Oliver Winery

Oliver Winery is the largest and oldest winery in the U.S. state of Indiana. It operates in Monroe County north of Bloomington at 8024 N. State Road 37. Oliver Winery also offers special event spaces available for personal or corporate celebrations, from rehearsal dinners to holiday receptions.

History

Professor William Oliver, a law instructor at Indiana University, moved to Bloomington in 1959 with his wife and children and began making wine in his home from grapes purchased at an Ohio vineyard. In the 1960s he purchased land near Bloomington in order to grow his own, and by 1970 operated some 30 acres (120,000 m²) of vineyard. Oliver Winery opened in the spring of 1972 and reached an annual production of 38,000 gallons by 1978. William Oliver was an integral part to the creation and passing of the Small Winery Act of 1971 in Indiana which permitted direct sale of wine to the public not through distribution channels.

Oliver's first tasting room was opened to the public in 1973 where William's wife Mary worked alongside a few other employees.