The Beginning
Mallow Run is the product of years of hard work by John Richardson and his son, Bill, and Bill’s wife, Laura. John grew up on the farm, moved away to teach school for 35 years, and then retired back on the farm with the intent of growing grapes to supply other Indiana wineries. Bill, who grew up dreaming of living on the farm, settled into the original Mallow/Richardson home after graduating from Purdue with a degree in Agriculture. Bill met Laura (Emerson) while playing in the Carmel Symphony and with a shared love for music, wine, and the farm, they married in 2005.
The first grapes were planted in 2000, with more to follow in subsequent years. The vineyards now cover 8 acres of the family’s 600-acre farm. On the remainder, more than 50,000 bushels of corn and soybeans are still raised each year. With expanding vineyards taking root, an aging barn with great potential, and the desire to share our love of fine wines, the decision was quickly made to open our own winery right here on the farm.
On September 3rd, 2005, the dream was realized and the tasting room opened to the public.
The old barn BEFORE the 2005 remodel. 
The Barn
The tasting room is located in the hayloft of a nineteenth-century timber-frame barn built circa 1870 by George Mallow, Bill’s great-great-great grandfather. It is believed that much of the current barn may date back to an earlier barn, perhaps built in the 1830’s. A fire may have left the barn in disrepair, but many of the larger beams were recycled and used to build the “new” barn in the 1870’s. As you walk into the tasting room, you will be welcomed by these hand-hewn beams and feel a connection to those artisans of the past.
Nearly 600 vines are growing on
each of the eight acres of grapes now planted at Mallow Run (almost 5000 vines!). On those eight acres are eight varieties of grapes putting down roots and searching for sunlight. We grow American and French-hybrid varieties which are more tolerant of cold Indiana winters than more recognizable vinifera varieties, such as Merlot or Chardonnay. These hybrids are essentially crosses of native varieties that thrive in our climate with those vinifera varieties that are well known for high quality wines. The end result is hopefully a new variety with the best traits of each parent. Examples include
Chardonel, a Chardonnay hybrid, and
Traminette, a relative of Gewürztraminer.
In addition to those two, we grow
Cayuga,
Catawba,
Vignoles,
Chambourcin,
Chancellor, and
Leon Millot.
Each season starts with winter pruning, where we remove most of the previous year’s growth and attempt to determine what the next year’s growth and crop will be. The vines come out of their winter slumber around mid- to late April. This is an exciting time in the vineyard as buds swell and break open into new shoots. This is also a dangerous time for the tender young shoots as a chilling frost in April is always a threat.
Throughout the summer, each shoot will race to produce two to three clusters of grapes and many leaves which, through photosynthesis, will provide food for the plant and sugar for the grapes. Shoots often grow 10 feet long in a summer, and sometimes up to 20 or more feet!
Harvest is the culmination of the year’s hard work and a time for celebration.
Harvest begins in August for some varieties and stretches until October for others. Warm and dry days are perfect for ripening the grapes. Three to six tons of only the ripest grapes are hand harvested from each acre and carefully processed into each year’s vintage.
Upon your next visit, enjoy a glass of wine, take a stroll through the vines, and feel the connection between the wine in your hand and soil beneath your feet.
