West Lafayette, IN - Indiana’s wine industry continues to expand with the opening of a new winery in north central Indiana.

Whyte Horse Winery recently opened for business in Monticello. Owners Larry and Connie Pampel opened their tasting room in a renovated 1886 farmhouse. The tasting room retains much of its charm with elegant woodwork and antique fixtures. The 2-acre vineyard grows two different varieties of grapes; Traminette and Vignoles.

Located just 25 minutes north of Lafayette, in White County, the winery is selling a variety of dry wines including Chardonnay, Chambourcin and Meritage. Customers who enjoy sweeter wines will want to buy their Traminette, Harvest Harmony, Chautauqua Red, made from concord grapes, and Tranquility, made from Niagara grapes. The winery also sells cheese and wine accessories. Future plans call for a gazebo that will seat over 200 people. The Pampels will also be making Cabernet Sauvignon, Blackberry and Sangiovese wines, for release in 2007.

“I have been a wine collector for over 30 years,” said Larry. “I have always marveled at how winemakers could take the same fruit and end up with a completely different wine. Our winery was born out of our passion for great wine.”

Four generations of the Pampel family are involved in the maintenance of the vineyard and operation of the tasting room.

“Whyte Horse Winery is a great addition to Monticello, a charming resort community near Lake Shafer and Lake Freeman,” said Jeanette Merritt, Marketing Specialist for the Indiana Wine Grape Council. “Their tasting room is a beautifully restored farmhouse with gorgeous antique furniture and a beautiful view of the country. Whyte Horse Winery is a wonderful addition to Indiana’s wine industry."

Free wine tasting is available. Whyte Horse Winery is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

With the addition of this new winery, the Indiana wine industry has 33 commercial wineries and over 400 acres of grapes.

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 nearly 900,000 visitors each year and reaching annual retail sales of nearly $9 million.


Contacts:

Jeanette Merritt, Marketing Specialist, Indiana Wine Grape Council, (765) 496-3842, jkmerritt@purdue.edu.

Larry and Connie Pampel, Owners, Whyte Horse Winery, (574) 583-2345, info@whytehorsewinery.com.

Back