Hopwood Cellars- Zionsville, Indiana
As Labor Day has come and gone, I have thought back to the summer and visit to an excellent winery in Zionsville that my wife and I stopped at on our way home from IU. It was my first trip to Zionsville, and on a side note, the downtown is wonderful and my wife and I plan to come back on a future trip. It was right in downtown that we found our destination: Hopwood Cellars.
The first thing that jumps out at you as you walk in the door is the warm, relaxed atmosphere of the place. The décor and features are both classy and comfortable. Patrons have the option of sitting at the bar, which is very accommodating for conversation, not only with someone sitting next to you, but with other patrons sitting across the bar, or enjoying the comfort of the winery’s chairs and couches. In the corner, right in front of the large, store-front window, there is a small stage area, where the winery provides free entertainment, along with free appetizers, on the weekend.
The second thing you notice is that even on a quiet summer afternoon, you can practically feel the energy and enthusiasm of the winery’s owner and winemaker, Ron Hopwood. My wife and I had the chance to talk with him at length, and clearly Ron (I have met him one time and I feel like we are already on a first name basis) is a man who loves what he does. He began making wine with his brother-in-law, supplying local weddings with his product. Over time, he began entering his wine in various competitions, where he was very successful, winning numerous awards. Finally, about a year ago (Hopwood Cellars is celebrating their first anniversary on September 28th), Hopwood and his wife, Janet, opened the winery in downtown Zionsville.
Winery owner & winemaker, Ron Hopwood, and his wife, Janet
Hopwood’s wines are made on-site, utilizing the rear of the winery for that purpose. The facility uses three temperature-controlled fermentation tanks, which Hopwood hopes to add to over time. As his business and clientele grow, Hopwood keeps one eye looking ahead to the future, with future goals of online sales and starting his own vineyard.
One aspect of Hopwood Cellars that I really like is the nice selection of dry wines. Many Midwest wineries offer dry selections, but tend to specialize and focus on more popular sweet offerings. During our conversation with Hopwood, he says he has a strong dry wine clientele and he is glad to provide a variety of both red and white wine products to cater to his customers. When I asked him about his approach to the art of winemaking, he said that he produces an inventory of products, but when one variety or another runs out, he looks to create new varieties, rather than reproducing the same flavor of the sold-out selection.
As for the wine itself, my wife and I enjoyed several different varieties, focusing on Hopwood’s dry red wine products. Among the selections we enjoyed were the following: Bekkar, made with Chambourcin and Chancellor grapes and aged in Michigan oak; Sunbaked Mihr, made with Marechal Foch grapes, with the flavor of berries paired with hints of pepper and spice; Dechaunac, a smooth, full-bodied red wine; and, my personal favorite, Hopwood’s version of that popular Indiana wine, Chambourcin, a bottle of which my wife and I have on hand in our home wine supply. One item we did not try during our visit, but which is a Hopwood favorite, is a wine shake, made with Bekkar wine, vanilla ice cream, whip cream and a “secret mix-in”.
Chambourcin by Hopwood Cellars
Hopwood Cellars is open seven days a week, and is located at 12 E. Cedar Street in downtown Zionsville. For more information about the winery, I would encourage you to check out Hopwood’s website at http://www.hopwoodcellars.com/ .
One of my goals for Grape Sense is to get to more Indiana wineries than I have in past few years. Grape Sense will offer up a take on the spots throughout 2015. And we’ll revisit some old friends too.
Hopwood Cellars tasting room in converted barn. 
Midwest Beer and Wine 