TOP THREE:
Kirkin’ O’ The Tartans in New Albany
FOOD:
City Barbeque in Louisville
A News and Tribune Publication
NOVEMBER 5, 2015 — Issue 90
Q
UIBBLE AND QUAFF The inspiration behind SoIn's newest winery
2 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | SOIN follow us on EDITOR
DESIGN
No quibble with quaffing vino
Claire Munn
STORY
Elizabeth DePompei
S
PHOTOGRAPHY Christopher Fryer
WHERE TO FIND SOIN:
• ON RACKS: We offer free copies of SoIn at numerous hotels and restaurants around Clark and Floyd counties. • IN YOUR PAPER: Every Thursday in the News and Tribune • ONLINE: newsandtribune.com /soin • ON FACEBOOK: facebook.com/YourSoInWeekly • ON TWITTER: @newsandtribune
ON THE COVER:
Owners Jamie, left, and Steve Kraft are pictured at Quibble Hill Winery in Harrison County near Palmyra. | STAFF PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER FRYER More unique stories from Southern Indiana.
First Church of God 2248 Charlestown Road New Albany, IN 47150
outhern Indiana residents are a resilient Visitors are first greeted by a large porch with inviting rocking chairs facing the quarter-acre folk. And big-time dreamers. plot of Niagara grapes, a fire pit and a pavilion Oh, we also happen to like our wine. for live music, DePompei writes. Inside, the The latest to join the vino fray is Quibble warm pinewood walls are likely to make visiHill Winery in Depauw. As you’ll read about in tors feel like they’re in a Colorado resort cabin. today’s centerpiece, the idea for Quibble Hill What started with Steve Kraft tinkering with started with a desire to do something you love. a take-home kit has grown into an 11-acre Do that, and the rest is gravy. JASON THOMAS vineyard churning out 1,200 gallons of wine, or SoIn people know a thing or two about resilSoIn Editor 6,000 bottles. ience, too. Turn the pages to discover the story That’s nowhere near the Huber’s or Turtle behind the name “Quibble Hill.” Good stuff. Run’s of the world, but for the Krafts it’s sweet success Jamie and Steve Kraft opened Quibble in March last — and represents doing something they love. year after a lesson that Jamie Kraft’s father told her kept A lesson taken to heart, for sure. gnawing at her innards. “He said, ‘do something you want to do and don’t — Jason Thomas is the editor of SoIn. He can be reached by work until you’re 65 and then retire,’” Kraft told Elizaphone at 812-206-2127 or email at jason.thomas@newsandtribune.com. Follow him on Twitter: @ScoopThomas. beth DePompei for today’s cover story.
Finding cash for creative projects SOIN THE KNOW
• WHAT: Submissions for Individual Artist Program grants
In Honor of Our 100 Year Anniversary Proudly Presents
Larnelle Harris Friday, November 13, 2015
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Jason Thomas
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7:30 PM
Tickets may be purchased at Church Office. VIP $35 (Meet & Greet with photo option) Floor Seating $15 • Overflow Seating $10
Call the Church Office for more details 812-945-2361
• WHEN: Through Feb. 5 • WHERE: online at in.gov/arts/
individualartistprogram.htm; info at indianacgweb.org; contact Sarah Fronczek at 317-2321274 or email sfronczek@iac. in.gov
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) announced that Hoosier artists in selected disciplines have until Feb. 5 to submit applications for the IAC’s Individual Artist Program (IAP) grants. Eligible projects will only be considered in the areas of crafts, design, media arts, photography, visual arts, and folk arts related to these traditional disciplines. Artists with disabilities are also encouraged to apply for projects related to these eligible disciplines, either through the discipline directly or through the access category. Individual artists living and working in Indiana may apply for up to
$2,000 from the IAP grant, which requires no matching funds. The grants are intended to assist artists with specific project-related costs that will help them further their career and provide some form of public benefit through the completed project. Application for IAP grants will only be available through the online grant system, and artists are encouraged to read through the guidelines completely before starting the application process. The deadline for
application is Feb. 5. Applicants must be 18 years of age, must be an Indiana resident for at least one year prior to the date of application, and plan to remain in the state for the full grant period. Artists may not be enrolled in a degreegranting program. All projects must be completed between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017. Applications must be submitted through the Indiana Culture Grants at http://indianacgweb.org/.
