As you’re thinking of ways to support local businesses and enjoy the season – whichever season that might be in 2025 – Tonne Winery on West Royerton Road has welcomed new and old visitors since 2009.
“I was born in Muncie and lived in Muncie my whole life, so the community is important to me,” said Co-owner Sara Rogers, who runs the winery with her husband, Tom Rogers. “I’ve been involved in a lot of different areas. I was an educator for several years, I’ve been in athletics, and now with the winery.”
“It is a hub for people to gather and meet,” she added. “We’re providing a venue for people to come, and we’re trying to provide different opportunities for them to gather together, to bring friends, to bring family, and for us to get to know them. We feel like we’re the host, and we let people create their own experiences depending on the kinds of events we’re offering.”
To support the community that supports them, the Rogerses provide a variety of events, from crafting classes to live music to catered dinners to wine pairings.
This winter, while not yet finalized as of publication, the winery will host local musicians on Saturday nights indoors in January. The owners encourage anyone to swing by to check out the 25 wine selections, and enjoy some time warming up by the fireplace all week long (the winery is open every day of the week).
The winery always has limited food options, including charcuterie and desserts, and the team is planning to expand the limited menu in early 2025. They also schedule pairings classes with wine and cheese or wine and chocolate, plus they host brunches throughout the year. However, the catered meals are focused on special events such as holidays, and details will soon be released for a Valentine’s Day catered dinner.
Keep an eye on their website and social media for these events. Starting in mid to late April, the live music series will be announced, to take place starting in the beginning of June through end of September on Fridays and Saturdays.
“We’ll host about 34 shows through the summer,” Sara said. “That is definitely something that has grown and evolved over the last two or three years. Since COVID the outdoor music experience has really exploded, and we have a good setup for that. People can come and spread out and bring their family and friends.”
At the winery, she said, audiences can enjoy the outdoors. It’s a family-friendly environment, parking is free, and people can bring their dogs on leashes to be part of the festivities.
“This has really turned into a pretty unique atmosphere and community experience,” Sara said. “It’s an easy way for couples, families or groups of friends to come and listen to music, and be outside and have good wine.”
As they’ve been building the music schedule, Sara and Tom acknowledged they are seeking a variety of musical types including bluegrass, pop, country and classic rock. Some are tribute bands and some play original songs. They are also focused on keeping it local.
“Because we’re so community oriented around Delaware County and the Muncie area, we strive to support local music,” Tom said. “We could bring in bigger bands from other cities and towns, but we believe that there is some great music here locally. We want to support and highlight those performers in our community.”
While the summer concert series might be the crown jewel of their annual events, the winery also hosts monthly craft nights year-round with local partners.
“We get to know people really well because they’re returning customers week after week after week,” Sara said. “We have people who are very loyal to any painting or crafting class that we have.” She expects they’ll continue regular creative events, where guests can enjoy a glass of wine and order a charcuterie tray while working on a new project for their own home or as a gift.
For instance, Pulp and Pine of Anderson regularly brings their DIY adult (18 and over) craft nights to Tonne Winery. Most recently, they shared more than 20 projects guests could choose as part of their registration.
Another regular, Alt Candle Company of Yorktown, offers candle pouring workshops for adults. Guests can create two custom candles by blending scents and choosing a style of vessel. Candles can be picked up at the winery during normal business hours after they’ve had time to cool.
In addition, Made in Muncie Pottery is expected to be back in 2025 with various pottery painting parties. In warmer months, Sara added, they plan to host outdoor yoga and wine events.
For all of the above, prices vary based on the host of the event, but all of them come with a sense of camaraderie and relaxation, said Sara. They are also promoted on Tonne Winery’s social media, and the social media for each of the hosts.
The owners also highlighted their event room, available to rent for celebrations year-round, such as birthdays, bridal showers, off-site work retreats and meetings, and other gatherings. They also highlighted the winery as a space for remote workers looking for a change of scenery from home offices.
“As many events as we try to host and we try to offer, there’s a component to the winery for you to come in and escape, whether it’s our outdoors patio area or indoors by the fireplace, where a couple or a group can just come and gather quietly and get away,” said Tom. “We have a very unique venue if you want to watch the sun go down, or if you want to snuggle up by the fireplace.”
“We try to offer a few events each month, but we’re open seven days a week; come in any day for a tasting,” Sara added. “Often in those winter colder months, we want people to see us on a random Tuesday, but not just for an event. It’s a warm and welcoming space. We’re here for a girls’ night, or for a group of guys or families or a date night.”
Also, don’t forget the wine.
“We have 25 different wines,” Tom said. “Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or just stepping into the wine world, we have a wine for you. We are highly confident we’ll be able to find something that will fit your palate.”
They added that they will add new wines seasonally, each with its own special events, with bottles available, sometimes as limited releases.
“On non-event days when people come in, those are the days we get to make connections,” Sara said. “It’s hard if we have 500 people for music events to meet each individual who comes in. We do love the weekdays when people come in and we get to spend more time with them.”
“We’re very relationship oriented here at Tonne,” Tom added. “You could come in as a first time visitor but leave as a friend.”
To learn more, go to tonnewinery.com.
