the BEACON Newspaper, Indiana beacon8-18web | Page 4

Page 4A
THE BEACON
August 2018
The Nectar of the Gods is a Passion for Indiana Vintners
Continued from page 1A
forty-five years; he began in
my kitchen and laundry room -
always just for fun.”
Today, this award-winning
family winery welcomes visi-
tors and produces about two
thousand gallons of wine each
season. Mr. Stutz explains,
“Our process is a lot different
than most wineries; we’re very
small, we don’t have any big
stainless steel tanks, we do
very small batches.”
Mrs. Stutz says, “We truly
just like to watch people enjoy
drinking the wine. That’s the
most fun part, I think. You can
tell some people have not been
in a winery before, so they’re
nervous, they’re scared they’re
going to be perceived as dumb
because they don’t know any-
thing about wine. But it’s just
about enjoying it. If you like
it, you like it; if you don’t, you
don’t.”
Doug Holtkamp of Holt-
kamp Winery laughs about
his first batch of homemade
wine from a kit nearly twenty
years ago. “My buddy said it
was absolutely undrinkable,
and I remember telling him,
you need to try it again - it
gets better. He said no, no, no,
it’s not supposed to get bet-
ter!” But Mr. Holtkamp was
a quick learner, and this year
Holtkamp Winery earned the
Indiana Farm Winery of the
Year award.
Since 2013, Doug and Julia
Holtkamp have worked with
notable vintner Jeff McCann
planting, nurturing and devel-
oping six acres of vineyards.
Mr. Holtkamp said, “One day,
Jeff asked me if I was going
to start a winery or just keep
talking about it - he was kind
of blunt.” When plans to buy
an already established winery
didn’t work out, Mr. McCann
suggested they make use of
the current Holtkamp property
by planting a vineyard and
converting an existing barn
into a winery.
Mr. Holtkamp says, “When
you look at how things have
turned out, I can’t imagine
how I could have been any-
where else.”
The new year begins in local
vineyards not with a glass of
bubbly and a toast, but with
pruning shears and a heavy
coat. Mr. Ahaus says, “We
have seven hundred twenty-
Grapevines at Holtkamp
Winery. (Photo provided
Julia Holtkamp) The Stutz’ support crew for their family business- Maddie
Stutz, Parker Stutz, Gage Vollner, Grandma Debby, Kaden Stutz,
Cora Vollner, Grandpa Donnie, KC, Allissa Stutz, Scarlett Kirch-
gassner, Grace Kirchgassner. (Photo provided by Debby Stutz)
five vines to an acre, and we
have fifteen acres. It’s manual-
ly intensive and it doesn’t mat-
ter if it’s zero outside - spring
doesn’t wait. They’re going to
start running if you’re finished
pruning or not. When it’s
nine degrees with a twenty-
below wind chill, people can’t
believe we’re out there, but
you’ve got to get out there and
get it done.”
Pruning lasts through early
April, with planting begin-
ning as early as March. Mrs.
Stutz says, “We grow seven
different kinds of grapes here.
Donnie just planted a new
vineyard this year in the field.
He planted 200 vines a few
weeks ago, but it takes about
five years for them to mature.”
According to Mr. Ahaus,
the vines …. “grow six or
eight buds per cane and you
cut them back. I may have my
grape growing up the wire,
seven spurs, three buds on
every spur - I’m counting how
many buds I’m leaving on
each side of the plant. It’s very specific. Each plant, depend-
ing on the variety, can usually
produce thirty to forty pounds
of grapes at the maximum rate.
It’s a balancing act because
you want high yield, but not so
much yield that you get a lack
of ripening.”
With the return of summer,
local growers have more than
enough work to do. “You’re
into your growing season
when bud break comes in,”
explains Mr. Ahaus. “It’s basi-
cally that third week of April
to the first of May. Now things
get crazy because now you’re
cluster thinning, shoot posi-
tioning, balancing your crops
out, spraying fungicides -
every ten to twelve days we’re
spraying the vineyards with
pesticides, fungicides, and I
know some people won’t find
that attractive. It’s my least
favorite job, trust me, but if I
don’t go out there and control
with fungicides and pesticides
- there will be no wine.”
Large grape leaves must be
selectively removed on the
Brian Ahaus balances the
demands of vineyard man-
agement with the passion
of wine making at Ertel Cel-
lars. (Photo by Susan Ray)
eastern side of the vines, but
still allow a canopy on the
western side as sun protection
for the ripening grapes. The
vineyards have to be mowed
and the trunks of the vines
kept free from weeds and
debris in order to control
Continued on page 5A
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