Winemaking

We make wines that capture the flavors of great fruit.

Winemaking is our passion. There is honesty in this work — in farming, in an early-morning crush, in the sounds of fermentation, the clink-and-clank of the bottling line.

We believe winemaking is about bringing out the best qualities of delicious fruit. That's why we make wine in the gentlest way possible, showcasing ingredients by nurturing rather than interfering.

Great wines are both science and art, and our team crafts each wine in our portfolio with care and attention to detail. We believe all styles of wine deserve respect. Our wines are wines that everyone can enjoy, from classic varietals to crisp apple ciders and sweet experiments.

Behind the Vines

A cool early morning harvest.

Marionberries, the blackberry varietal used in our best-selling Blackberry Wine, during crush.

Marionberries, the blackberry variety used in our best-selling Blackberry Wine, during crush.

Stainless steel tanks.

Cleaning is a critical part of quality winemaking.

Lab beakers and wine glasses filled with liquid help Oliver Winery produce the highest quality wines..

Quality is our top priority. Lab tests perfect the art & science of winemaking.

Canopy management at Creekbend Vineyard.

Winemaking by nurturing rather than interfering.

Mechanical harvesting before dawn for optimal flavor.

The demo vineyard consists of a small section of vines onsite at the winery.

Only a few of our lots are hand harvested by Oliver Staffers, like these Catawba vines.

State-of-the-art bottling line.

Dark red wine grapes and juice pour into the destemmer after harvest

Fruit is de-stemmed and pressed onsite.

Winemaker Rob Warren helps with Vidal Blanc harvest.

Creekbend Vineyard

Our hilltop vineyard in the Southern Indiana Uplands is a magical place where we grow unique grape varieties. Situated on the same latitude as California's Napa Valley, Creekbend Vineyard's hilltop location and limestone bedrock and soils are ideally suited for growing grapes.

About Creekbend Vineyard

Sourcing great fruit from the best growers in the U.S.

Fruit sourcing

Decades-old relationships with some of the wine industry’s top growers play a critical role in how we go about crafting great wine. Our partners' skills, expertise, and craftsmanship complement Oliver's fruit-forward winemaking philosophy. Always focusing on natural ingredients, we leverage these strong relationships to help source the very best — from blackberries, apples, and classic vinifera, to cherry juice or orange blossom honey. The quality makes the difference between average wines and your favorites.

Rob Warren, Director of Winemaking at Oliver Winery

Rob

Vice President of Winemaking

2 years at Oliver Winery

"Our goal is always to bring out the best of the highest quality ingredients. It is more expensive to use real fruit in wine production, but well worth it from our perspective."