Jim Butler has been making wine for three decades, creating wines from a variety of grapes, including some from the vineyard at Butler Winery. When he wasn’t making it, he was studying wine, particularly the history and growing conditions in Indiana. The fruit of all that labor is an important designation for southern Indiana as an American viticultural area (AVA).

The Indiana Uplands AVA is a tremendous boon to the wineries of the area, as it tells consumers that wines from this area are unique and high quality. “Wine is tied to a location,” Butler told the Herald Times. “We can grow grapes that cannot be grown anywhere else.” Through years of work and collaboration with other vineyards, Butler has provided significant recognition to the wine industry in the region.

Jim Butler received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University is 1976.