SOIN | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015
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3 TO GO
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Where to go and be seen in Southern Indiana
TOAST TO OL’ SAMMY • WHAT: Kirkin’ O’ The Tartans • WHEN: 10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 8 • WHERE: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 11th and Market streets, New Albany Pipe and drum will accompany the clans from the Scottish Society of Louisville as they process into church. This year there will be a special performance by the Scottish group, The Pillagers, during the service. Following the church service the parish is hosting a Scottish-themed brunch in the Carriage House. The Kirkin’ coincides with the Feast of Samuel Seabury, the first bishop in the American Episcopal Church. Bishop Seabury was consecrated in Scotland following the Revolutionary War.
2
3
EYES WIDE OPEN
WHAT’S THE VOLUME?
• WHAT: Ghost Watch Undertaking Sleepover • WHEN: 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, Sun-
day, Nov. 8 • WHERE: Culbertson Mansion • INFO: $100 per adult; reservations required; visit indianamuseum.org/explore/culbertson; phone: 812-944-9600 Spend the night at Culbertson Mansion — if you dare. Brave guests will enjoy a candlelight dinner, tarot card readings, a ghost tour of the mansion, and a scavenger hunt before attempting to make it through the night. Must be over 18 to attend. The mansion encompasses more than 20,000 square feet
• WHAT: ‘Noises Off’ • WHEN: 8 p.m. Nov. 5-7, 12-14; 2:30 p.m. Nov. 8, 15
• WHERE: The Robinson Theater, Ogle Center, 4201 Grant Line Rd., New Albany
• INFO: Ticket prices: $15 for adults, $10 for se-
niors, $7 for students; visit ius.edu/oglecenter Called the funniest farce ever written, “Noises Off” presents a manic menagerie as a cast of itinerant actors rehearsing a flop called “Nothing’s On.” Doors slamming, on and offstage intrigue, and an errant herring all figure in the plot of this hilarious and classically comic play.
GOTTA GO: Interested in seeing your event in our 3 To Go? Email SoIn Editor Jason Thomas at jason.thomas@newsandtribune.com
WINE A BIT Depauw winery offers year-round tastings, place for locals to relax By ELIZABETH DEPOMPEI elizabeth.depompei@newsandtribune.com
D
EPAUW — The small plot of Niagara grapes tucked away off rolling country roads in Depauw will be ready for harvest next fall, three years after Jamie and Steve Kraft planted the vines. Each vine needs time to grow strong enough to carry the 20 pounds of grapes that will make Quibble Hill Winery’s first estate wine. While they wait, the Krafts have had to learn how to be just as sturdy as the vines they’re counting on. “That first year was tough,” Jamie said. “But we got through it.” Jamie and Steve, both 60 years old, decided to start the winery on Gowers Lane in March 2014 after visiting wineries throughout Southern Indiana. Their weekend trips became a pastime for two people working full-time jobs. Jamie worked in advertising in Louisville and Steve was in management at a chemical plant in Jeffersonville. But Jamie never forgot what her father told her before he died. “He said, ‘do something you want to do and don’t work until you’re 65 and then retire,’” she remembered. The couple became frequent visitors of Grateful Goat Vineyard and Winery in Palmyra before it closed in fall of 2013. Then Steve made his first wine using an at-home kit. That wine ended up winning bronze in the Indianapolis International Wine Competition and that made Steve think it was something he could do more of. When Steve suggested to Jamie that they start a winery, Jamie said it was a “why not?” kind of proposal. They already lived on 11 acres of land and had plenty of acquaintances in the Southern Indiana winery world. Those acquaintances would become what Jamie now calls mentors in their new venture.
SEE WINERY, PAGE 8
WHEN TO GO Bottles of Deladew, a white, semidry wine, are pictured on a rack at Quibble Hill Winery in Harrison County near Palmyra. | STAFF PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPHER FRYER
Quibble Hill Winery is open year round and hosts different events throughout the year. Live music can be enjoyed in the summer months and an outdoor fire pit will keep visitors warm during the fall and winter. Regular wine tasting hours are Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. Visit QuibbleHillWinery.com or call 502-4249559 for more information.
A bottle of Blue By You blueberry table wine is pictured inside Quibble Hill Winery in Harrison County near Palmyra. See more photos on page 7.
