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.
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.