Warning (2): include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.head.html): failed to open stream: No such file or directory [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 53]Code Context<?php // if (!$nowrapper) (Globals::$language == 'es') ? include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_global_js_es.html") : include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_global_js.html"); ?>
<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBD
include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.head.html");
$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Best Vineyards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>8373 Morgan's Lane South East</div> <div> <span>Elizabeth</span>, <span>IN</span> <span>47117</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.bestvineyardswinery.com/" target="_blank">Best Vineyards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 812-969-9463</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Best+Vineyards%2C+8373+Morgan%27s+Lane+South+East%2C+Elizabeth%2C+IN+47117" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in 2000. Rachel, Wilbert's sister was a somewhat reluctant participant at the time. Berretta, Wilbert's other sister, hopped on the crazy wagon a year or so later. A local farmer of corn, wheat, and soybeans used the land at the time and we thought that trying an alternative crop would be an interesting experiment. So began the search for the "perfect" crop to plant that didn't take too much time to, too much experience, and gave a decent return on the investment and was fun to do.Looking at the Purdue University Horticulture sites' alternative crops pages we reviewed herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, brambles and other veggie crops. Then we happened across the listing for grapes. There was a reference to this weird little group called the Indiana Wine Grape Council who were planning a meeting within a few weeks at Huber Winery. Wilbert attended, thinking at the time of growing table grapes. To be honest, we didn't have a clue about wine or wine grapes or really anything about agriculture at all.After that, we paid another little visit to Huber Winery. Ted said we were as insane as Jim to think about growing grapes. Unfortunately, by that time, we'd pretty much made up our minds. We were taking the agricultural plunge! Talking to the folks in the business, everyone recommended starting with an acre. Anymore and you'd kill yourself trying to keep up they said. We decided on 3 basic varieties - Chambourcin, Chardonel, and a few New York Muscats just to be a bit odd like everyone else.We're pretty much a family of engineering types. Out popped the calculators figuring our vine counts for an acre of grapes. It came out to about 600 vines. Looking at the vine suppliers web site we discovered that if we went with 1000 vines we'd get a 5% discount! Who can pass up a discount like that? Out popped the calculators again. After a few days, Wilbert discovered that at 1500 vines you got another 5% discount! I think you can see where this is going. We wound up buying 2500 vines. "But just look at the money we saved!" said Wilbert.In April of 2002 we were nearly set to plant. Wilbert took 3 days of vacation and started drilling the holes with an auger to plant the vines. 3 DAYS! It was April. It was sunny and 80 degrees! Wilbert's head got sunburned! Drilling all day Wednesday. Drilled all day Thursday and Friday too. Then Friday night it happened! Rain!!! Saturday morning dawned a cold, blustery 34 degrees and there was a constant wind blowing across the site all day. We were stuck. We'd been soaking the vines in water. We had to plant. We, and about 10 friends and family, mudded in the vines on the most miserable day of the year.Two years passed and we were sitting around plotting the sale of our crop. Jim Pfeiffer stepped up and saved the day. Next, how to get our grapes from here to there? I mean really! We were struggling to just keep up with growing the things, who plans ahead like that? Fortunately, Purdue has a mobile press they allowed us to borrow to process the harvest at our farm and deliver juice to Jim. Let's just say that our first harvest was an interesting experience and leave it at that...As we were processing the juice, we wondered how hard it would be to ferment it and make wine. To be honest, we were always a bit curious about how it was made. As children we were told wondrous tales of how our grandparents made homemade root beers and hard ciders. Curiosity got the cat as you know. So we saved back a few buckets of juice and gave it a try. It actually turned out. So, we got some more juice and tried it again. That time things didn't go nearly as well. But, we persevered, and kept trying and experimenting and felt we finally had some idea of what we were doing.Thus was born the idea of our own winery... the further the tale goes the more bizarre it gets.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/elizabeth-in/report/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-de-yoga-series-11724-8sn3ct3mbp8.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RECHARGE-WITH-GENTLE-YOGA">Recharge With Gentle Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-cards-color-pencil-1172024-dynxs9jhsby.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CREATING-HOLIDAY-CARDS-USING-COLORED-PENCILS">Creating Holiday Cards Using Colored Pencils</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-maine-yoga-with-sea-change-yoga-november-2024-dwn5382699b.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-A-VIRTUAL-CLASS-IN-GENTLE-CHAIR-YOGA">A Virtual Class in Gentle Chair Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Friday, Nov 8, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Indiana</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:INAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INAARP@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/indiana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Indiana</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-indiana/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ELIZABETH-IN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in" name="description"/> <meta content="Best, Vineyards, Elizabeth, IN" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="38.154999"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-85.9711"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Best Vineyards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>8373 Morgan's Lane South East</div> <div> <span>Elizabeth</span>, <span>IN</span> <span>47117</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.bestvineyardswinery.com/" target="_blank">Best Vineyards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 812-969-9463</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Best+Vineyards%2C+8373+Morgan%27s+Lane+South+East%2C+Elizabeth%2C+IN+47117" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in 2000. Rachel, Wilbert's sister was a somewhat reluctant participant at the time. Berretta, Wilbert's other sister, hopped on the crazy wagon a year or so later. A local farmer of corn, wheat, and soybeans used the land at the time and we thought that trying an alternative crop would be an interesting experiment. So began the search for the "perfect" crop to plant that didn't take too much time to, too much experience, and gave a decent return on the investment and was fun to do.Looking at the Purdue University Horticulture sites' alternative crops pages we reviewed herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, brambles and other veggie crops. Then we happened across the listing for grapes. There was a reference to this weird little group called the Indiana Wine Grape Council who were planning a meeting within a few weeks at Huber Winery. Wilbert attended, thinking at the time of growing table grapes. To be honest, we didn't have a clue about wine or wine grapes or really anything about agriculture at all.After that, we paid another little visit to Huber Winery. Ted said we were as insane as Jim to think about growing grapes. Unfortunately, by that time, we'd pretty much made up our minds. We were taking the agricultural plunge! Talking to the folks in the business, everyone recommended starting with an acre. Anymore and you'd kill yourself trying to keep up they said. We decided on 3 basic varieties - Chambourcin, Chardonel, and a few New York Muscats just to be a bit odd like everyone else.We're pretty much a family of engineering types. Out popped the calculators figuring our vine counts for an acre of grapes. It came out to about 600 vines. Looking at the vine suppliers web site we discovered that if we went with 1000 vines we'd get a 5% discount! Who can pass up a discount like that? Out popped the calculators again. After a few days, Wilbert discovered that at 1500 vines you got another 5% discount! I think you can see where this is going. We wound up buying 2500 vines. "But just look at the money we saved!" said Wilbert.In April of 2002 we were nearly set to plant. Wilbert took 3 days of vacation and started drilling the holes with an auger to plant the vines. 3 DAYS! It was April. It was sunny and 80 degrees! Wilbert's head got sunburned! Drilling all day Wednesday. Drilled all day Thursday and Friday too. Then Friday night it happened! Rain!!! Saturday morning dawned a cold, blustery 34 degrees and there was a constant wind blowing across the site all day. We were stuck. We'd been soaking the vines in water. We had to plant. We, and about 10 friends and family, mudded in the vines on the most miserable day of the year.Two years passed and we were sitting around plotting the sale of our crop. Jim Pfeiffer stepped up and saved the day. Next, how to get our grapes from here to there? I mean really! We were struggling to just keep up with growing the things, who plans ahead like that? Fortunately, Purdue has a mobile press they allowed us to borrow to process the harvest at our farm and deliver juice to Jim. Let's just say that our first harvest was an interesting experience and leave it at that...As we were processing the juice, we wondered how hard it would be to ferment it and make wine. To be honest, we were always a bit curious about how it was made. As children we were told wondrous tales of how our grandparents made homemade root beers and hard ciders. Curiosity got the cat as you know. So we saved back a few buckets of juice and gave it a try. It actually turned out. So, we got some more juice and tried it again. That time things didn't go nearly as well. But, we persevered, and kept trying and experimenting and felt we finally had some idea of what we were doing.Thus was born the idea of our own winery... the further the tale goes the more bizarre it gets.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/elizabeth-in/report/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-de-yoga-series-11724-8sn3ct3mbp8.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RECHARGE-WITH-GENTLE-YOGA">Recharge With Gentle Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-cards-color-pencil-1172024-dynxs9jhsby.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CREATING-HOLIDAY-CARDS-USING-COLORED-PENCILS">Creating Holiday Cards Using Colored Pencils</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-maine-yoga-with-sea-change-yoga-november-2024-dwn5382699b.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-A-VIRTUAL-CLASS-IN-GENTLE-CHAIR-YOGA">A Virtual Class in Gentle Chair Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Friday, Nov 8, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Indiana</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:INAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INAARP@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/indiana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Indiana</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-indiana/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ELIZABETH-IN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in" name="description"/> <meta content="Best, Vineyards, Elizabeth, IN" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="38.154999"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-85.9711"/> ' $title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = ''include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 53 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 53 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118
Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.head.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 53]Code Context<?php // if (!$nowrapper) (Globals::$language == 'es') ? include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_global_js_es.html") : include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_global_js.html"); ?>
<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBD
include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.head.html");
$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Best Vineyards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>8373 Morgan's Lane South East</div> <div> <span>Elizabeth</span>, <span>IN</span> <span>47117</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.bestvineyardswinery.com/" target="_blank">Best Vineyards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 812-969-9463</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Best+Vineyards%2C+8373+Morgan%27s+Lane+South+East%2C+Elizabeth%2C+IN+47117" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in 2000. Rachel, Wilbert's sister was a somewhat reluctant participant at the time. Berretta, Wilbert's other sister, hopped on the crazy wagon a year or so later. A local farmer of corn, wheat, and soybeans used the land at the time and we thought that trying an alternative crop would be an interesting experiment. So began the search for the "perfect" crop to plant that didn't take too much time to, too much experience, and gave a decent return on the investment and was fun to do.Looking at the Purdue University Horticulture sites' alternative crops pages we reviewed herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, brambles and other veggie crops. Then we happened across the listing for grapes. There was a reference to this weird little group called the Indiana Wine Grape Council who were planning a meeting within a few weeks at Huber Winery. Wilbert attended, thinking at the time of growing table grapes. To be honest, we didn't have a clue about wine or wine grapes or really anything about agriculture at all.After that, we paid another little visit to Huber Winery. Ted said we were as insane as Jim to think about growing grapes. Unfortunately, by that time, we'd pretty much made up our minds. We were taking the agricultural plunge! Talking to the folks in the business, everyone recommended starting with an acre. Anymore and you'd kill yourself trying to keep up they said. We decided on 3 basic varieties - Chambourcin, Chardonel, and a few New York Muscats just to be a bit odd like everyone else.We're pretty much a family of engineering types. Out popped the calculators figuring our vine counts for an acre of grapes. It came out to about 600 vines. Looking at the vine suppliers web site we discovered that if we went with 1000 vines we'd get a 5% discount! Who can pass up a discount like that? Out popped the calculators again. After a few days, Wilbert discovered that at 1500 vines you got another 5% discount! I think you can see where this is going. We wound up buying 2500 vines. "But just look at the money we saved!" said Wilbert.In April of 2002 we were nearly set to plant. Wilbert took 3 days of vacation and started drilling the holes with an auger to plant the vines. 