6 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | SoIn
ENTERTAINMENT
This week's entertainment releases
Nom nom (breathe) nom LOUISVILLE — City Barbeque, an award-winning barbeque joint built on a foundation of “low and slow” smoked meats, a wide variety of side dishes, delectable desserts, and a healthy dose of backyard hospitality, will open in Louisville at 329 Whittington Parkway on Friday, Nov. 20 at 10:30 a.m. For over 15 years, City Barbeque has offered authentic competition quality barbeque to its customers. City Barbeque has been voted the city’s best barbeque in every market it presently serves. This year their “More Cowbell” sandwich was named one of the best sandwiches in America by Restaurant Hospitality Magazine. “We’re excited for our grand opening in Louisville,” said Rick Malir, lead pit boss. “Our guests can sink their teeth into authentic pit-smoked and hand pulled barbeque. We have an amazing team that looks forward to serving the wonderful, thriving, Louisville community.” At the grand opening, guests will be able to sample a wide selection of smoked meats, including pulled pork, brisket, pulled chicken, St. Louis-cut ribs, sausage and the biggest smoked chickens you’ve ever seen. Diners also won’t want
SOIN THE KNOW
MOVIES:
• WHAT: City Barbeque to
open in Louisville; BBQ for a Year Giveaway • WHEN: 10:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 20 • WHERE: City Barbecue, 329 Whittington Parkway • INFO: To apply online for open positions visit citybbq.com/careers to miss warm homemade peach cobbler, sweet corn pudding, hand-dipped hush puppies, baked beans with brisket, fresh cut fries, among many others. During the grand opening City Barbeque will be selling T-shirts for $4 each, with all T-shirt proceeds going to Kosair Charities, an organization committed to helping children receive needed healthcare. Also, every guest who downloads the free City Barbeque app from the Apple App store or Google Play store will automatically and immediately get free food prizes and have the chance to win a grand prize of free barbeque for a year. City Barbeque is currently hiring team members who like to have fun. Applicants can apply online at www.citybbq.com/ careers/ .
NOV. 6 “Spectre” “The Peanuts Movie”
é
ALBUMS: NOV. 6 “Damn Country Music” by Tim McGraw “Delirium” by Ellie Goulding
é
BOOKS: NOV. 10 é “The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto” by Mitch Albom “Unstoppable” by Bill Nye
A sense of feel to see at Carnegie SOIN THE KNOW
• WHAT: Carnegie Center Free
Family Fun Workshop: Photos for Fingers • WHEN: 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 14 • WHERE: Carnegie Center for Art and History, 201 E. Spring St., New Albany • INFO: To register call 812-9447336 or email Delesha Thomas at dthomas@carnegiecenter.org. NEW ALBANY — Some people who are blind or who can only see a little bit like to feel a picture in order to “see” it. These kinds of pictures are called tactile graphics: “tactile” because they appeal to the tactile/ touch sense and “graphics” because they represent a graphic/picture, according to a Carnegie Center for Art and History news release. At Carnegie’s Nov. 14 Family Fun Workshop, participants will use materials that are rough, smooth, soft, hard, grainy, etc. to embellish pictures so that a person who is blind could look at them with their fingers. This activity presents a number of opportunities for children to explore
opposites, learn a bit about braille readers, and (as always) express themselves in a new way. To begin, you will choose a picture/photograph to embellish, and then choose three to five aspects of the picture that you want to make tactile (touchable). Pick material whose texture best represents the aspects you’ve chosen to make
tactile. Affix the chosen picture to a thick sheet of cardstock for structural support. Then, cut and prepare the chosen materials to fit into the appropriate space. Using glue and/or tape, attach the chosen materials to the appropriate places in the picture. Allow the glue to dry, and then use your fingertips to explore the touchable picture you’ve created.
SoIn | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015
LOCAL SOIN HAPPENINGS Feeling left out? Send your establishment’s and/or organization’s upcoming events/new features/entertainment information to SoIn Editor Jason Thomas at jason.thomas@ newsandtribune.com
STREET CRIT
WHAT: Floyd County Crit Club Collective WHEN: Through Nov. 8 WHERE: Gadabout Gallery & Artisan Shoppe, 249 Spring St., Jeffersonville “Floyd County Crit Club Collective” features a wide variety of pieces showcasing a broad range of media. Many of the works feature iconic images of Jeffersonville and the surrounding area. The Floyd County Crit Club was founded in 1970 by artist Nancy Holderman, and continues to thrive under the direction of Joyce Sweet Bryant. The club meets monthly and provides structured critique, demonstrations and support in a congenial atmosphere. Artists working in all media are welcome.
