From the Winemaker's Desk: CVSK Preview

Though our winery is known for crafting wines from grapes a little off the beaten path, sometimes we can't resist a particular classic varietal. In 2018, I started daydreaming about creating our own port-style wine using traditional Port grapes and winemaking methods.

Some believe Port has fallen out of style over the years, but we appreciate this dessert wine for the painstaking effort needed to make it and its fruitful reward - pun intended.

We aren't alone in that opinion: Port is becoming an accessible drink for millennials, who have started enjoying it as an aperitif or base in their cocktails. Could our boutique Indiana winery produce an equally complex, irresistible port-style wine? I couldn't wait to find out.

I reached out to a vineyard partner that could supply us with well-tended Touriga Nacional, a variety native to Portugal, with deep purple hues and rich aromatics of violet and lavender. We'd also need large-format barrels to keep with the tradition of Vintage Port production. I decided to splurge and order a custom 1,000-liter oak cask from France for our 2018 vintage.

The challenges in making this sweet, high-alcohol dessert wine involve complex mathematical equations and timing. Imagine trying to sink an arrow into a moving target while riding horseback. Every calculation and moment of timing must be perfect, and we had to be ready to react to changes due to mother nature - even after a 15 hour day of making other wines.

The resulting wine is CVSK (pronounced cask), and we couldn't be more pleased with it. It has beautiful, rich color and flavor and holds a special place in the hearts of our winemakers. When we sampled it to prepare for bottling, I sat and savored it like it was my first cup of coffee on a Saturday morning. Though it will be a few more months until CVSK is available for purchase, we promise it is worth the wait. We can't wait to pour a taste for you.

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Eric Harris

Owner/Director of Winemaking