Oliver Winery opens downtown store

Upon entering the new Oliver Winery downtown location, Bloomington resident Chris Kroll said he felt like Harry Potter.

As he walked into the new establishment, he recalled a scene from “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” in which Harry goes into a seemingly simple wizard’s tent and discovers a vast room of unexpected offerings.

Kroll was in awe.

He was there for Oliver Winery downtown’s soft opening with his wife, Lisa.

Celebrating 40 years of Oliver wine, the winery invited friends to the new location Monday night to commemorate what Kathleen Oliver calls “just another generation” of the winery’s process of moving forward.

Her husband, Bill Oliver, Jr., took control of the winery in 1983 from his father, an IU law professor, and has maintained ownership since.

Tucked amidst the line of eateries on North College Avenue, Oliver Winery Downtown, an extension of the Oliver Winery at 8024 Indiana State Road 37, is not particularly eye catching.

Once inside, however, the culture of the establishment becomes clear.

Brightly colored photographs of the Creekbend Vineyard adorn the walls surrounding quaint tables for four, and the room extends to include shelf after shelf of wine: vidal blanc, zinfandel, shiraz and more.

There is a wine bar with a photograph of two Oliver Winery hot air balloons in the background and a large refrigerator to keep wine cold for anyone who wants it chilled and on the go.

The atmosphere breathes sophistication.

The downtown addition is considerably different from the Oliver Winery tasting room, manager Drew Kincius said. The main tasting room is more educational.

“This is more about urban nightlife and making wine a part of your life,” Kincius said.

Oliver Winery’s downtown location, which opens to the public Wednesday, offers a selection of cheeses and accompaniments of in-house jams and jellies. They also make original desserts.

Both the cheese plates and the desserts come with recommendations of various Oliver Wine. The winery has both homegrown wine from the Creekbend Vineyard and imported wine from across the country.

The culture can be traced back to the Olivers themselves, who attended the soft opening with their 7-year-old son Danshel. When Bill took control of the winery, he focused on three points: making the winery pretty, improving the quality of the wine and emphasizing customer service.

He and Kathleen were both earning degrees at IU when they met, and she joined the winery as general manager in 1993. They married a few years later.

In his spare time, Bill earned a pilot’s license so he could fly hot air balloons, the same balloons depicted in the photo behind the wine bar.

“The whole winery exists to pay for my hot air balloon habit,” Bill joked.

In seriousness, he has a passion for the profession of winemaking.

“We go from the earth to the bottle, which is wonderful creative expression,” he said. “It’s art. It makes people happy.”

Bill does not have a favorite wine. He is constantly looking to try whatever is new.

Many of the Olivers’ friends attended, sharing stories of their experience with the winery and each drinking a different style.

The Krolls have a long relationship with the Olivers. Chris grew up across the street from Bill. They were excited for what Chris said will be a great addition to downtown. They were both drinking shiraz.

Jon and Anne Dilts, who have lived in Bloomington for 30 years, have been to the tasting room many times. They acknowledged that the downtown addition is very different, but not at all in a bad way.

“This is a wonderful environment, and they’ve done a great job with it,” Jon said.

He had a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, while Anne was adventurous and tried the Creekbend Traminette, though Riesling is her favorite.

Susan Dabkowski had a different experience with the winery. She and her friends have taken several balloon rides with Bill over the years.

Dabkowski attested to the generosity of the winery. She has worked with several nonprofits in the town and said the winery frequently gives back to the community.

This aspect of Oliver Winery’s relationship with the city is not surprising considering the family’s history in Bloomington. Bill was raised here, and has seen it change during the years along with his business.

“To watch the city and private enterprise work together to make downtown so incredibly vibrant... it’s remarkable, and we’re delighted to be a part of it,” he said.