LIVE MUSIC AT HUBER’S
WHEN: Friday, Saturday, Sunday WHERE: Huber Winery Saturday, Nov. 7, 1 to 5 p.m.: Josh Glauber and Jeff Guerensey; Sunday, Nov. 8, 1 to 5 p.m.: Petar Mandic [huberwinery.com]
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QUIBBLE HILL PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
WHEN: Friday and Saturday Friday, Nov. 6: Eric and Kenny Saturday, Nov.. 7: Kelsey Allen; Friday, Nov. 13: Kelsey Allen; Saturday, Nov. 14: Nick Dittmeier; Friday, Nov. 20: Eric and Kenny; Saturday, Nov. 21: Kyle Hastings
LIVE MUSIC AT BIG FOUR BURGERS + BEER NEW ALBANY
WHERE: Big Four Burgers + Beer, 114 E. Main St., New Albany WHEN: Friday and Saturday Friday, Nov. 6: Eric and Kenny; Saturday, Nov. 7: Tyler stiller; Friday, Nov. 13: Aquila; Saturday, Nov. 14: Josh and Joanna; Friday, Nov. 20: Kyle; Saturday, Nov. 21: Kelsey Allen
FRIENDS OF LIBRARY BOOK SALE
WHAT: NA-FC Public Library book sale WHEN: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7 Find books to improve your business skills, strengthen your knowledge of grammar and writing, or learn a new language at the upcoming Friends of the Library book sale in the library’s Annex Building. Dictionaries and thesauruses, books on grammar and style, foreign language books, as well as business books will all be discounted by 50 percent. Regular prices are $1 for hardbacks; 50 cents for paperbacks, CDs and VHS movies; and 10 cents for magazines and pamphlets. For a detailed description of each book sale, please e-mail friends@nafclibrary.org.
Award winning wines are pictured on display inside Quibble Hill Winery in Harrison County near Palmyra. | STAFF PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPHER FRYER
IU SOUTHEAST OPEN AUDITIONS
LIVE MUSIC AT WICK’S
WHAT: Live on State WHERE: Wick’s, 225 State St., New Albany Friday, Nov. 6: Jack Brizendine; Saturday, Nov. 7: The Jordan Bales Band; Friday, Nov. 13: Steeplechase Millionaires; Saturday, Nov. 14: The Killer Lips; Friday, Nov. 20: Bella Blue Band; Saturday, Nov. 21: Lawn Dart Accident; Saturday, Nov. 28: Eight Inch Elvis
LIVE MUSIC AT NAPH
WHERE: New Albany Production House, 1736 E. Main St., New Albany Friday, Nov. 6: Hush Harbor, Jonathan Jackson, Meadow Ryann, Dark Horse, 6:30 p.m., $5 advance/$7 day of; Saturday, Nov. 7: Little Heart Records 10th Anniversary Show, 4 p.m., free; [naproductionhouse.com]
LIVE MUSIC AT BIG FOUR BURGERS + BEER JEFFERSONVILLE
WHERE: Big Four Burgers + Beer, 134 Spring St., Jeffersonville
WHAT: ‘Guys and Dolls’ auditions WHEN: 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16, Tuesday, Nov. 17 The Theatre Department at Indiana University Southeast will be holding open auditions for its spring 2016 production of “Guys and Dolls,” 7 p.m., Monday, Nov. 16 and Tuesday, Nov. 17, in the Robinson Theater in the Ogle Center on the IU Southeast campus, 4201 Grant Line Road, New Albany. Those auditioning should prepare a brief (one minute) comic monologue, and 16 bars of a musical theatre song. Callback auditions will be on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. Production dates for “Guys and Dolls” are April 7-10 and April 14-17, 2016. For more information, e-mail Jim Hesselman at jhesselm@ius.edu or contact the IU Southeast Theatre Department at 812-9412655.
A sign for Quibble Hill Winery is pictured at the corner of Corydon Ramsey and Kennedy Mott roads in Harrison County near Palmyra.
KENTUCKY OPERA DINNER
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5 Varanese Restaurant, 2106 Frankfort Ave., will host a special three-course dinner with the Kentucky Opera and 102.3 The Max on Thursday, Nov. 5 in celebration of The Kentucky Opera’s production of Jake Heggie’s “Three Decembers.” Guests can sit with Brad Bell or Eric Cornish from 102.3 The Max, and enjoy music from Opera Education Manager and vocalist Aubrey Baker, who will provide live entertainment, and be on hand to answer questions about the contemporary production, the art of opera, and the Kentucky Opera. The cost for the prix fixe dinner is $50 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Included in the dinner price is a ticket to the opening night performance of “Three Decembers.” Reservations for the dinner are required and can be made by calling 502-899-9904 or emailing letsdine@varanese.com
A list of available wines is displayed behind the bar at Quibble Hill Winery in Harrison County near Palmyra.
