The Wine & Cheese Shoppe: Wabash, IN

I just returned from a little media trip in Wabash, Indiana and after a day of meetings and touring, I decided to head back to the hotel I was staying at, the Charley Creek Inn, and have cheese and wine for dinner - a couple of my favorite things. The shop is located inside a historic hotel that underwent an extensive restoration to the luxury lodging place it once was, making it a lovely boutique hotel right in the heart of downtown Wabash in a beautiful area of century-plus old buildings.

With my hotel reservation, I got a voucher for my choice of ice cream from their ice cream and candy shop or a wine tasting, beer, slushie or glass of wine at the cheese shop. I opted for the wine tasting and added a cheese board for $12 that is supposed to be for four - or is a perfect meal for a cheesehead like me.

The wine tasting included six wines and at the time I was there, they were:

2 dry whites - 

Due Torri Pinot Grigio 2021, Cesari - Delle Venezie, Italy

Metallic Chardonnay 2021, Morgan - Santa Lucia Highlands, CA

2 dry reds -

Malbec 2022, Casa De Campo - Mendoza, Argentina

Proprietary Red 2020, Anges & Cowboys - Sonoma County, CA

2 sweet reds -

Sangue Di Giuda 2019, I Gioielli - Pavese, Italy

Bianco Dolce, Sonoroso - Trevenezie, Italy.

Cheese selections change daily, but I loved the variety I got:

smoked mozzarella

horseradish havarti

double gloucester

a NY brie

It came along with a basket of crackers, breadsticks and mini toast.

There's also a large selection of beers - the count during my visit was 205 beers from 33 states and 19 countries - a good section of spirits (many of them local) and there are slushies that are house-made with fresh ingredients. The flavors change often and the moscotto with pineapple, orange juice and tangerine juice they had when I was there sounded pretty amazing.

The manager, Jake, did a great job of presenting each wine. I learned a lot as he gave a detailed description of each wine along with some fun facts. It was a perfect way to relax and wind down for the day and I highly recommend it if you're in the area.

For more info on the wine and cheese bar and the hotel, visit charleycreekinn.com.