Scholl loves making wine

BATESVILLE —
Bob Scholl loves making homemade wine, and he must be doing something right because he has won five Sunman Wine Fest awards since 2004.

He placed first for Best Sweet Wine in 2004, 2007 and 2011; first for Best Sweet Wine in 2011; and was Best Sweet Wine runner-up in 2010.             

“I have made every kind of wine you can think of, watermelon, mushmelon, blueberry, raspberry, cranberry …. (but) the kinds I’ve entered in the wine contest have been mostly grape and persimmon.”

The Raintree Terrace, Sunman, resident says there is a persimmon tree behind the building. “I picked up some, which was quite a job, and got them ready for wine. I put them in the freezer, which causes them to get sweeter …. A lot of people have told me my persimmon wine is really good. The guy that judged the persimmon wine said it’s the hardest wine to make.

“I make the persimmon wine in September, and if it’s in a warm basement it would be ready by Christmas. However, it’s at my niece’s place in a fruit cellar, which is cool,” so it takes longer.

He has also made communion wine for St. John’s Lutheran Church, Hubbells Corner, for over 40 years.

“I’ve got a friend that gives me grapes for the church wine. I use 150 pounds of sugar” for a barrel of wine. “It’s pretty sweet because I don’t want the kids to choke on it.”

Scholl  doesn’t go by a recipe to make the various wine varieties. He says many people have told him how to make persimmon wine, but he decided, “I’m going to make it my way.”

He won’t give away his wine making secrets, but wishes other wine makers good luck.