Comment 2: French Lick Winery (Doty, John & Kim)

June 26, 2012 Establishment of Indiana Uplands AVA As owners of the French Lick Winery, we would like to extend our full support for the establishment of the Indiana Uplands AVA in the unglaciated portion of south central Indiana. Being the founders and first generation of winemakers here, we look forward to our sons taking over the winery in the near future and continuing to produce award winning wines from grapes grown in this region. Recognizing the uniqueness of the flavors and the growing climate of the area through our experiences of the wines produced at established wineries already in the area, we planted our vineyard on our family farm in Martin County on the east fork of the White River, within the boundaries of the proposed AVA. For the past 17 years, we have performed extensive research and taste comparisons of wines produced in the Ohio River Valley and surrounding areas not within the proposed viticultural area and have found that wines grown in the Uplands are distinctly different in regards to aromas, flavors and chemistry. The soil types and climate are expressed in wines grown in our vineyards. The distinct difference in topography is evident as you traverse the Uplands region from the surrounding agricultural regions used mainly for row crops such as corn and soybeans. The Uplands soils are not conducive to favorable yields of these crops but are excellent for the production of wine grapes. Our existing brand will be greatly enhanced by the use of the Indiana Uplands on our label as it will for other wineries within the proposed area. We look forward to the establishment of the Indiana Uplands AVA to support our findings of the distinctly different wines that are produced here. Sincerely, John and Kim Doty French Lick Winery 8145 W Sinclair St* West Baden Springs, IN 47469