Pairing Award. This award goes to the chef who best pairs an Indiana wine with their prepared entrée. Chef Schiesser paired Bloomington-based Oliver Winery's 2007 Valdiguie with his Ginger and Cherry Braised Pork Shoulder & Crispy Pork Belly Strudel.
"The Indiana wine industry was thrilled to be a part of Taste of Elegance," said Jeanette Merritt, Marketing Specialist of the Indiana Wine Grape Council. "Indiana Pork and the Taste of Elegance is just one opportunity where commodity groups can highlight that Indiana agriculture is diverse and that it provides high quality and valuable food products to consumers."
In addition to the winning wineries, the evening also featured wine from Chateau Thomas Winery, Plainfield; Turtle Run Winery, Corydon; Butler Winery, Bloomington; Mallow Run Winery, Bargersville; Whyte Horse Winery, Monticello; Satek Winery, Fremont and Easley Winery, Indianapolis.
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About Indiana Wine Grape Council
The Indiana Wine Grape Council seeks to enhance economic development in the state by establishing a successful wine grape industry through research and marketing development. The program provides extension specialists in enology (winemaking), viticulture (grape growing), and marketing to assist commercial and amateur grape growers and winemakers. Since the creation of the Council in 1989, the number of Indiana wineries has increased from nine to almost 40, attracting more than 900,000 visitors each year.