Nestled along a tree surround road, lies Greater Lafayettes only winery. Established in 2009, Wildcat Creek Winery is a locally owned and operated winery. Only selling their wines directly at the winery, Wildcat Creek has received numerous awards across the state of Indiana and across the nation. Rick and Kathy Black had dreamed about opening a winery for numerous years. They competed in amateur winey contests and searched for the perfect location for a very long time. Finally, they found the current home to the winery and absolutely fell in love with the property. The property is just one mile off of I65, perfect location for any person driving by wanting to make a quick stop.

Their most recently released wine, Harvest Cranberry, was released in honor of their 5th anniversary in fall of 2014. This wine is a fruity wine that has an enticing aroma, is a deep red color and is flavored with fresh American cranberries. It is the perfect balance of fruit and sweet!

Another wine that really stood out to me was Aunt Minnies Cherry Tree wine. Cherry pie in a glass. They served this wine with three little chocolate chips. I was advised to drink a taste of the wine, and then eat a chocolate chip before taking another sip. Those flavors really exploded after consuming the chocolate! It was also recommended to purchase a bottle of the wine and try substituting the water in brownies with the wine. I will definitely have to try that recipe alteration sometime soon!

Wildcat Creek employs many Purdue University students to work at the winery. Students working in nutrition sciences sometimes take an interested in wine making. This partnership is a benefit both to the winery and to the Purdue community.

I walked away from the experience with a bottle of their award winning Steuben. In 2012, the Steuben won the 2012 Indiana-grown American Wine of the Year. This wine by far stood out to me as a crisp blush wine with strawberry and cranberry flavors and aroma.

Wildcat Creek Winery is the perfect place to expand your wine-drinking pallet. You can stop by for a quick glass, or sit outside and enjoy a bottle together with your sweetheart or friends. Their wines have pleased many over their short life and will continue to do so for many years to come.

-This blog was shared by Rachel Blankenship.