1120 South Drive
Fesler Hall 302
Indianapolis, IN 46202-5114
317-274-5000
Web: http://medicine.iu.edu
Ah, the bouquet of a fine wine. The complex taste of a perfectly balanced blend. Just when you start to forget you’re in Indiana, an undeniable reality check reminds you: A bottle labeled Chateau Big Red…for a “Knight” to Remember. We get it. IU. Bob Knight. This is a nod from winemaker Charles Thomas (BS'55, MD'58) to his alma mater.
Thomas is a formally trained vintner who specializes in French-style wines. His Chateau Thomas Winery is located in Plainfield, Ind., but the European-style grapes used for producing the wines were grown in California, Oregon, and Washington. After tasting a few Chateau Thomas wines, it’s not a surprise to learn the winery has won more than 450 awards at national and international competitions.
Thomas has been making wine for as many years as he practiced medicine. The retired Ob-Gyn doctor turned a hobby into a second career, and occasionally the two careers mix when he lectures at professional Ob-Gyn meetings on the high antioxidant and cholesterol-lowering properties of wine. Thomas studies the literature and is a big believer in the benefits of moderate wine drinking.
When you meet Thomas, it’s evident that he knows wine and is a shrewd businessman. From the premier vinifera grapes he uses to the winery’s high-traffic location off Interstate 70, everything about Chateau Thomas has been researched and well-planned.
In recent years he’s expanded the business to include wine dinners and outdoor concerts, banquet and meeting facilities, weddings, and other events on the winery’s grounds. There’s also a wine club for enthusiasts who order quarterly deliveries of their favorite varieties. Thomas even rents refrigerated wine storage lockers to local collectors who lack their own personal wine cellars.
Twice a year he shares his knowledge with others during a day-long wine appreciation class held at the winery. For those who can’t attend the class, it will be available on DVD soon.
“Wine is a fascinating subject with all the different kinds and styles of wine,” says Thomas. “There is an endless amount of knowledge when you consider its history, which encompasses agriculture, art, science, and culture.”
A British friend and wine collector who taught a wine appreciation class at IUPUI was responsible for nurturing Thomas’ taste for fine wines. After taking the class himself, Thomas helped teach it for several years. During that time he met lots of wine industry heavyweights including Marcia Mondavi, daughter of the famed Napa winemaker Robert Mondavi. Marcia advised Thomas during his early years of wine-making, helping him acquire grapes and meet other industry professionals.
Between 1970 and 1983, Thomas perfected his craft while still maintaining his medical practice. He and two other local members of the Society of Cellarmasters started the Indy International Wine Competition at the Indiana State Fair in 1973. Today, the competition is the largest in the U.S. with more than 4,000 entries. During this time he also enrolled in The Napa Valley School of Cellaring and spent nearly a year commuting between Indianapolis and California every third weekend to obtain certification. He also became certified as a Professional Wine Taster.
In 1984, after 14 years of studying wine and wine-making, Thomas finally made the decision to turn his hobby into a full-fledged business. He laughs when recounting his wife’s response of, “What took you so long?”
Ten years later, in 1994, he retired from medicine. The winery, donning a French-sounding name in honor of Thomas’ favorite wines, called three other addresses home before Thomas built the current location in 1997.
Thomas likes to warn young doctors not to be one-dimensional and encourages them to find a hobby they can enjoy when they retire. “I see so many of my friends still practicing medicine at 80 because they have nothing else to do,” he says.
Thomas seems to have plenty to do. He works full-time at the winery and is still one of the primary winemakers.
Today, Chateau Thomas produces more than 30 wines that are sold in numerous restaurants and wine shops in Central Indiana, including the winery’s own satellite shop in Nashville, Ind. One of its best-sellers is a sweet red table wine that caters to the Hoosier palate. Thomas borrowed the name for the wine, Sweet Aubergine, from a lipstick color.
“Aubergine actually means eggplant in French,” says Thomas, “but I liked the sound of it.”
Though Sweet Aubergine isn’t one of his personal favorites, Thomas is proud of the winery’s “world class” Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Family Reserve labels. The Family Reserve, a blend of five grapes, won double gold at the Indy International Wine Competition, beating out 60 French Bordeaux and 80 California wines.
“I make my wines from California grapes, but I make them in the old-world style so they are as much French as California in style,” explains Thomas, whose favorite variety of wines is Cabernet Franc.
Speaking of Cabernet Franc, the winery produces a Cabernet Franc-Merlot blend called Black Gold. Thomas grins and says, “The Purdue people think we did it for them.”
Learn more about Charles Thomas’ passion by visiting the Chateau Thomas Winery website.
Check on other IUSM alumni by visiting the Alumni News and Notes website.
