Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry has passed away after a brief battle with cancer.

Indiana Author Chronicles Winery Growth in the Heartland

Credit Courtesy/Jim Pennell
Author taking notes during one of his on-site interviews.

Since 2003, the number of wineries in Indiana has more than quadrupled, and other Midwestern states boast even higher increases.

Jim Pennell, a sociology professor at the University of Indianapolis, has tracked the success of that industry from the ground up, in his new book, Local Wino: The Winery Boom in the Heartland.

Credit Courtesy/Jim Pennell
Pennell's book gives a ground-up view of the business, and its success here in the Midwest.

Research for the project included visits to 64 wineries across Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa, and interviews with more than 40 winery owners and industry specialists, as well as extensive labor in the vineyards of Mallow Run Winery in Bargersville, Indiana.

Earlier this week, WBOI's Julia Meek spoke with Pennell by phone, to learn what this boom has meant to  consumer and producer alike.

You can find more information on Jim Pennell's book, Local Vino: The Winery Boom in the Heartland and other titles in the "Heartland Foodways" series at the University of Illinois website.

A Fort Wayne native, Julia is a radio host, graphic artist, and community volunteer, who has contributed to NIPR both on- and off-air for forty years. Besides being WBOI's arts & culture reporter, she currently co-produces and hosts Folktales and Meet the Music.
Related Content