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Company history: Easley Winery opened in 1974 as one of the first post-Prohibition commercial wineries in Indiana. Founders Jack and Joan Easley planted their initial vineyards in Crawford County in 1972, one year after the Indiana Small Winery Act made it possible for wineries to sell directly to the public. Mark Easley, son of Jack and Joan, now owns the winery with his wife, Meredith. Known for producing chillable sweet wines, Easley introduced its best-selling wine, Reggae Red, in 2004.
Sangria story: Easley’s Reggae brand, featuring a tagline of “Sweet, fruity, life of the party,” added a sangria variety in 2016. “We saved you the chopping of the fruit,” Meredith Easley said. “You can still cut up the orange slices to float on top to make it look like you soaked it all night. It’s going to taste like you did that, but you didn’t have to.” Made from a base red wine with cherry, pineapple, apple, lemon and lime juices, Reggae Sangria won the “best of class” award for sangria at the 2023 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.
Target market: Customers in eight states can buy Reggae Sangria in stores. Referring to the beach scene depicted on each bottle, Easley said the customer base is people who “want to be there.” Specifically, the target demographic is women ages 21 to 34.
Urban presence: Easley Winery operates in a building downtown that served as the Fertig Ice Cream plant from 1924 to 1973. Easley’s grapes are grown in southern Indiana, southern Michigan, upstate New York and northern California.
Production: Easley Winery is the largest family-owned winery in the state, producing more than 185,000 gallons of wine in 2022.
Address: 205 N. College Ave.
Website: reggaewine.com
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