Wine festival returns

Imagine sipping the best wine Indiana has to offer while listening to great blues and jazz music.

Add a scenic, southern plantation-style estate setting and you've got the makings of the second annual Taste of Wines and Blues festival.

The event, now in its second year, serves as a fundraiser for the Jackson County Chapter of the American Red Cross disaster relief funds.

The agency receives no federal or state funding and relies on donations and volunteers to carry out its services, which include sheltering, feeding and counseling victims of disasters, providing nearly half of the nation's blood supply, teaching lifesaving skills and supporting military members and their families.

"We're always looking for a way to raise money without going to the length of knocking on doors," Arann Banks, health and safety director, said Tuesday. "With the flooding and other disasters from last year, we got hit pretty hard, but what people don't realize is that we meet disaster needs year round."

Besides the wine festival, the agency also sponsors the Olde Time County Tourney and the Crazy 8 Golf Tournament.

"If you can do a fundraiser that everyone enjoys, then it's not like we are just begging for money," she said. "We would much rather do something like this and have fun than go door to door."

The wine festival will take place from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday at AEL BEKA Estates, owned by former Red Cross board member Pat Hobbs, at 941 N. County Road 250E, between Brownstown and Seymour.

"Pat has been so gracious in allowing us to hold this event at her home," she said. "She was always willing to volunteer for us and continues to do what she can to support us."

Wine vendors showcasing their inventory at the festival will include Best Vineyards Winery (Elizabeth), Buck Creek Winery (Indianapolis), Seymour's own Chateau de Pique, Carousel Winery (Bedford), Ferrin's Fruit Winery (Carmel), French Lick Winery (West Baden), Huber Orchard, Winery & Vineyards (Starlight), Mallow Run Winery (Bargersville), New Day Meadery (Elwood), Simmons Winery (Columbus) and Turtle Run Winery (Corydon).

Three local food vendors, The Pines Restaurant, Redeemer Lutheran Ladies Group and A Taste of Heaven will be selling a variety of food and desserts.

"It's very cool," Banks said. "You get to walk around and taste different kinds of wines and find out what you like. I was surprised by some of the wines I liked."

She suggests people bring their lawn chairs and blankets to sit and enjoy the atmosphere.

"It's also a good way to get dads out for Father's Day," she said.

Entertainment will be provided by DJ service Sh'mokin Entertainment from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and local band Elements of Jazz from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Tickets for the festival are $20 and may be purchased from the Red Cross office at 410 Indianapolis Ave. in Seymour, any participating winery, Hildreth's Liquor in Seymour, Happy Herman's in Brownstown, The Pines in Seymour or at the event.

Guests must be 21 years or older to sample wine and identification will be checked upon arrival.

Last year's event attracted 300 to 400 people and Banks said she hopes to see more this year.

"Expectations are higher and we are getting a good response from people," she said.

Information

For information about the event, call Wilma Wessel at 522-3888. For information about the Red Cross, visit online at www.redcross.org.