3 DAYS! It was April. It was sunny and 80 degrees! Wilbert's head got sunburned! Drilling all day Wednesday. Drilled all day Thursday and Friday too. Then Friday night it happened! Rain!!! Saturday morning dawned a cold, blustery 34 degrees and there was a constant wind blowing across the site all day. We were stuck. We'd been soaking the vines in water. We had to plant. We, and about 10 friends and family, mudded in the vines on the most miserable day of the year.Two years passed and we were sitting around plotting the sale of our crop. Jim Pfeiffer stepped up and saved the day. Next, how to get our grapes from here to there? I mean really! We were struggling to just keep up with growing the things, who plans ahead like that? Fortunately, Purdue has a mobile press they allowed us to borrow to process the harvest at our farm and deliver juice to Jim. Let's just say that our first harvest was an interesting experience and leave it at that...As we were processing the juice, we wondered how hard it would be to ferment it and make wine. To be honest, we were always a bit curious about how it was made. As children we were told wondrous tales of how our grandparents made homemade root beers and hard ciders. Curiosity got the cat as you know. So we saved back a few buckets of juice and gave it a try. It actually turned out. So, we got some more juice and tried it again. That time things didn't go nearly as well. But, we persevered, and kept trying and experimenting and felt we finally had some idea of what we were doing.Thus was born the idea of our own winery... the further the tale goes the more bizarre it gets.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/elizabeth-in/report/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-de-yoga-series-11724-8sn3ct3mbp8.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RECHARGE-WITH-GENTLE-YOGA">Recharge With Gentle Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-cards-color-pencil-1172024-dynxs9jhsby.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CREATING-HOLIDAY-CARDS-USING-COLORED-PENCILS">Creating Holiday Cards Using Colored Pencils</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-maine-yoga-with-sea-change-yoga-november-2024-dwn5382699b.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-A-VIRTUAL-CLASS-IN-GENTLE-CHAIR-YOGA">A Virtual Class in Gentle Chair Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Friday, Nov 8, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Indiana</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:INAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INAARP@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/indiana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Indiana</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-indiana/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ELIZABETH-IN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in" name="description"/> <meta content="Best, Vineyards, Elizabeth, IN" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="38.154999"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-85.9711"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Best Vineyards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>8373 Morgan's Lane South East</div> <div> <span>Elizabeth</span>, <span>IN</span> <span>47117</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.bestvineyardswinery.com/" target="_blank">Best Vineyards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 812-969-9463</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Best+Vineyards%2C+8373+Morgan%27s+Lane+South+East%2C+Elizabeth%2C+IN+47117" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in 2000. Rachel, Wilbert's sister was a somewhat reluctant participant at the time. Berretta, Wilbert's other sister, hopped on the crazy wagon a year or so later. A local farmer of corn, wheat, and soybeans used the land at the time and we thought that trying an alternative crop would be an interesting experiment. So began the search for the "perfect" crop to plant that didn't take too much time to, too much experience, and gave a decent return on the investment and was fun to do.Looking at the Purdue University Horticulture sites' alternative crops pages we reviewed herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, brambles and other veggie crops. Then we happened across the listing for grapes. There was a reference to this weird little group called the Indiana Wine Grape Council who were planning a meeting within a few weeks at Huber Winery. Wilbert attended, thinking at the time of growing table grapes. To be honest, we didn't have a clue about wine or wine grapes or really anything about agriculture at all.After that, we paid another little visit to Huber Winery. Ted said we were as insane as Jim to think about growing grapes. Unfortunately, by that time, we'd pretty much made up our minds. We were taking the agricultural plunge! Talking to the folks in the business, everyone recommended starting with an acre. Anymore and you'd kill yourself trying to keep up they said. We decided on 3 basic varieties - Chambourcin, Chardonel, and a few New York Muscats just to be a bit odd like everyone else.We're pretty much a family of engineering types. Out popped the calculators figuring our vine counts for an acre of grapes. It came out to about 600 vines. Looking at the vine suppliers web site we discovered that if we went with 1000 vines we'd get a 5% discount! Who can pass up a discount like that? Out popped the calculators again. After a few days, Wilbert discovered that at 1500 vines you got another 5% discount! I think you can see where this is going. We wound up buying 2500 vines. "But just look at the money we saved!" said Wilbert.In April of 2002 we were nearly set to plant. Wilbert took 3 days of vacation and started drilling the holes with an auger to plant the vines. 3 DAYS! It was April. It was sunny and 80 degrees! Wilbert's head got sunburned! Drilling all day Wednesday. Drilled all day Thursday and Friday too. Then Friday night it happened! Rain!!! Saturday morning dawned a cold, blustery 34 degrees and there was a constant wind blowing across the site all day. We were stuck. We'd been soaking the vines in water. We had to plant. We, and about 10 friends and family, mudded in the vines on the most miserable day of the year.Two years passed and we were sitting around plotting the sale of our crop. Jim Pfeiffer stepped up and saved the day. Next, how to get our grapes from here to there? I mean really! We were struggling to just keep up with growing the things, who plans ahead like that? Fortunately, Purdue has a mobile press they allowed us to borrow to process the harvest at our farm and deliver juice to Jim. Let's just say that our first harvest was an interesting experience and leave it at that...As we were processing the juice, we wondered how hard it would be to ferment it and make wine. To be honest, we were always a bit curious about how it was made. As children we were told wondrous tales of how our grandparents made homemade root beers and hard ciders. Curiosity got the cat as you know. So we saved back a few buckets of juice and gave it a try. It actually turned out. So, we got some more juice and tried it again. That time things didn't go nearly as well. But, we persevered, and kept trying and experimenting and felt we finally had some idea of what we were doing.Thus was born the idea of our own winery... the further the tale goes the more bizarre it gets.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/elizabeth-in/report/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-de-yoga-series-11724-8sn3ct3mbp8.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RECHARGE-WITH-GENTLE-YOGA">Recharge With Gentle Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-cards-color-pencil-1172024-dynxs9jhsby.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CREATING-HOLIDAY-CARDS-USING-COLORED-PENCILS">Creating Holiday Cards Using Colored Pencils</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-maine-yoga-with-sea-change-yoga-november-2024-dwn5382699b.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-A-VIRTUAL-CLASS-IN-GENTLE-CHAIR-YOGA">A Virtual Class in Gentle Chair Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Friday, Nov 8, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Indiana</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:INAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INAARP@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/indiana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Indiana</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-indiana/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ELIZABETH-IN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in" name="description"/> <meta content="Best, Vineyards, Elizabeth, IN" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="38.154999"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-85.9711"/> ' $title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = ''include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 53 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 53 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118
Warning (2): include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.resource.root.html) [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 54]Code Context<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBD
include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.head.html");
include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.resource.root.html");
$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Best Vineyards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>8373 Morgan's Lane South East</div> <div> <span>Elizabeth</span>, <span>IN</span> <span>47117</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.bestvineyardswinery.com/" target="_blank">Best Vineyards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 812-969-9463</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Best+Vineyards%2C+8373+Morgan%27s+Lane+South+East%2C+Elizabeth%2C+IN+47117" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in 2000. Rachel, Wilbert's sister was a somewhat reluctant participant at the time. Berretta, Wilbert's other sister, hopped on the crazy wagon a year or so later. A local farmer of corn, wheat, and soybeans used the land at the time and we thought that trying an alternative crop would be an interesting experiment. So began the search for the "perfect" crop to plant that didn't take too much time to, too much experience, and gave a decent return on the investment and was fun to do.Looking at the Purdue University Horticulture sites' alternative crops pages we reviewed herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, brambles and other veggie crops. Then we happened across the listing for grapes. There was a reference to this weird little group called the Indiana Wine Grape Council who were planning a meeting within a few weeks at Huber Winery. Wilbert attended, thinking at the time of growing table grapes. To be honest, we didn't have a clue about wine or wine grapes or really anything about agriculture at all.After that, we paid another little visit to Huber Winery. Ted said we were as insane as Jim to think about growing grapes. Unfortunately, by that time, we'd pretty much made up our minds. We were taking the agricultural plunge! Talking to the folks in the business, everyone recommended starting with an acre. Anymore and you'd kill yourself trying to keep up they said. We decided on 3 basic varieties - Chambourcin, Chardonel, and a few New York Muscats just to be a bit odd like everyone else.We're pretty much a family of engineering types. Out popped the calculators figuring our vine counts for an acre of grapes. It came out to about 600 vines. Looking at the vine suppliers web site we discovered that if we went with 1000 vines we'd get a 5% discount! Who can pass up a discount like that? Out popped the calculators again. After a few days, Wilbert discovered that at 1500 vines you got another 5% discount! I think you can see where this is going. We wound up buying 2500 vines. "But just look at the money we saved!" said Wilbert.In April of 2002 we were nearly set to plant. Wilbert took 3 days of vacation and started drilling the holes with an auger to plant the vines. 3 DAYS! It was April. It was sunny and 80 degrees! Wilbert's head got sunburned! Drilling all day Wednesday. Drilled all day Thursday and Friday too. Then Friday night it happened! Rain!!! Saturday morning dawned a cold, blustery 34 degrees and there was a constant wind blowing across the site all day. We were stuck. We'd been soaking the vines in water. We had to plant. We, and about 10 friends and family, mudded in the vines on the most miserable day of the year.Two years passed and we were sitting around plotting the sale of our crop. Jim Pfeiffer stepped up and saved the day. Next, how to get our grapes from here to there? I mean really! We were struggling to just keep up with growing the things, who plans ahead like that? Fortunately, Purdue has a mobile press they allowed us to borrow to process the harvest at our farm and deliver juice to Jim. Let's just say that our first harvest was an interesting experience and leave it at that...As we were processing the juice, we wondered how hard it would be to ferment it and make wine. To be honest, we were always a bit curious about how it was made. As children we were told wondrous tales of how our grandparents made homemade root beers and hard ciders. Curiosity got the cat as you know. So we saved back a few buckets of juice and gave it a try. It actually turned out. So, we got some more juice and tried it again. That time things didn't go nearly as well. But, we persevered, and kept trying and experimenting and felt we finally had some idea of what we were doing.Thus was born the idea of our own winery... the further the tale goes the more bizarre it gets.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/elizabeth-in/report/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-de-yoga-series-11724-8sn3ct3mbp8.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RECHARGE-WITH-GENTLE-YOGA">Recharge With Gentle Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-cards-color-pencil-1172024-dynxs9jhsby.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CREATING-HOLIDAY-CARDS-USING-COLORED-PENCILS">Creating Holiday Cards Using Colored Pencils</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-maine-yoga-with-sea-change-yoga-november-2024-dwn5382699b.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-A-VIRTUAL-CLASS-IN-GENTLE-CHAIR-YOGA">A Virtual Class in Gentle Chair Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Friday, Nov 8, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Indiana</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:INAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INAARP@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/indiana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Indiana</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-indiana/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ELIZABETH-IN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in" name="description"/> <meta content="Best, Vineyards, Elizabeth, IN" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="38.154999"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-85.9711"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Best Vineyards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>8373 Morgan's Lane South East</div> <div> <span>Elizabeth</span>, <span>IN</span> <span>47117</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.bestvineyardswinery.com/" target="_blank">Best Vineyards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 812-969-9463</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Best+Vineyards%2C+8373+Morgan%27s+Lane+South+East%2C+Elizabeth%2C+IN+47117" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in 2000. Rachel, Wilbert's sister was a somewhat reluctant participant at the time. Berretta, Wilbert's other sister, hopped on the crazy wagon a year or so later. A local farmer of corn, wheat, and soybeans used the land at the time and we thought that trying an alternative crop would be an interesting experiment. So began the search for the "perfect" crop to plant that didn't take too much time to, too much experience, and gave a decent return on the investment and was fun to do.Looking at the Purdue University Horticulture sites' alternative crops pages we reviewed herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, brambles and other veggie crops. Then we happened across the listing for grapes. There was a reference to this weird little group called the Indiana Wine Grape Council who were planning a meeting within a few weeks at Huber Winery. Wilbert attended, thinking at the time of growing table grapes. To be honest, we didn't have a clue about wine or wine grapes or really anything about agriculture at all.After that, we paid another little visit to Huber Winery. Ted said we were as insane as Jim to think about growing grapes. Unfortunately, by that time, we'd pretty much made up our minds. We were taking the agricultural plunge! Talking to the folks in the business, everyone recommended starting with an acre. Anymore and you'd kill yourself trying to keep up they said. We decided on 3 basic varieties - Chambourcin, Chardonel, and a few New York Muscats just to be a bit odd like everyone else.We're pretty much a family of engineering types. Out popped the calculators figuring our vine counts for an acre of grapes. It came out to about 600 vines. Looking at the vine suppliers web site we discovered that if we went with 1000 vines we'd get a 5% discount! Who can pass up a discount like that? Out popped the calculators again. After a few days, Wilbert discovered that at 1500 vines you got another 5% discount! I think you can see where this is going. We wound up buying 2500 vines. "But just look at the money we saved!" said Wilbert.In April of 2002 we were nearly set to plant. Wilbert took 3 days of vacation and started drilling the holes with an auger to plant the vines. 