Indiana might not be known for wine-making, but it was home to the country’s first successful commercial vineyard. Now, a recently opened Cambridge City business is building on that legacy.
Jean Jacques Dufour and John James Dufour Jr. settled the first commercial U.S. vineyard in 1802, just above the Ohio River in Vevay, Indiana. It is this little-known heritage that drives Scott and Emma Eckart at Pilgrimage Wine Company in Cambridge City.
“I do think understanding that history is a big part of our success because we really believe that to be successful, we have to have a good story to go with the wine,” said Scott Eckart.
The Eckarts’ story begins centuries after the Dufours. The former Navy pilots met in Texas and spent time in New Orleans, where they first encountered the draw of European wines. Scott crafted his first batch in a bathtub before earning a winemaking certificate at UC Davis, and later his viticulture certificate through Washington State University. Both Scott and Emma are level one sommeliers.
The couple’s love for wine took root 11 years ago, after a chance camping trip with family. After passing a winery in Columbus, Ind., Scott was inspired to ask about his grandfather’s soybean and corn farm. By all logic, the odds weren’t in his favor.
“Indiana is not necessarily known as a high-quality producer,” Scott said. “Just up north in the Great Lakes region, Michigan’s far more kind of advanced. They have a couple emergent wine regions.” It wasn’t until time spent on the land that they began to believe they could make it happen.
“There was something, one could say the soul of the land or something. We felt something interesting here. For me, it was a little bit more visual. Sitting up top of the hill there … just could pretty easily envision a vineyard.”
The Eckarts planted their first block in 2019 and have since planted 10 different grape varieties.
“You never know what your particular soil and area will grow,” said Emma. “We’ve got eight of them that grow really well; two of them are probably gonna be replaced.”
Pilgrimage officially opened its doors in 2024 and celebrated a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce in November.
Open Friday through Sunday, the Treaty Line Road venue offers something for everyone. Newcomers can sample their six-wine flight, while regulars enjoy a glass or bottle to music from local artists featured in their Songwriters in the Round series. There are education seminars, an exclusive member Wine Club, the “Prost! Podcast” and plans for a glamping experience next year.
“I think what we’re building here is really a community, a place where people like to come and gather,” Emma said. “You sit here, you talk with people. You sit here and listen to music. And that comes a lot from our European influence,” said Emma. “It’s like an event to go to a winery. You spend half the day there. So, we wanted people, really, to feel like they can come here, slow down, don’t be in a hurry.”
Beyond 2026, Pilgrimage aims to be 100% estate-grown by 2030, a goal to emphasize its Indiana-grown fruit.
“It’s authenticity,” Emma said. “You can’t get it anywhere else. I mean, you get it from this piece of property. So, when people taste the wine here, they’re tasting real Indiana fruit.”
Pilgrimage Wine Company is located at 2527 N. Treaty Line Road in Cambridge City. For more information, visit pilgrimagewinecompany.com.
A version of this article appeared in the December 17 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.