There was a beacon in the dark. Namely, Carousel Winery out of Bedford, Indiana. Though I don’t see the full lineup of what we tried on their Web site–such as a lovely, light pinot gris with a hint of acidic sweetness and a quick, elegant finish–there wasn’t a single thing I tried at this station that I didn’t enjoy. Even the slightly awkward anglianico, a somewhat obscure grape that is supposed to be aged for a few years to get over its pubescent awkwardness, was heady, peppery and interesting.

I also really liked Huber’s Orchard & Winery’s vignoles, a semi-dry white with lots of body and a hint of carbonation wanting to come out.

My suggestion for next year: Hike up the price a bit and include food tastings at each station (and sure, leave the vendors–people will still buy). And how about including some wine from other regions? (After all, the Indiana Microbrewers Festival includes breweries from New Orleans’s Abita to New York’s Ommegang, and it still promotes Midwestern beer.) That way, you can actually compare regions and terrior. And isn’t that the point of wine?