3 DAYS! It was April. It was sunny and 80 degrees! Wilbert's head got sunburned! Drilling all day Wednesday. Drilled all day Thursday and Friday too. Then Friday night it happened! Rain!!! Saturday morning dawned a cold, blustery 34 degrees and there was a constant wind blowing across the site all day. We were stuck. We'd been soaking the vines in water. We had to plant. We, and about 10 friends and family, mudded in the vines on the most miserable day of the year.Two years passed and we were sitting around plotting the sale of our crop. Jim Pfeiffer stepped up and saved the day. Next, how to get our grapes from here to there? I mean really! We were struggling to just keep up with growing the things, who plans ahead like that? Fortunately, Purdue has a mobile press they allowed us to borrow to process the harvest at our farm and deliver juice to Jim. Let's just say that our first harvest was an interesting experience and leave it at that...As we were processing the juice, we wondered how hard it would be to ferment it and make wine. To be honest, we were always a bit curious about how it was made. As children we were told wondrous tales of how our grandparents made homemade root beers and hard ciders. Curiosity got the cat as you know. So we saved back a few buckets of juice and gave it a try. It actually turned out. So, we got some more juice and tried it again. That time things didn't go nearly as well. But, we persevered, and kept trying and experimenting and felt we finally had some idea of what we were doing.Thus was born the idea of our own winery... the further the tale goes the more bizarre it gets.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/elizabeth-in/report/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-de-yoga-series-11724-8sn3ct3mbp8.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RECHARGE-WITH-GENTLE-YOGA">Recharge With Gentle Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-cards-color-pencil-1172024-dynxs9jhsby.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CREATING-HOLIDAY-CARDS-USING-COLORED-PENCILS">Creating Holiday Cards Using Colored Pencils</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-maine-yoga-with-sea-change-yoga-november-2024-dwn5382699b.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-A-VIRTUAL-CLASS-IN-GENTLE-CHAIR-YOGA">A Virtual Class in Gentle Chair Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Friday, Nov 8, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Indiana</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:INAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INAARP@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/indiana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Indiana</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-indiana/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ELIZABETH-IN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in" name="description"/> <meta content="Best, Vineyards, Elizabeth, IN" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="38.154999"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-85.9711"/> ' $title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = ''include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 54 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 54 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118
Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.resource.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 54]Code Context<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBD
include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.head.html");
include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.resource.root.html");
$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Best Vineyards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>8373 Morgan's Lane South East</div> <div> <span>Elizabeth</span>, <span>IN</span> <span>47117</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.bestvineyardswinery.com/" target="_blank">Best Vineyards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 812-969-9463</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Best+Vineyards%2C+8373+Morgan%27s+Lane+South+East%2C+Elizabeth%2C+IN+47117" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in 2000. Rachel, Wilbert's sister was a somewhat reluctant participant at the time. Berretta, Wilbert's other sister, hopped on the crazy wagon a year or so later. A local farmer of corn, wheat, and soybeans used the land at the time and we thought that trying an alternative crop would be an interesting experiment. So began the search for the "perfect" crop to plant that didn't take too much time to, too much experience, and gave a decent return on the investment and was fun to do.Looking at the Purdue University Horticulture sites' alternative crops pages we reviewed herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, brambles and other veggie crops. Then we happened across the listing for grapes. There was a reference to this weird little group called the Indiana Wine Grape Council who were planning a meeting within a few weeks at Huber Winery. Wilbert attended, thinking at the time of growing table grapes. To be honest, we didn't have a clue about wine or wine grapes or really anything about agriculture at all.After that, we paid another little visit to Huber Winery. Ted said we were as insane as Jim to think about growing grapes. Unfortunately, by that time, we'd pretty much made up our minds. We were taking the agricultural plunge! Talking to the folks in the business, everyone recommended starting with an acre. Anymore and you'd kill yourself trying to keep up they said. We decided on 3 basic varieties - Chambourcin, Chardonel, and a few New York Muscats just to be a bit odd like everyone else.We're pretty much a family of engineering types. Out popped the calculators figuring our vine counts for an acre of grapes. It came out to about 600 vines. Looking at the vine suppliers web site we discovered that if we went with 1000 vines we'd get a 5% discount! Who can pass up a discount like that? Out popped the calculators again. After a few days, Wilbert discovered that at 1500 vines you got another 5% discount! I think you can see where this is going. We wound up buying 2500 vines. "But just look at the money we saved!" said Wilbert.In April of 2002 we were nearly set to plant. Wilbert took 3 days of vacation and started drilling the holes with an auger to plant the vines. 3 DAYS! It was April. It was sunny and 80 degrees! Wilbert's head got sunburned! Drilling all day Wednesday. Drilled all day Thursday and Friday too. Then Friday night it happened! Rain!!! Saturday morning dawned a cold, blustery 34 degrees and there was a constant wind blowing across the site all day. We were stuck. We'd been soaking the vines in water. We had to plant. We, and about 10 friends and family, mudded in the vines on the most miserable day of the year.Two years passed and we were sitting around plotting the sale of our crop. Jim Pfeiffer stepped up and saved the day. Next, how to get our grapes from here to there? I mean really! We were struggling to just keep up with growing the things, who plans ahead like that? Fortunately, Purdue has a mobile press they allowed us to borrow to process the harvest at our farm and deliver juice to Jim. Let's just say that our first harvest was an interesting experience and leave it at that...As we were processing the juice, we wondered how hard it would be to ferment it and make wine. To be honest, we were always a bit curious about how it was made. As children we were told wondrous tales of how our grandparents made homemade root beers and hard ciders. Curiosity got the cat as you know. So we saved back a few buckets of juice and gave it a try. It actually turned out. So, we got some more juice and tried it again. That time things didn't go nearly as well. But, we persevered, and kept trying and experimenting and felt we finally had some idea of what we were doing.Thus was born the idea of our own winery... the further the tale goes the more bizarre it gets.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/elizabeth-in/report/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-de-yoga-series-11724-8sn3ct3mbp8.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RECHARGE-WITH-GENTLE-YOGA">Recharge With Gentle Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-cards-color-pencil-1172024-dynxs9jhsby.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CREATING-HOLIDAY-CARDS-USING-COLORED-PENCILS">Creating Holiday Cards Using Colored Pencils</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-maine-yoga-with-sea-change-yoga-november-2024-dwn5382699b.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-A-VIRTUAL-CLASS-IN-GENTLE-CHAIR-YOGA">A Virtual Class in Gentle Chair Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Friday, Nov 8, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Indiana</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:INAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INAARP@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/indiana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Indiana</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-indiana/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ELIZABETH-IN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in" name="description"/> <meta content="Best, Vineyards, Elizabeth, IN" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="38.154999"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-85.9711"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Best Vineyards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>8373 Morgan's Lane South East</div> <div> <span>Elizabeth</span>, <span>IN</span> <span>47117</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.bestvineyardswinery.com/" target="_blank">Best Vineyards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 812-969-9463</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Best+Vineyards%2C+8373+Morgan%27s+Lane+South+East%2C+Elizabeth%2C+IN+47117" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in 2000. Rachel, Wilbert's sister was a somewhat reluctant participant at the time. Berretta, Wilbert's other sister, hopped on the crazy wagon a year or so later. A local farmer of corn, wheat, and soybeans used the land at the time and we thought that trying an alternative crop would be an interesting experiment. So began the search for the "perfect" crop to plant that didn't take too much time to, too much experience, and gave a decent return on the investment and was fun to do.Looking at the Purdue University Horticulture sites' alternative crops pages we reviewed herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, brambles and other veggie crops. Then we happened across the listing for grapes. There was a reference to this weird little group called the Indiana Wine Grape Council who were planning a meeting within a few weeks at Huber Winery. Wilbert attended, thinking at the time of growing table grapes. To be honest, we didn't have a clue about wine or wine grapes or really anything about agriculture at all.After that, we paid another little visit to Huber Winery. Ted said we were as insane as Jim to think about growing grapes. Unfortunately, by that time, we'd pretty much made up our minds. We were taking the agricultural plunge! Talking to the folks in the business, everyone recommended starting with an acre. Anymore and you'd kill yourself trying to keep up they said. We decided on 3 basic varieties - Chambourcin, Chardonel, and a few New York Muscats just to be a bit odd like everyone else.We're pretty much a family of engineering types. Out popped the calculators figuring our vine counts for an acre of grapes. It came out to about 600 vines. Looking at the vine suppliers web site we discovered that if we went with 1000 vines we'd get a 5% discount! Who can pass up a discount like that? Out popped the calculators again. After a few days, Wilbert discovered that at 1500 vines you got another 5% discount! I think you can see where this is going. We wound up buying 2500 vines. "But just look at the money we saved!" said Wilbert.In April of 2002 we were nearly set to plant. Wilbert took 3 days of vacation and started drilling the holes with an auger to plant the vines. 3 DAYS! It was April. It was sunny and 80 degrees! Wilbert's head got sunburned! Drilling all day Wednesday. Drilled all day Thursday and Friday too. Then Friday night it happened! Rain!!! Saturday morning dawned a cold, blustery 34 degrees and there was a constant wind blowing across the site all day. We were stuck. We'd been soaking the vines in water. We had to plant. We, and about 10 friends and family, mudded in the vines on the most miserable day of the year.Two years passed and we were sitting around plotting the sale of our crop. Jim Pfeiffer stepped up and saved the day. Next, how to get our grapes from here to there? I mean really! We were struggling to just keep up with growing the things, who plans ahead like that? Fortunately, Purdue has a mobile press they allowed us to borrow to process the harvest at our farm and deliver juice to Jim. Let's just say that our first harvest was an interesting experience and leave it at that...As we were processing the juice, we wondered how hard it would be to ferment it and make wine. To be honest, we were always a bit curious about how it was made. As children we were told wondrous tales of how our grandparents made homemade root beers and hard ciders. Curiosity got the cat as you know. So we saved back a few buckets of juice and gave it a try. It actually turned out. So, we got some more juice and tried it again. That time things didn't go nearly as well. But, we persevered, and kept trying and experimenting and felt we finally had some idea of what we were doing.Thus was born the idea of our own winery... the further the tale goes the more bizarre it gets.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/elizabeth-in/report/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-de-yoga-series-11724-8sn3ct3mbp8.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RECHARGE-WITH-GENTLE-YOGA">Recharge With Gentle Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-cards-color-pencil-1172024-dynxs9jhsby.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CREATING-HOLIDAY-CARDS-USING-COLORED-PENCILS">Creating Holiday Cards Using Colored Pencils</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-maine-yoga-with-sea-change-yoga-november-2024-dwn5382699b.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-A-VIRTUAL-CLASS-IN-GENTLE-CHAIR-YOGA">A Virtual Class in Gentle Chair Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Friday, Nov 8, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Indiana</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:INAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INAARP@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/indiana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Indiana</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-indiana/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ELIZABETH-IN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in" name="description"/> <meta content="Best, Vineyards, Elizabeth, IN" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="38.154999"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-85.9711"/> ' $title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = ''include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 54 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 54 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118
Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in 2000. Rachel, Wilbert's sister was a somewhat reluctant participant at the time. Berretta, Wilbert's other sister, hopped on the crazy wagon a year or so later. A local farmer of corn, wheat, and soybeans used the land at the time and we thought that trying an alternative crop would be an interesting experiment. So began the search for the "perfect" crop to plant that didn't take too much time to, too much experience, and gave a decent return on the investment and was fun to do.Looking at the Purdue University Horticulture sites' alternative crops pages we reviewed herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, brambles and other veggie crops. Then we happened across the listing for grapes. There was a reference to this weird little group called the Indiana Wine Grape Council who were planning a meeting within a few weeks at Huber Winery. Wilbert attended, thinking at the time of growing table grapes. To be honest, we didn't have a clue about wine or wine grapes or really anything about agriculture at all.After that, we paid another little visit to Huber Winery. Ted said we were as insane as Jim to think about growing grapes. Unfortunately, by that time, we'd pretty much made up our minds. We were taking the agricultural plunge! Talking to the folks in the business, everyone recommended starting with an acre. Anymore and you'd kill yourself trying to keep up they said. We decided on 3 basic varieties - Chambourcin, Chardonel, and a few New York Muscats just to be a bit odd like everyone else.We're pretty much a family of engineering types. Out popped the calculators figuring our vine counts for an acre of grapes. It came out to about 600 vines. Looking at the vine suppliers web site we discovered that if we went with 1000 vines we'd get a 5% discount! Who can pass up a discount like that? Out popped the calculators again. After a few days, Wilbert discovered that at 1500 vines you got another 5% discount! I think you can see where this is going. We wound up buying 2500 vines. "But just look at the money we saved!" said Wilbert.In April of 2002 we were nearly set to plant. Wilbert took 3 days of vacation and started drilling the holes with an auger to plant the vines. 3 DAYS! It was April. It was sunny and 80 degrees! Wilbert's head got sunburned! Drilling all day Wednesday. Drilled all day Thursday and Friday too. Then Friday night it happened! Rain!!! Saturday morning dawned a cold, blustery 34 degrees and there was a constant wind blowing across the site all day. We were stuck. We'd been soaking the vines in water. We had to plant. We, and about 10 friends and family, mudded in the vines on the most miserable day of the year.Two years passed and we were sitting around plotting the sale of our crop. Jim Pfeiffer stepped up and saved the day. Next, how to get our grapes from here to there? I mean really! We were struggling to just keep up with growing the things, who plans ahead like that? Fortunately, Purdue has a mobile press they allowed us to borrow to process the harvest at our farm and deliver juice to Jim. Let's just say that our first harvest was an interesting experience and leave it at that...As we were processing the juice, we wondered how hard it would be to ferment it and make wine. To be honest, we were always a bit curious about how it was made. As children we were told wondrous tales of how our grandparents made homemade root beers and hard ciders. Curiosity got the cat as you know. So we saved back a few buckets of juice and gave it a try. It actually turned out. So, we got some more juice and tried it again. That time things didn't go nearly as well. But, we persevered, and kept trying and experimenting and felt we finally had some idea of what we were doing.Thus was born the idea of our own winery... the further the tale goes the more bizarre it gets.
Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET
Zoom
Online Event
Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET
Zoom
Online Event
Friday, Nov 8, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET
Zoom
Online Event
Warning (2): include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html) [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242]Code Context<?php // if (!$nowrapper) (Globals::$language == 'es') ? include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer_es.html") : include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer.html"); ?>
<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBD
include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");
$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Best Vineyards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>8373 Morgan's Lane South East</div> <div> <span>Elizabeth</span>, <span>IN</span> <span>47117</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.bestvineyardswinery.com/" target="_blank">Best Vineyards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 812-969-9463</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Best+Vineyards%2C+8373+Morgan%27s+Lane+South+East%2C+Elizabeth%2C+IN+47117" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in 2000. Rachel, Wilbert's sister was a somewhat reluctant participant at the time. Berretta, Wilbert's other sister, hopped on the crazy wagon a year or so later. A local farmer of corn, wheat, and soybeans used the land at the time and we thought that trying an alternative crop would be an interesting experiment. So began the search for the "perfect" crop to plant that didn't take too much time to, too much experience, and gave a decent return on the investment and was fun to do.Looking at the Purdue University Horticulture sites' alternative crops pages we reviewed herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, brambles and other veggie crops. Then we happened across the listing for grapes. There was a reference to this weird little group called the Indiana Wine Grape Council who were planning a meeting within a few weeks at Huber Winery. Wilbert attended, thinking at the time of growing table grapes. To be honest, we didn't have a clue about wine or wine grapes or really anything about agriculture at all.After that, we paid another little visit to Huber Winery. Ted said we were as insane as Jim to think about growing grapes. Unfortunately, by that time, we'd pretty much made up our minds. We were taking the agricultural plunge! Talking to the folks in the business, everyone recommended starting with an acre. Anymore and you'd kill yourself trying to keep up they said. We decided on 3 basic varieties - Chambourcin, Chardonel, and a few New York Muscats just to be a bit odd like everyone else.We're pretty much a family of engineering types. Out popped the calculators figuring our vine counts for an acre of grapes. It came out to about 600 vines. Looking at the vine suppliers web site we discovered that if we went with 1000 vines we'd get a 5% discount! Who can pass up a discount like that? Out popped the calculators again. After a few days, Wilbert discovered that at 1500 vines you got another 5% discount! I think you can see where this is going. We wound up buying 2500 vines. "But just look at the money we saved!" said Wilbert.In April of 2002 we were nearly set to plant. Wilbert took 3 days of vacation and started drilling the holes with an auger to plant the vines. 3 DAYS! It was April. It was sunny and 80 degrees! Wilbert's head got sunburned! Drilling all day Wednesday. Drilled all day Thursday and Friday too. Then Friday night it happened! Rain!!! Saturday morning dawned a cold, blustery 34 degrees and there was a constant wind blowing across the site all day. We were stuck. We'd been soaking the vines in water. We had to plant. We, and about 10 friends and family, mudded in the vines on the most miserable day of the year.Two years passed and we were sitting around plotting the sale of our crop. Jim Pfeiffer stepped up and saved the day. Next, how to get our grapes from here to there? I mean really! We were struggling to just keep up with growing the things, who plans ahead like that? Fortunately, Purdue has a mobile press they allowed us to borrow to process the harvest at our farm and deliver juice to Jim. Let's just say that our first harvest was an interesting experience and leave it at that...As we were processing the juice, we wondered how hard it would be to ferment it and make wine. To be honest, we were always a bit curious about how it was made. As children we were told wondrous tales of how our grandparents made homemade root beers and hard ciders. Curiosity got the cat as you know. So we saved back a few buckets of juice and gave it a try. It actually turned out. So, we got some more juice and tried it again. That time things didn't go nearly as well. But, we persevered, and kept trying and experimenting and felt we finally had some idea of what we were doing.Thus was born the idea of our own winery... the further the tale goes the more bizarre it gets.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/elizabeth-in/report/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-de-yoga-series-11724-8sn3ct3mbp8.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RECHARGE-WITH-GENTLE-YOGA">Recharge With Gentle Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-cards-color-pencil-1172024-dynxs9jhsby.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CREATING-HOLIDAY-CARDS-USING-COLORED-PENCILS">Creating Holiday Cards Using Colored Pencils</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-maine-yoga-with-sea-change-yoga-november-2024-dwn5382699b.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-A-VIRTUAL-CLASS-IN-GENTLE-CHAIR-YOGA">A Virtual Class in Gentle Chair Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Friday, Nov 8, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Indiana</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:INAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INAARP@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/indiana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Indiana</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-indiana/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ELIZABETH-IN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in" name="description"/> <meta content="Best, Vineyards, Elizabeth, IN" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="38.154999"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-85.9711"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Best Vineyards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>8373 Morgan's Lane South East</div> <div> <span>Elizabeth</span>, <span>IN</span> <span>47117</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.bestvineyardswinery.com/" target="_blank">Best Vineyards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 812-969-9463</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Best+Vineyards%2C+8373+Morgan%27s+Lane+South+East%2C+Elizabeth%2C+IN+47117" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in 2000. Rachel, Wilbert's sister was a somewhat reluctant participant at the time. Berretta, Wilbert's other sister, hopped on the crazy wagon a year or so later. A local farmer of corn, wheat, and soybeans used the land at the time and we thought that trying an alternative crop would be an interesting experiment. So began the search for the "perfect" crop to plant that didn't take too much time to, too much experience, and gave a decent return on the investment and was fun to do.Looking at the Purdue University Horticulture sites' alternative crops pages we reviewed herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, brambles and other veggie crops. Then we happened across the listing for grapes. There was a reference to this weird little group called the Indiana Wine Grape Council who were planning a meeting within a few weeks at Huber Winery. Wilbert attended, thinking at the time of growing table grapes. To be honest, we didn't have a clue about wine or wine grapes or really anything about agriculture at all.After that, we paid another little visit to Huber Winery. Ted said we were as insane as Jim to think about growing grapes. Unfortunately, by that time, we'd pretty much made up our minds. We were taking the agricultural plunge! Talking to the folks in the business, everyone recommended starting with an acre. Anymore and you'd kill yourself trying to keep up they said. We decided on 3 basic varieties - Chambourcin, Chardonel, and a few New York Muscats just to be a bit odd like everyone else.We're pretty much a family of engineering types. Out popped the calculators figuring our vine counts for an acre of grapes. It came out to about 600 vines. Looking at the vine suppliers web site we discovered that if we went with 1000 vines we'd get a 5% discount! Who can pass up a discount like that? Out popped the calculators again. After a few days, Wilbert discovered that at 1500 vines you got another 5% discount! I think you can see where this is going. We wound up buying 2500 vines. "But just look at the money we saved!" said Wilbert.In April of 2002 we were nearly set to plant. Wilbert took 3 days of vacation and started drilling the holes with an auger to plant the vines. 3 DAYS! It was April. It was sunny and 80 degrees! Wilbert's head got sunburned! Drilling all day Wednesday. Drilled all day Thursday and Friday too. Then Friday night it happened! Rain!!! Saturday morning dawned a cold, blustery 34 degrees and there was a constant wind blowing across the site all day. We were stuck. We'd been soaking the vines in water. We had to plant. We, and about 10 friends and family, mudded in the vines on the most miserable day of the year.Two years passed and we were sitting around plotting the sale of our crop. Jim Pfeiffer stepped up and saved the day. Next, how to get our grapes from here to there? I mean really! We were struggling to just keep up with growing the things, who plans ahead like that? Fortunately, Purdue has a mobile press they allowed us to borrow to process the harvest at our farm and deliver juice to Jim. Let's just say that our first harvest was an interesting experience and leave it at that...As we were processing the juice, we wondered how hard it would be to ferment it and make wine. To be honest, we were always a bit curious about how it was made. As children we were told wondrous tales of how our grandparents made homemade root beers and hard ciders. Curiosity got the cat as you know. So we saved back a few buckets of juice and gave it a try. It actually turned out. So, we got some more juice and tried it again. That time things didn't go nearly as well. But, we persevered, and kept trying and experimenting and felt we finally had some idea of what we were doing.Thus was born the idea of our own winery... the further the tale goes the more bizarre it gets.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/elizabeth-in/report/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-de-yoga-series-11724-8sn3ct3mbp8.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RECHARGE-WITH-GENTLE-YOGA">Recharge With Gentle Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-cards-color-pencil-1172024-dynxs9jhsby.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CREATING-HOLIDAY-CARDS-USING-COLORED-PENCILS">Creating Holiday Cards Using Colored Pencils</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-maine-yoga-with-sea-change-yoga-november-2024-dwn5382699b.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-A-VIRTUAL-CLASS-IN-GENTLE-CHAIR-YOGA">A Virtual Class in Gentle Chair Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Friday, Nov 8, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Indiana</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:INAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INAARP@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/indiana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Indiana</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-indiana/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ELIZABETH-IN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in" name="description"/> <meta content="Best, Vineyards, Elizabeth, IN" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="38.154999"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-85.9711"/> ' $title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = '' $highlighting = '' $location = '<a href="/elizabeth-in/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Elizabeth, IN</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/elizabeth-in/things-to-do/">Places</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more"> <span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span> <ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu"> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li> <!-- <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118
Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242]Code Context<?php // if (!$nowrapper) (Globals::$language == 'es') ? include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer_es.html") : include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer.html"); ?>
<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBD
include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");
$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Best Vineyards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>8373 Morgan's Lane South East</div> <div> <span>Elizabeth</span>, <span>IN</span> <span>47117</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.bestvineyardswinery.com/" target="_blank">Best Vineyards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 812-969-9463</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Best+Vineyards%2C+8373+Morgan%27s+Lane+South+East%2C+Elizabeth%2C+IN+47117" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in 2000. Rachel, Wilbert's sister was a somewhat reluctant participant at the time. Berretta, Wilbert's other sister, hopped on the crazy wagon a year or so later. A local farmer of corn, wheat, and soybeans used the land at the time and we thought that trying an alternative crop would be an interesting experiment. So began the search for the "perfect" crop to plant that didn't take too much time to, too much experience, and gave a decent return on the investment and was fun to do.Looking at the Purdue University Horticulture sites' alternative crops pages we reviewed herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, brambles and other veggie crops. Then we happened across the listing for grapes. There was a reference to this weird little group called the Indiana Wine Grape Council who were planning a meeting within a few weeks at Huber Winery. Wilbert attended, thinking at the time of growing table grapes. To be honest, we didn't have a clue about wine or wine grapes or really anything about agriculture at all.After that, we paid another little visit to Huber Winery. Ted said we were as insane as Jim to think about growing grapes. Unfortunately, by that time, we'd pretty much made up our minds. We were taking the agricultural plunge! Talking to the folks in the business, everyone recommended starting with an acre. Anymore and you'd kill yourself trying to keep up they said. We decided on 3 basic varieties - Chambourcin, Chardonel, and a few New York Muscats just to be a bit odd like everyone else.We're pretty much a family of engineering types. Out popped the calculators figuring our vine counts for an acre of grapes. It came out to about 600 vines. Looking at the vine suppliers web site we discovered that if we went with 1000 vines we'd get a 5% discount! Who can pass up a discount like that? Out popped the calculators again. After a few days, Wilbert discovered that at 1500 vines you got another 5% discount! I think you can see where this is going. We wound up buying 2500 vines. "But just look at the money we saved!" said Wilbert.In April of 2002 we were nearly set to plant. Wilbert took 3 days of vacation and started drilling the holes with an auger to plant the vines. 3 DAYS! It was April. It was sunny and 80 degrees! Wilbert's head got sunburned! Drilling all day Wednesday. Drilled all day Thursday and Friday too. Then Friday night it happened! Rain!!! Saturday morning dawned a cold, blustery 34 degrees and there was a constant wind blowing across the site all day. We were stuck. We'd been soaking the vines in water. We had to plant. We, and about 10 friends and family, mudded in the vines on the most miserable day of the year.Two years passed and we were sitting around plotting the sale of our crop. Jim Pfeiffer stepped up and saved the day. Next, how to get our grapes from here to there? I mean really! We were struggling to just keep up with growing the things, who plans ahead like that? Fortunately, Purdue has a mobile press they allowed us to borrow to process the harvest at our farm and deliver juice to Jim. Let's just say that our first harvest was an interesting experience and leave it at that...As we were processing the juice, we wondered how hard it would be to ferment it and make wine. To be honest, we were always a bit curious about how it was made. As children we were told wondrous tales of how our grandparents made homemade root beers and hard ciders. Curiosity got the cat as you know. So we saved back a few buckets of juice and gave it a try. It actually turned out. So, we got some more juice and tried it again. That time things didn't go nearly as well. But, we persevered, and kept trying and experimenting and felt we finally had some idea of what we were doing.Thus was born the idea of our own winery... the further the tale goes the more bizarre it gets.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/elizabeth-in/report/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-de-yoga-series-11724-8sn3ct3mbp8.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RECHARGE-WITH-GENTLE-YOGA">Recharge With Gentle Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-cards-color-pencil-1172024-dynxs9jhsby.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CREATING-HOLIDAY-CARDS-USING-COLORED-PENCILS">Creating Holiday Cards Using Colored Pencils</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-maine-yoga-with-sea-change-yoga-november-2024-dwn5382699b.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-A-VIRTUAL-CLASS-IN-GENTLE-CHAIR-YOGA">A Virtual Class in Gentle Chair Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Friday, Nov 8, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Indiana</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:INAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INAARP@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/indiana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Indiana</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-indiana/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ELIZABETH-IN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in" name="description"/> <meta content="Best, Vineyards, Elizabeth, IN" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="38.154999"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-85.9711"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Best Vineyards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>8373 Morgan's Lane South East</div> <div> <span>Elizabeth</span>, <span>IN</span> <span>47117</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.bestvineyardswinery.com/" target="_blank">Best Vineyards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 812-969-9463</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Best+Vineyards%2C+8373+Morgan%27s+Lane+South+East%2C+Elizabeth%2C+IN+47117" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in 2000. Rachel, Wilbert's sister was a somewhat reluctant participant at the time. Berretta, Wilbert's other sister, hopped on the crazy wagon a year or so later. A local farmer of corn, wheat, and soybeans used the land at the time and we thought that trying an alternative crop would be an interesting experiment. So began the search for the "perfect" crop to plant that didn't take too much time to, too much experience, and gave a decent return on the investment and was fun to do.Looking at the Purdue University Horticulture sites' alternative crops pages we reviewed herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, brambles and other veggie crops. Then we happened across the listing for grapes. There was a reference to this weird little group called the Indiana Wine Grape Council who were planning a meeting within a few weeks at Huber Winery. Wilbert attended, thinking at the time of growing table grapes. To be honest, we didn't have a clue about wine or wine grapes or really anything about agriculture at all.After that, we paid another little visit to Huber Winery. Ted said we were as insane as Jim to think about growing grapes. Unfortunately, by that time, we'd pretty much made up our minds. We were taking the agricultural plunge! Talking to the folks in the business, everyone recommended starting with an acre. Anymore and you'd kill yourself trying to keep up they said. We decided on 3 basic varieties - Chambourcin, Chardonel, and a few New York Muscats just to be a bit odd like everyone else.We're pretty much a family of engineering types. Out popped the calculators figuring our vine counts for an acre of grapes. It came out to about 600 vines. Looking at the vine suppliers web site we discovered that if we went with 1000 vines we'd get a 5% discount! Who can pass up a discount like that? Out popped the calculators again. After a few days, Wilbert discovered that at 1500 vines you got another 5% discount! I think you can see where this is going. We wound up buying 2500 vines. "But just look at the money we saved!" said Wilbert.In April of 2002 we were nearly set to plant. Wilbert took 3 days of vacation and started drilling the holes with an auger to plant the vines. 3 DAYS! It was April. It was sunny and 80 degrees! Wilbert's head got sunburned! Drilling all day Wednesday. Drilled all day Thursday and Friday too. Then Friday night it happened! Rain!!! Saturday morning dawned a cold, blustery 34 degrees and there was a constant wind blowing across the site all day. We were stuck. We'd been soaking the vines in water. We had to plant. We, and about 10 friends and family, mudded in the vines on the most miserable day of the year.Two years passed and we were sitting around plotting the sale of our crop. Jim Pfeiffer stepped up and saved the day. Next, how to get our grapes from here to there? I mean really! We were struggling to just keep up with growing the things, who plans ahead like that? Fortunately, Purdue has a mobile press they allowed us to borrow to process the harvest at our farm and deliver juice to Jim. Let's just say that our first harvest was an interesting experience and leave it at that...As we were processing the juice, we wondered how hard it would be to ferment it and make wine. To be honest, we were always a bit curious about how it was made. As children we were told wondrous tales of how our grandparents made homemade root beers and hard ciders. Curiosity got the cat as you know. So we saved back a few buckets of juice and gave it a try. It actually turned out. So, we got some more juice and tried it again. That time things didn't go nearly as well. But, we persevered, and kept trying and experimenting and felt we finally had some idea of what we were doing.Thus was born the idea of our own winery... the further the tale goes the more bizarre it gets.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/elizabeth-in/report/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-de-yoga-series-11724-8sn3ct3mbp8.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RECHARGE-WITH-GENTLE-YOGA">Recharge With Gentle Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-cards-color-pencil-1172024-dynxs9jhsby.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CREATING-HOLIDAY-CARDS-USING-COLORED-PENCILS">Creating Holiday Cards Using Colored Pencils</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-maine-yoga-with-sea-change-yoga-november-2024-dwn5382699b.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-A-VIRTUAL-CLASS-IN-GENTLE-CHAIR-YOGA">A Virtual Class in Gentle Chair Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Friday, Nov 8, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Indiana</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:INAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INAARP@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/indiana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Indiana</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-indiana/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ELIZABETH-IN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in" name="description"/> <meta content="Best, Vineyards, Elizabeth, IN" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="38.154999"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-85.9711"/> ' $title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = '' $highlighting = '' $location = '<a href="/elizabeth-in/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Elizabeth, IN</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/elizabeth-in/things-to-do/">Places</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more"> <span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span> <ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu"> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li> <!-- <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118
Warning (2): include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html) [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243]Code Context<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBD
include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");
include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");
$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Best Vineyards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>8373 Morgan's Lane South East</div> <div> <span>Elizabeth</span>, <span>IN</span> <span>47117</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.bestvineyardswinery.com/" target="_blank">Best Vineyards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 812-969-9463</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Best+Vineyards%2C+8373+Morgan%27s+Lane+South+East%2C+Elizabeth%2C+IN+47117" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in 2000. Rachel, Wilbert's sister was a somewhat reluctant participant at the time. Berretta, Wilbert's other sister, hopped on the crazy wagon a year or so later. A local farmer of corn, wheat, and soybeans used the land at the time and we thought that trying an alternative crop would be an interesting experiment. So began the search for the "perfect" crop to plant that didn't take too much time to, too much experience, and gave a decent return on the investment and was fun to do.Looking at the Purdue University Horticulture sites' alternative crops pages we reviewed herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, brambles and other veggie crops. Then we happened across the listing for grapes. There was a reference to this weird little group called the Indiana Wine Grape Council who were planning a meeting within a few weeks at Huber Winery. Wilbert attended, thinking at the time of growing table grapes. To be honest, we didn't have a clue about wine or wine grapes or really anything about agriculture at all.After that, we paid another little visit to Huber Winery. Ted said we were as insane as Jim to think about growing grapes. Unfortunately, by that time, we'd pretty much made up our minds. We were taking the agricultural plunge! Talking to the folks in the business, everyone recommended starting with an acre. Anymore and you'd kill yourself trying to keep up they said. We decided on 3 basic varieties - Chambourcin, Chardonel, and a few New York Muscats just to be a bit odd like everyone else.We're pretty much a family of engineering types. Out popped the calculators figuring our vine counts for an acre of grapes. It came out to about 600 vines. Looking at the vine suppliers web site we discovered that if we went with 1000 vines we'd get a 5% discount! Who can pass up a discount like that? Out popped the calculators again. After a few days, Wilbert discovered that at 1500 vines you got another 5% discount! I think you can see where this is going. We wound up buying 2500 vines. "But just look at the money we saved!" said Wilbert.In April of 2002 we were nearly set to plant. Wilbert took 3 days of vacation and started drilling the holes with an auger to plant the vines. 