I worked my 13th Vintage Indiana Wine and Food Festival on Saturday June 2, 2012.

The weather was divine. And Military Park was filled with happy festival-goers from the moment gates opened at 11am till the event closed at 7. In fact there were still lines to get IN at 4 in the afternoon. THAT was a sight to see and shows how much the appeal and availability of Indiana wine has progressed since the festival began in 2000. Back then there were just under 30 wineries in the state of Indiana and the first festival I believe we had 10 of them taking part. Now there are over 50 wineries in the state with more on the way. Encouraging!

My job is to emcee the Wine & Food Experience Tent. Well now it is actually the Wine & Food Experience Tent since three years ago the musical acts moved from performing in the pavilion to a bigger tented stage area. The W & F Experience features 4 cooking demonstrations by chefs with the Indiana Turkey and Dairy Councils and Chef Ben from Clark's Appliance. Each demo also offers information on the 4 Indiana wine trails: Hoosier Wine Trail to the south, Indy Wine Trail in Indianapolis area, Indiana Wine Trail to the southeast and the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail that goes down the middle of the state south of Indianapolis.

In between hosting the demo's and talking up the wine trails I was able to walk around the park to see the 25 wineries represented and talk to some of my old wine friends.

Had a lovely conversation with Bill and Kathleen Oliver of Oliver Winery. Bill said their new Bean Blossom Hard Cider is being well received. The winery continues to make tasty wines and its Creekbend Estate wines are gaining a following too.

Ted Huber of Huber Orchards and Winery told me he got lucky and didn't get bit by the frost this Spring. Most of the southern Indiana wineries lost tons of grapes to that quick cold snap. Ted said everything is ahead of schedule. He is already harvesting peaches, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. He said the wine grape crop is big and he expects it will be ready early too.

Meanwhile Jim Pfeiffer at Turtle Run Winery lost most of his wine grape crop to the weather. Here is why. In December, temps were SO warm, that the grapes thought it was spring. So in January they started "bud break". And then in February temps dipped and killed off many of the grapes. Normal bud break doesn't occur till March!

Jim's wines are getting notice in LA too-a California writer requested bottles of his Zinfandel and loved them.

Simmons Winery in Columbus is going into the beer business. Dave Simmons will go from winemaker to brewer at the facility which will also open a restaurant. Fun!

You can learn more about Indiana wineries, wine trails and Vintage Indiana 2013 at www.indianawines.org