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Monday, February 12, 2007
West Lafayette, Ind. - The founder of Indiana 's second oldest winery was recently honored by their industry. Joan Easley received the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the Indiana Wine Grape industry.
"The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to those winemakers in Indiana who have made a difference," said Jeanette Merritt, Marketing Director of the Indiana Wine Grape Council. "The Indiana wine industry is proud of the Easley family. Many winemakers would not exist today without their dedication to the industry.
Easley Winery was founded as a dream and a vision of Jack and Joan Easley in the late 1960's. Being home winemakers in the basement of their home in Indianapolis, Jack and Joan dreamed of growing grapes and making wine in Indiana . Jack was an attorney and Joan owned her own market research business.
Jack and Joan purchased the former Fertig Ice Cream factory in downtown Indianapolis and did their first crush in the fall of 1974. Today the winery is run by Mark and Meredith Easley and a group of about 15 employees. Jack passed away in 1997 and Joan still works at the winery 7 days a week.
Easley Winery is well-known for their award winning wines and helpful advice to prospective winemakers.
Joan has been a member of St. Mary's Church for 45 years and is a member of the Daylily and Iris Society. .
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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 more than 30, attracting more than 900,000 visitors each year.