3 DAYS! It was April. It was sunny and 80 degrees! Wilbert's head got sunburned! Drilling all day Wednesday. Drilled all day Thursday and Friday too. Then Friday night it happened! Rain!!! Saturday morning dawned a cold, blustery 34 degrees and there was a constant wind blowing across the site all day. We were stuck. We'd been soaking the vines in water. We had to plant. We, and about 10 friends and family, mudded in the vines on the most miserable day of the year.Two years passed and we were sitting around plotting the sale of our crop. Jim Pfeiffer stepped up and saved the day. Next, how to get our grapes from here to there? I mean really! We were struggling to just keep up with growing the things, who plans ahead like that? Fortunately, Purdue has a mobile press they allowed us to borrow to process the harvest at our farm and deliver juice to Jim. Let's just say that our first harvest was an interesting experience and leave it at that...As we were processing the juice, we wondered how hard it would be to ferment it and make wine. To be honest, we were always a bit curious about how it was made. As children we were told wondrous tales of how our grandparents made homemade root beers and hard ciders. Curiosity got the cat as you know. So we saved back a few buckets of juice and gave it a try. It actually turned out. So, we got some more juice and tried it again. That time things didn't go nearly as well. But, we persevered, and kept trying and experimenting and felt we finally had some idea of what we were doing.Thus was born the idea of our own winery... the further the tale goes the more bizarre it gets.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/elizabeth-in/report/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-de-yoga-series-11724-8sn3ct3mbp8.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RECHARGE-WITH-GENTLE-YOGA">Recharge With Gentle Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-cards-color-pencil-1172024-dynxs9jhsby.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CREATING-HOLIDAY-CARDS-USING-COLORED-PENCILS">Creating Holiday Cards Using Colored Pencils</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-maine-yoga-with-sea-change-yoga-november-2024-dwn5382699b.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-A-VIRTUAL-CLASS-IN-GENTLE-CHAIR-YOGA">A Virtual Class in Gentle Chair Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Friday, Nov 8, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Indiana</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:INAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INAARP@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/indiana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Indiana</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-indiana/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ELIZABETH-IN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in" name="description"/> <meta content="Best, Vineyards, Elizabeth, IN" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="38.154999"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-85.9711"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Best Vineyards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>8373 Morgan's Lane South East</div> <div> <span>Elizabeth</span>, <span>IN</span> <span>47117</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.bestvineyardswinery.com/" target="_blank">Best Vineyards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 812-969-9463</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Best+Vineyards%2C+8373+Morgan%27s+Lane+South+East%2C+Elizabeth%2C+IN+47117" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in 2000. Rachel, Wilbert's sister was a somewhat reluctant participant at the time. Berretta, Wilbert's other sister, hopped on the crazy wagon a year or so later. A local farmer of corn, wheat, and soybeans used the land at the time and we thought that trying an alternative crop would be an interesting experiment. So began the search for the "perfect" crop to plant that didn't take too much time to, too much experience, and gave a decent return on the investment and was fun to do.Looking at the Purdue University Horticulture sites' alternative crops pages we reviewed herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, brambles and other veggie crops. Then we happened across the listing for grapes. There was a reference to this weird little group called the Indiana Wine Grape Council who were planning a meeting within a few weeks at Huber Winery. Wilbert attended, thinking at the time of growing table grapes. To be honest, we didn't have a clue about wine or wine grapes or really anything about agriculture at all.After that, we paid another little visit to Huber Winery. Ted said we were as insane as Jim to think about growing grapes. Unfortunately, by that time, we'd pretty much made up our minds. We were taking the agricultural plunge! Talking to the folks in the business, everyone recommended starting with an acre. Anymore and you'd kill yourself trying to keep up they said. We decided on 3 basic varieties - Chambourcin, Chardonel, and a few New York Muscats just to be a bit odd like everyone else.We're pretty much a family of engineering types. Out popped the calculators figuring our vine counts for an acre of grapes. It came out to about 600 vines. Looking at the vine suppliers web site we discovered that if we went with 1000 vines we'd get a 5% discount! Who can pass up a discount like that? Out popped the calculators again. After a few days, Wilbert discovered that at 1500 vines you got another 5% discount! I think you can see where this is going. We wound up buying 2500 vines. "But just look at the money we saved!" said Wilbert.In April of 2002 we were nearly set to plant. Wilbert took 3 days of vacation and started drilling the holes with an auger to plant the vines. 3 DAYS! It was April. It was sunny and 80 degrees! Wilbert's head got sunburned! Drilling all day Wednesday. Drilled all day Thursday and Friday too. Then Friday night it happened! Rain!!! Saturday morning dawned a cold, blustery 34 degrees and there was a constant wind blowing across the site all day. We were stuck. We'd been soaking the vines in water. We had to plant. We, and about 10 friends and family, mudded in the vines on the most miserable day of the year.Two years passed and we were sitting around plotting the sale of our crop. Jim Pfeiffer stepped up and saved the day. Next, how to get our grapes from here to there? I mean really! We were struggling to just keep up with growing the things, who plans ahead like that? Fortunately, Purdue has a mobile press they allowed us to borrow to process the harvest at our farm and deliver juice to Jim. Let's just say that our first harvest was an interesting experience and leave it at that...As we were processing the juice, we wondered how hard it would be to ferment it and make wine. To be honest, we were always a bit curious about how it was made. As children we were told wondrous tales of how our grandparents made homemade root beers and hard ciders. Curiosity got the cat as you know. So we saved back a few buckets of juice and gave it a try. It actually turned out. So, we got some more juice and tried it again. That time things didn't go nearly as well. But, we persevered, and kept trying and experimenting and felt we finally had some idea of what we were doing.Thus was born the idea of our own winery... the further the tale goes the more bizarre it gets.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/elizabeth-in/report/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-de-yoga-series-11724-8sn3ct3mbp8.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RECHARGE-WITH-GENTLE-YOGA">Recharge With Gentle Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-cards-color-pencil-1172024-dynxs9jhsby.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CREATING-HOLIDAY-CARDS-USING-COLORED-PENCILS">Creating Holiday Cards Using Colored Pencils</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-maine-yoga-with-sea-change-yoga-november-2024-dwn5382699b.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-A-VIRTUAL-CLASS-IN-GENTLE-CHAIR-YOGA">A Virtual Class in Gentle Chair Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Friday, Nov 8, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Indiana</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:INAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INAARP@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/indiana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Indiana</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-indiana/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ELIZABETH-IN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in" name="description"/> <meta content="Best, Vineyards, Elizabeth, IN" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="38.154999"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-85.9711"/> ' $title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = '' $highlighting = '' $location = '<a href="/elizabeth-in/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Elizabeth, IN</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/elizabeth-in/things-to-do/">Places</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more"> <span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span> <ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu"> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li> <!-- <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118
Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243]Code Context<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBD
include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");
include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");
$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Best Vineyards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>8373 Morgan's Lane South East</div> <div> <span>Elizabeth</span>, <span>IN</span> <span>47117</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.bestvineyardswinery.com/" target="_blank">Best Vineyards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 812-969-9463</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Best+Vineyards%2C+8373+Morgan%27s+Lane+South+East%2C+Elizabeth%2C+IN+47117" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in 2000. Rachel, Wilbert's sister was a somewhat reluctant participant at the time. Berretta, Wilbert's other sister, hopped on the crazy wagon a year or so later. A local farmer of corn, wheat, and soybeans used the land at the time and we thought that trying an alternative crop would be an interesting experiment. So began the search for the "perfect" crop to plant that didn't take too much time to, too much experience, and gave a decent return on the investment and was fun to do.Looking at the Purdue University Horticulture sites' alternative crops pages we reviewed herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, brambles and other veggie crops. Then we happened across the listing for grapes. There was a reference to this weird little group called the Indiana Wine Grape Council who were planning a meeting within a few weeks at Huber Winery. Wilbert attended, thinking at the time of growing table grapes. To be honest, we didn't have a clue about wine or wine grapes or really anything about agriculture at all.After that, we paid another little visit to Huber Winery. Ted said we were as insane as Jim to think about growing grapes. Unfortunately, by that time, we'd pretty much made up our minds. We were taking the agricultural plunge! Talking to the folks in the business, everyone recommended starting with an acre. Anymore and you'd kill yourself trying to keep up they said. We decided on 3 basic varieties - Chambourcin, Chardonel, and a few New York Muscats just to be a bit odd like everyone else.We're pretty much a family of engineering types. Out popped the calculators figuring our vine counts for an acre of grapes. It came out to about 600 vines. Looking at the vine suppliers web site we discovered that if we went with 1000 vines we'd get a 5% discount! Who can pass up a discount like that? Out popped the calculators again. After a few days, Wilbert discovered that at 1500 vines you got another 5% discount! I think you can see where this is going. We wound up buying 2500 vines. "But just look at the money we saved!" said Wilbert.In April of 2002 we were nearly set to plant. Wilbert took 3 days of vacation and started drilling the holes with an auger to plant the vines. 3 DAYS! It was April. It was sunny and 80 degrees! Wilbert's head got sunburned! Drilling all day Wednesday. Drilled all day Thursday and Friday too. Then Friday night it happened! Rain!!! Saturday morning dawned a cold, blustery 34 degrees and there was a constant wind blowing across the site all day. We were stuck. We'd been soaking the vines in water. We had to plant. We, and about 10 friends and family, mudded in the vines on the most miserable day of the year.Two years passed and we were sitting around plotting the sale of our crop. Jim Pfeiffer stepped up and saved the day. Next, how to get our grapes from here to there? I mean really! We were struggling to just keep up with growing the things, who plans ahead like that? Fortunately, Purdue has a mobile press they allowed us to borrow to process the harvest at our farm and deliver juice to Jim. Let's just say that our first harvest was an interesting experience and leave it at that...As we were processing the juice, we wondered how hard it would be to ferment it and make wine. To be honest, we were always a bit curious about how it was made. As children we were told wondrous tales of how our grandparents made homemade root beers and hard ciders. Curiosity got the cat as you know. So we saved back a few buckets of juice and gave it a try. It actually turned out. So, we got some more juice and tried it again. That time things didn't go nearly as well. But, we persevered, and kept trying and experimenting and felt we finally had some idea of what we were doing.Thus was born the idea of our own winery... the further the tale goes the more bizarre it gets.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/elizabeth-in/report/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-de-yoga-series-11724-8sn3ct3mbp8.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RECHARGE-WITH-GENTLE-YOGA">Recharge With Gentle Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-cards-color-pencil-1172024-dynxs9jhsby.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CREATING-HOLIDAY-CARDS-USING-COLORED-PENCILS">Creating Holiday Cards Using Colored Pencils</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-maine-yoga-with-sea-change-yoga-november-2024-dwn5382699b.