New wines, a complementary holiday ornament, and the chance to win a slate cheese serving tray are some of the lures being offered by the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail wineries this holiday season. The Indiana Uplands Wine Trail (IUWT) is comprised of Best Vineyards, Brown County, Oliver, Butler, Carousel, French Lick, Winzerwald, Turtle Run and Huber Orchards and Vineyard.

The 9 wineries kick off the season with a ticketed event on Nouveau Weekend, November 15th through the 18th, 2012.

"Holidays in the Uplands" allows ticket holders visiting the nine wineries on the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail from Nov. 15 through Dec. 31, 2012, to receive a gold ornament with each winery's logo. Tickets cost $35 per person and a limited number are available on-line at http://holidaysintheuplands2012.eventbrite.com or at any Uplands winery.

In France, the third Thursday of November marks the day when the first young Beaujolais wines vinted from the current year's grapes are released with much fanfare to celebrate the harvest. Many of the Uplands' Wineries are doing the same including:

Winzerwald presents a new Lieblich, a semi-sweet blend of Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Vidal Blanc - the perfect match for holiday ham, turkey or goose!

Butler Winery offers a new semi-sweet Traminette.

Carousel releases its popular Winter Jewel, a mix of Raspberry and Cranberry wines.

French Lick Winery debuts a new dry red wine, Noiret. This medium bodied, fruity wine has bright cherry and strawberry flavors and a distinctive black pepper finish.

Turtle Run has a new 2012 Chambourcin.

Best Vineyards offers a Chambourcin wine called Nouveau 2012 vinted in the traditional French Nouveau style. A semi-sweet wine with very fruity aromas of berries and cherry.

Huber's Orchard and Vineyard will once again have its Pop's Reserve Nouveau for the 12th annual event at Huber's Winery on Thursday. Pop's Reserve is a deep rooted tradition passed onto the 6th Generation Huber's by great, great grandfather Pop's.

While enjoying Holiday in the Uplands you can pick up the 2013 Passport to the Wine Trail. Present the passport at each of the 9 wineries, get stamped, and when complete you receive one slate cheese serving tray per passport and the passport gets entered into the grand prize drawing which will be held at the 2013 Vintage Indiana Wine Festival in Indianapolis in June. Visit www.IndianaUplands.com for links to individual wineries.