8 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | SOIN
WINERY: Process of getting permits took three years for owners CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
A MINOR OBJECTION
Jamie and Steve live feet away up a hill from the building that now houses Quibble Hill’s wine tastings and events. Visitors are first greeted by a large porch with inviting rocking chairs facing the quarter-acre plot of Niagara grapes, a fire pit and a pavilion for live music. Inside, the warm pinewood walls are likely to make visitors feel like they’re in a Colorado resort cabin. Free tastings take place at a long stone bar the couple built themselves. The ambience, they said, is what makes Quibble Hill so unique. “We tried to build it to be a place that we would want to come to,” Steve said. The name, Quibble Hill, took a lot of thought and attention, too. An old rock quarry behind the Krafts’ home looked like the perfect place to host live music and gatherings. Quarry Hill, she decided, would be the winery’s name. Running with that idea, Jamie and Steve started naming wines inspired by the quarry. There’s Rockin’ Red; Stonewall Jackson, named in part after a dog they once had; and Lacey’s Ledge, named after a dog that use to like climbing the quarry ledges. “Then about that far into the naming process I got a letter from a Quarry Hill Orchard and Winery in Ohio that said you can’t use Quarry Hill,” Jamie said. “Cease and desist.” In fact, they couldn’t even use the word quarry, Jamie said. Instead of fighting it, she decided to keep the “QH” logo she already had designed and found a new “q” word. “A quibble is a minor objection and to whine is to snivel or complain,” Jamie said. “So come out and wine a bit.”
THEIR LITTLE WINERY
The wine is readily available for visitors, but it took a while to get it that way. Jamie said the process of getting state and federal permits took about three years. She said it’s that way because regulators want to know someone is serious about starting a winery and not just trying to find a hobby. The tasting room building, which houses the fermentation tanks in the lower level, had to be 80 percent complete before they could even apply for the permits. Before the could build, they had to bulldoze the scrub trees and fill the duck pond. In short, it was a whole lot of hard work and a lot of waiting. “We actually started at another winery
so we could build some inventory before we got our permits,” Steve said. Once the Quibble Hill structure was built, they had to choose a place to get the grape juice from. Since their own vines aren’t ready for harvest, they aren’t yet able to produce their own juice. They chose a vineyard in the Finger Lakes region of New York and have 55-gallon drums of juice delivered to Quibble Hill regularly. The juice is pumped into their eight tanks where it will ferment. Steve is charged with production, his favorite part about owning his own winery. He heats the juice and adds different ingredients, including yeast. The juice then ferments for four to six weeks at different temperatures. He said learning the best variations is about experimenting and tasting. “[It’s about] just keeping good records,” he said. Once the wine is ready, part-time employees help Steve and Jamie bottle the wine. The process is a manual job with an assist from tabletop machines. The assembly line includes filling the bottle, putting a cork in it, sealing the cork and pressing the label on the bottle. Ideally, that bottle will then be sold to visitors or at festivals and events throughout the year. Since producing their first bottles in March 2014, the business has done pretty well. Jamie said they get roughly 100 visitors, many of them couples, every week depending on the time of year. Last year, they produced 1,200 gallons of wine, or 6,000 bottles. They’d like to produce around 2,000 gallons eventually and produce special small batch wines, but they don’t want the winery to get too big. They prefer the quaintness of Quibble Hill. “Some of the local people, we’re their little winery,” Jamie said. “Some people have called it their little country club.” Jamie said they get visitors from the Southern Indiana region and beyond, including Indianapolis and Illinois. They have regulars, too, like the couple that visits every Sunday and even invited Jamie and Steve to their annual cookout. They say the people they get to meet is one of the best parts of the job. “I guess it’s kind of been strange for us because we’ve been living out here for all these years and we both worked full-time jobs and never had any visitors,” Jamie said. “And now all the sudden we’ve done a complete about face and opened up a winery and we’re inviting in the world.”
A logo for Quibble Hill Winery is pictured on a cornhole board at the Harrison County winery near Palmyra. | STAFF PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPHER FRYER
Bottles of wine are pictured on a rack at Quibble Hill Winery in Harrison County near Palmyra.