Birthday parties come in different shapes and sizes. In Indiana, they come in cornfields with country music playing in the background.
For those of you in east-central Indiana, Wilson Wines provides the music, charcoal and all the wine you care to buy. You provide the raw meat, a carry-in dish, and your favorite credit card. Like a Methodist all-church dinner, you will find every home cooked option: from salads and slaws to casseroles and cookies. Unlike a Methodist all-church dinner, you will find lot’s of tipsy, loud Hoosier’s poppin’ open their 4th bottle of vino.
We first visited this Modoc oasis several years ago. When told we would be eating at a winery, we expected a fine dining establishment. What we discovered was a gravel drive that led past overgrown hedges up to an old farm house. We pulled off the drive and parked in the front yard. We followed the music past a corn silo around a pole barn and into a lively party. Tables, wine glasses, covered dishes, and loud Jimmy Buffet cover music greeted us. We had a really good time.
Last night’s party was a little less chaotic. Jimmy couldn’t make it so the crowd was smaller. Corn hole and Croquette were underway. As the mid-summer sun roasted those in attendance, the attenders roasted their steaks, burgers and brats.
The birthday boy celebrated 77 years by eating well and laughing hard. He was surrounded by his family and received much-needed gifts: a bicycle seat, a heavy duty back scratcher, and a watering hose. Everything a man can desire.
It was the perfect evening.