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-A-VIRTUAL-CLASS-IN-GENTLE-CHAIR-YOGA">A Virtual Class in Gentle Chair Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Friday, Nov 8, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Indiana</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:INAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INAARP@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/indiana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Indiana</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-indiana/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ELIZABETH-IN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in" name="description"/> <meta content="Best, Vineyards, Elizabeth, IN" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="38.154999"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-85.9711"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Best Vineyards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>8373 Morgan's Lane South East</div> <div> <span>Elizabeth</span>, <span>IN</span> <span>47117</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.bestvineyardswinery.com/" target="_blank">Best Vineyards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 812-969-9463</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Best+Vineyards%2C+8373+Morgan%27s+Lane+South+East%2C+Elizabeth%2C+IN+47117" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in 2000. Rachel, Wilbert's sister was a somewhat reluctant participant at the time. Berretta, Wilbert's other sister, hopped on the crazy wagon a year or so later. A local farmer of corn, wheat, and soybeans used the land at the time and we thought that trying an alternative crop would be an interesting experiment. So began the search for the "perfect" crop to plant that didn't take too much time to, too much experience, and gave a decent return on the investment and was fun to do.Looking at the Purdue University Horticulture sites' alternative crops pages we reviewed herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, brambles and other veggie crops. Then we happened across the listing for grapes. There was a reference to this weird little group called the Indiana Wine Grape Council who were planning a meeting within a few weeks at Huber Winery. Wilbert attended, thinking at the time of growing table grapes. To be honest, we didn't have a clue about wine or wine grapes or really anything about agriculture at all.After that, we paid another little visit to Huber Winery. Ted said we were as insane as Jim to think about growing grapes. Unfortunately, by that time, we'd pretty much made up our minds. We were taking the agricultural plunge! Talking to the folks in the business, everyone recommended starting with an acre. Anymore and you'd kill yourself trying to keep up they said. We decided on 3 basic varieties - Chambourcin, Chardonel, and a few New York Muscats just to be a bit odd like everyone else.We're pretty much a family of engineering types. Out popped the calculators figuring our vine counts for an acre of grapes. It came out to about 600 vines. Looking at the vine suppliers web site we discovered that if we went with 1000 vines we'd get a 5% discount! Who can pass up a discount like that? Out popped the calculators again. After a few days, Wilbert discovered that at 1500 vines you got another 5% discount! I think you can see where this is going. We wound up buying 2500 vines. "But just look at the money we saved!" said Wilbert.In April of 2002 we were nearly set to plant. Wilbert took 3 days of vacation and started drilling the holes with an auger to plant the vines. 3 DAYS! It was April. It was sunny and 80 degrees! Wilbert's head got sunburned! Drilling all day Wednesday. Drilled all day Thursday and Friday too. Then Friday night it happened! Rain!!! Saturday morning dawned a cold, blustery 34 degrees and there was a constant wind blowing across the site all day. We were stuck. We'd been soaking the vines in water. We had to plant. We, and about 10 friends and family, mudded in the vines on the most miserable day of the year.Two years passed and we were sitting around plotting the sale of our crop. Jim Pfeiffer stepped up and saved the day. Next, how to get our grapes from here to there? I mean really! We were struggling to just keep up with growing the things, who plans ahead like that? Fortunately, Purdue has a mobile press they allowed us to borrow to process the harvest at our farm and deliver juice to Jim. Let's just say that our first harvest was an interesting experience and leave it at that...As we were processing the juice, we wondered how hard it would be to ferment it and make wine. To be honest, we were always a bit curious about how it was made. As children we were told wondrous tales of how our grandparents made homemade root beers and hard ciders. Curiosity got the cat as you know. So we saved back a few buckets of juice and gave it a try. It actually turned out. So, we got some more juice and tried it again. That time things didn't go nearly as well. But, we persevered, and kept trying and experimenting and felt we finally had some idea of what we were doing.Thus was born the idea of our own winery... the further the tale goes the more bizarre it gets.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/elizabeth-in/report/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-de-yoga-series-11724-8sn3ct3mbp8.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RECHARGE-WITH-GENTLE-YOGA">Recharge With Gentle Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-cards-color-pencil-1172024-dynxs9jhsby.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CREATING-HOLIDAY-CARDS-USING-COLORED-PENCILS">Creating Holiday Cards Using Colored Pencils</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-maine-yoga-with-sea-change-yoga-november-2024-dwn5382699b.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-A-VIRTUAL-CLASS-IN-GENTLE-CHAIR-YOGA">A Virtual Class in Gentle Chair Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Friday, Nov 8, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Indiana</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:INAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INAARP@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/indiana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Indiana</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-indiana/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ELIZABETH-IN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in" name="description"/> <meta content="Best, Vineyards, Elizabeth, IN" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="38.154999"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-85.9711"/> ' $title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = '' $highlighting = '' $location = '<a href="/elizabeth-in/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Elizabeth, IN</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/elizabeth-in/things-to-do/">Places</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more"> <span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span> <ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu"> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li> <!-- <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118
Warning (2): include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html) [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244]Code Contextinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");
include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");
include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html");
$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Best Vineyards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>8373 Morgan's Lane South East</div> <div> <span>Elizabeth</span>, <span>IN</span> <span>47117</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.bestvineyardswinery.com/" target="_blank">Best Vineyards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 812-969-9463</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Best+Vineyards%2C+8373+Morgan%27s+Lane+South+East%2C+Elizabeth%2C+IN+47117" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in 2000. Rachel, Wilbert's sister was a somewhat reluctant participant at the time. Berretta, Wilbert's other sister, hopped on the crazy wagon a year or so later. A local farmer of corn, wheat, and soybeans used the land at the time and we thought that trying an alternative crop would be an interesting experiment. So began the search for the "perfect" crop to plant that didn't take too much time to, too much experience, and gave a decent return on the investment and was fun to do.Looking at the Purdue University Horticulture sites' alternative crops pages we reviewed herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, brambles and other veggie crops. Then we happened across the listing for grapes. There was a reference to this weird little group called the Indiana Wine Grape Council who were planning a meeting within a few weeks at Huber Winery. Wilbert attended, thinking at the time of growing table grapes. To be honest, we didn't have a clue about wine or wine grapes or really anything about agriculture at all.After that, we paid another little visit to Huber Winery. Ted said we were as insane as Jim to think about growing grapes. Unfortunately, by that time, we'd pretty much made up our minds. We were taking the agricultural plunge! Talking to the folks in the business, everyone recommended starting with an acre. Anymore and you'd kill yourself trying to keep up they said. We decided on 3 basic varieties - Chambourcin, Chardonel, and a few New York Muscats just to be a bit odd like everyone else.We're pretty much a family of engineering types. Out popped the calculators figuring our vine counts for an acre of grapes. It came out to about 600 vines. Looking at the vine suppliers web site we discovered that if we went with 1000 vines we'd get a 5% discount! Who can pass up a discount like that? Out popped the calculators again. After a few days, Wilbert discovered that at 1500 vines you got another 5% discount! I think you can see where this is going. We wound up buying 2500 vines. "But just look at the money we saved!" said Wilbert.In April of 2002 we were nearly set to plant. Wilbert took 3 days of vacation and started drilling the holes with an auger to plant the vines. 3 DAYS! It was April. It was sunny and 80 degrees! Wilbert's head got sunburned! Drilling all day Wednesday. Drilled all day Thursday and Friday too. Then Friday night it happened! Rain!!! Saturday morning dawned a cold, blustery 34 degrees and there was a constant wind blowing across the site all day. We were stuck. We'd been soaking the vines in water. We had to plant. We, and about 10 friends and family, mudded in the vines on the most miserable day of the year.Two years passed and we were sitting around plotting the sale of our crop. Jim Pfeiffer stepped up and saved the day. Next, how to get our grapes from here to there? I mean really! We were struggling to just keep up with growing the things, who plans ahead like that? Fortunately, Purdue has a mobile press they allowed us to borrow to process the harvest at our farm and deliver juice to Jim. Let's just say that our first harvest was an interesting experience and leave it at that...As we were processing the juice, we wondered how hard it would be to ferment it and make wine. To be honest, we were always a bit curious about how it was made. As children we were told wondrous tales of how our grandparents made homemade root beers and hard ciders. Curiosity got the cat as you know. So we saved back a few buckets of juice and gave it a try. It actually turned out. So, we got some more juice and tried it again. That time things didn't go nearly as well. But, we persevered, and kept trying and experimenting and felt we finally had some idea of what we were doing.Thus was born the idea of our own winery... the further the tale goes the more bizarre it gets.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/elizabeth-in/report/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-de-yoga-series-11724-8sn3ct3mbp8.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RECHARGE-WITH-GENTLE-YOGA">Recharge With Gentle Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-cards-color-pencil-1172024-dynxs9jhsby.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CREATING-HOLIDAY-CARDS-USING-COLORED-PENCILS">Creating Holiday Cards Using Colored Pencils</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-maine-yoga-with-sea-change-yoga-november-2024-dwn5382699b.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-A-VIRTUAL-CLASS-IN-GENTLE-CHAIR-YOGA">A Virtual Class in Gentle Chair Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Friday, Nov 8, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Indiana</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:INAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INAARP@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/indiana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Indiana</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-indiana/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ELIZABETH-IN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in" name="description"/> <meta content="Best, Vineyards, Elizabeth, IN" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="38.154999"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-85.9711"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Best Vineyards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>8373 Morgan's Lane South East</div> <div> <span>Elizabeth</span>, <span>IN</span> <span>47117</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.bestvineyardswinery.com/" target="_blank">Best Vineyards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 812-969-9463</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Best+Vineyards%2C+8373+Morgan%27s+Lane+South+East%2C+Elizabeth%2C+IN+47117" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in 2000. Rachel, Wilbert's sister was a somewhat reluctant participant at the time. Berretta, Wilbert's other sister, hopped on the crazy wagon a year or so later. A local farmer of corn, wheat, and soybeans used the land at the time and we thought that trying an alternative crop would be an interesting experiment. So began the search for the "perfect" crop to plant that didn't take too much time to, too much experience, and gave a decent return on the investment and was fun to do.Looking at the Purdue University Horticulture sites' alternative crops pages we reviewed herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, brambles and other veggie crops. Then we happened across the listing for grapes. There was a reference to this weird little group called the Indiana Wine Grape Council who were planning a meeting within a few weeks at Huber Winery. Wilbert attended, thinking at the time of growing table grapes. To be honest, we didn't have a clue about wine or wine grapes or really anything about agriculture at all.After that, we paid another little visit to Huber Winery. Ted said we were as insane as Jim to think about growing grapes. Unfortunately, by that time, we'd pretty much made up our minds. We were taking the agricultural plunge! Talking to the folks in the business, everyone recommended starting with an acre. Anymore and you'd kill yourself trying to keep up they said. We decided on 3 basic varieties - Chambourcin, Chardonel, and a few New York Muscats just to be a bit odd like everyone else.We're pretty much a family of engineering types. Out popped the calculators figuring our vine counts for an acre of grapes. It came out to about 600 vines. Looking at the vine suppliers web site we discovered that if we went with 1000 vines we'd get a 5% discount! Who can pass up a discount like that? Out popped the calculators again. After a few days, Wilbert discovered that at 1500 vines you got another 5% discount! I think you can see where this is going. We wound up buying 2500 vines. "But just look at the money we saved!" said Wilbert.In April of 2002 we were nearly set to plant. Wilbert took 3 days of vacation and started drilling the holes with an auger to plant the vines. 3 DAYS! It was April. It was sunny and 80 degrees! Wilbert's head got sunburned! Drilling all day Wednesday. Drilled all day Thursday and Friday too. Then Friday night it happened! Rain!!! Saturday morning dawned a cold, blustery 34 degrees and there was a constant wind blowing across the site all day. We were stuck. We'd been soaking the vines in water. We had to plant. We, and about 10 friends and family, mudded in the vines on the most miserable day of the year.Two years passed and we were sitting around plotting the sale of our crop. Jim Pfeiffer stepped up and saved the day. Next, how to get our grapes from here to there? I mean really! We were struggling to just keep up with growing the things, who plans ahead like that? Fortunately, Purdue has a mobile press they allowed us to borrow to process the harvest at our farm and deliver juice to Jim. Let's just say that our first harvest was an interesting experience and leave it at that...As we were processing the juice, we wondered how hard it would be to ferment it and make wine. To be honest, we were always a bit curious about how it was made. As children we were told wondrous tales of how our grandparents made homemade root beers and hard ciders. Curiosity got the cat as you know. So we saved back a few buckets of juice and gave it a try. It actually turned out. So, we got some more juice and tried it again. That time things didn't go nearly as well. But, we persevered, and kept trying and experimenting and felt we finally had some idea of what we were doing.Thus was born the idea of our own winery... the further the tale goes the more bizarre it gets.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/elizabeth-in/report/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-de-yoga-series-11724-8sn3ct3mbp8.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RECHARGE-WITH-GENTLE-YOGA">Recharge With Gentle Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-cards-color-pencil-1172024-dynxs9jhsby.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CREATING-HOLIDAY-CARDS-USING-COLORED-PENCILS">Creating Holiday Cards Using Colored Pencils</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-maine-yoga-with-sea-change-yoga-november-2024-dwn5382699b.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-A-VIRTUAL-CLASS-IN-GENTLE-CHAIR-YOGA">A Virtual Class in Gentle Chair Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Friday, Nov 8, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Indiana</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:INAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INAARP@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/indiana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Indiana</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-indiana/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ELIZABETH-IN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in" name="description"/> <meta content="Best, Vineyards, Elizabeth, IN" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="38.154999"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-85.9711"/> ' $title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = '' $highlighting = '' $location = '<a href="/elizabeth-in/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Elizabeth, IN</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/elizabeth-in/things-to-do/">Places</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more"> <span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span> <ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu"> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li> <!-- <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118
Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244]Code Contextinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");
include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");
include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html");
$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Best Vineyards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>8373 Morgan's Lane South East</div> <div> <span>Elizabeth</span>, <span>IN</span> <span>47117</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.bestvineyardswinery.com/" target="_blank">Best Vineyards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 812-969-9463</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Best+Vineyards%2C+8373+Morgan%27s+Lane+South+East%2C+Elizabeth%2C+IN+47117" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in 2000. Rachel, Wilbert's sister was a somewhat reluctant participant at the time. Berretta, Wilbert's other sister, hopped on the crazy wagon a year or so later. A local farmer of corn, wheat, and soybeans used the land at the time and we thought that trying an alternative crop would be an interesting experiment. So began the search for the "perfect" crop to plant that didn't take too much time to, too much experience, and gave a decent return on the investment and was fun to do.Looking at the Purdue University Horticulture sites' alternative crops pages we reviewed herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, brambles and other veggie crops. Then we happened across the listing for grapes. There was a reference to this weird little group called the Indiana Wine Grape Council who were planning a meeting within a few weeks at Huber Winery. Wilbert attended, thinking at the time of growing table grapes. To be honest, we didn't have a clue about wine or wine grapes or really anything about agriculture at all.After that, we paid another little visit to Huber Winery. Ted said we were as insane as Jim to think about growing grapes. Unfortunately, by that time, we'd pretty much made up our minds. We were taking the agricultural plunge! Talking to the folks in the business, everyone recommended starting with an acre. Anymore and you'd kill yourself trying to keep up they said. We decided on 3 basic varieties - Chambourcin, Chardonel, and a few New York Muscats just to be a bit odd like everyone else.We're pretty much a family of engineering types. Out popped the calculators figuring our vine counts for an acre of grapes. It came out to about 600 vines. Looking at the vine suppliers web site we discovered that if we went with 1000 vines we'd get a 5% discount! Who can pass up a discount like that? Out popped the calculators again. After a few days, Wilbert discovered that at 1500 vines you got another 5% discount! I think you can see where this is going. We wound up buying 2500 vines. "But just look at the money we saved!" said Wilbert.In April of 2002 we were nearly set to plant. Wilbert took 3 days of vacation and started drilling the holes with an auger to plant the vines. 3 DAYS! It was April. It was sunny and 80 degrees! Wilbert's head got sunburned! Drilling all day Wednesday. Drilled all day Thursday and Friday too. Then Friday night it happened! Rain!!! Saturday morning dawned a cold, blustery 34 degrees and there was a constant wind blowing across the site all day. We were stuck. We'd been soaking the vines in water. We had to plant. We, and about 10 friends and family, mudded in the vines on the most miserable day of the year.Two years passed and we were sitting around plotting the sale of our crop. Jim Pfeiffer stepped up and saved the day. Next, how to get our grapes from here to there? I mean really! We were struggling to just keep up with growing the things, who plans ahead like that? Fortunately, Purdue has a mobile press they allowed us to borrow to process the harvest at our farm and deliver juice to Jim. Let's just say that our first harvest was an interesting experience and leave it at that...As we were processing the juice, we wondered how hard it would be to ferment it and make wine. To be honest, we were always a bit curious about how it was made. As children we were told wondrous tales of how our grandparents made homemade root beers and hard ciders. Curiosity got the cat as you know. So we saved back a few buckets of juice and gave it a try. It actually turned out. So, we got some more juice and tried it again. That time things didn't go nearly as well. But, we persevered, and kept trying and experimenting and felt we finally had some idea of what we were doing.Thus was born the idea of our own winery... the further the tale goes the more bizarre it gets.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/elizabeth-in/report/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-de-yoga-series-11724-8sn3ct3mbp8.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RECHARGE-WITH-GENTLE-YOGA">Recharge With Gentle Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-cards-color-pencil-1172024-dynxs9jhsby.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CREATING-HOLIDAY-CARDS-USING-COLORED-PENCILS">Creating Holiday Cards Using Colored Pencils</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-maine-yoga-with-sea-change-yoga-november-2024-dwn5382699b.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-A-VIRTUAL-CLASS-IN-GENTLE-CHAIR-YOGA">A Virtual Class in Gentle Chair Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Friday, Nov 8, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Indiana</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:INAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INAARP@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/indiana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Indiana</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-indiana/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ELIZABETH-IN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in" name="description"/> <meta content="Best, Vineyards, Elizabeth, IN" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="38.154999"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-85.9711"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Best Vineyards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>8373 Morgan's Lane South East</div> <div> <span>Elizabeth</span>, <span>IN</span> <span>47117</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.bestvineyardswinery.com/" target="_blank">Best Vineyards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 812-969-9463</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Best+Vineyards%2C+8373+Morgan%27s+Lane+South+East%2C+Elizabeth%2C+IN+47117" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in 2000. Rachel, Wilbert's sister was a somewhat reluctant participant at the time. Berretta, Wilbert's other sister, hopped on the crazy wagon a year or so later. A local farmer of corn, wheat, and soybeans used the land at the time and we thought that trying an alternative crop would be an interesting experiment. So began the search for the "perfect" crop to plant that didn't take too much time to, too much experience, and gave a decent return on the investment and was fun to do.Looking at the Purdue University Horticulture sites' alternative crops pages we reviewed herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, brambles and other veggie crops. Then we happened across the listing for grapes. There was a reference to this weird little group called the Indiana Wine Grape Council who were planning a meeting within a few weeks at Huber Winery. Wilbert attended, thinking at the time of growing table grapes. To be honest, we didn't have a clue about wine or wine grapes or really anything about agriculture at all.After that, we paid another little visit to Huber Winery. Ted said we were as insane as Jim to think about growing grapes. Unfortunately, by that time, we'd pretty much made up our minds. We were taking the agricultural plunge! Talking to the folks in the business, everyone recommended starting with an acre. Anymore and you'd kill yourself trying to keep up they said. We decided on 3 basic varieties - Chambourcin, Chardonel, and a few New York Muscats just to be a bit odd like everyone else.We're pretty much a family of engineering types. Out popped the calculators figuring our vine counts for an acre of grapes. It came out to about 600 vines. Looking at the vine suppliers web site we discovered that if we went with 1000 vines we'd get a 5% discount! Who can pass up a discount like that? Out popped the calculators again. After a few days, Wilbert discovered that at 1500 vines you got another 5% discount! I think you can see where this is going. We wound up buying 2500 vines. "But just look at the money we saved!" said Wilbert.In April of 2002 we were nearly set to plant. Wilbert took 3 days of vacation and started drilling the holes with an auger to plant the vines. 3 DAYS! It was April. It was sunny and 80 degrees! Wilbert's head got sunburned! Drilling all day Wednesday. Drilled all day Thursday and Friday too. Then Friday night it happened! Rain!!! Saturday morning dawned a cold, blustery 34 degrees and there was a constant wind blowing across the site all day. We were stuck. We'd been soaking the vines in water. We had to plant. We, and about 10 friends and family, mudded in the vines on the most miserable day of the year.Two years passed and we were sitting around plotting the sale of our crop. Jim Pfeiffer stepped up and saved the day. Next, how to get our grapes from here to there? I mean really! We were struggling to just keep up with growing the things, who plans ahead like that? Fortunately, Purdue has a mobile press they allowed us to borrow to process the harvest at our farm and deliver juice to Jim. Let's just say that our first harvest was an interesting experience and leave it at that...As we were processing the juice, we wondered how hard it would be to ferment it and make wine. To be honest, we were always a bit curious about how it was made. As children we were told wondrous tales of how our grandparents made homemade root beers and hard ciders. Curiosity got the cat as you know. So we saved back a few buckets of juice and gave it a try. It actually turned out. So, we got some more juice and tried it again. That time things didn't go nearly as well. But, we persevered, and kept trying and experimenting and felt we finally had some idea of what we were doing.Thus was born the idea of our own winery... the further the tale goes the more bizarre it gets.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/elizabeth-in/report/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Elizabeth</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-de-yoga-series-11724-8sn3ct3mbp8.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RECHARGE-WITH-GENTLE-YOGA">Recharge With Gentle Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-cards-color-pencil-1172024-dynxs9jhsby.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-CREATING-HOLIDAY-CARDS-USING-COLORED-PENCILS">Creating Holiday Cards Using Colored Pencils</a></h2> <p class="time">Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-maine-yoga-with-sea-change-yoga-november-2024-dwn5382699b.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-A-VIRTUAL-CLASS-IN-GENTLE-CHAIR-YOGA">A Virtual Class in Gentle Chair Yoga</a></h2> <p class="time">Friday, Nov 8, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Zoom</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ELIZABETH-IN">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; } </style> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer text-center"> <div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Indiana Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true"> <blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana">Facebook</a></blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <h2>Contact AARP<br />Indiana</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:INAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INAARP@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/indiana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Indiana</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/aarp-indiana/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ELIZABETH-IN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AARPIndiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aarp.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Instagram"><img src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/icon-ig.png" alt="Instagram icon" title="Instagram icon" style="height: 49px;"></a> </div> </div> </div></div> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> </div> <div class="row oneColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar --> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() { window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href'); }); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Best Vineyards - Elizabeth, IN"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in" name="description"/> <meta content="Best, Vineyards, Elizabeth, IN" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/best-vineyards-elizabeth-in.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Best Vineyards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Open Year RoundOur Story:Best Vineyards started as a crazy idea to grow some table grapes and make a few bucks off the farm Wilbert had purchased back in"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="38.154999"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-85.9711"/> ' $title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = '' $highlighting = '' $location = '<a href="/elizabeth-in/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Elizabeth, IN</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/elizabeth-in/things-to-do/">Places</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/elizabeth-in/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more"> <span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span> <ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu"> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li> <!-- <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/elizabeth-in/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118