Turtle Run Winery turns out fine wines
I feel I have somewhat of a stake in this article, as I've been fortunate enough to try several Turtle Run wines over the previous years.
My favourite has remained the Chambourcin that Robin brought to MoCool in 2001 - it was an exemplary hybrid red with dark plummy/cherry fruit enhanced by subtle notes of torrefazione, or as I like to alternatively call it, roasted coffee beans / buckwheat. "Robust and rustic", as the article calls the 2005 release, is right on the money. And I love it.
Last year at NiagaraCool, by contrast, we tried Turtle Run's Summer Solstice, a 50/50 blend of Chardonel and Traminette (again, brought by Robin). It had a lovely deep-straw colour and rich, forward fruity aromatics with what seemed like a dash of oak. The wine was well defined and had real presence on the palate. Taut and balanced, it showed what serious winemakers can make in Indiana using top-quality hybrid fruit, in this case by blending the Chardonnay/Seyval hybrid (Chardonel) and Traminette (a Gewürztraminer hybrid) in equal measures. I thought this wine could easily serve as a benchmark, or ideal, of what's possible and what should be done to produce truly region-specific white table wine that's both local and perfectly food-friendly.