Exhibit 10.1


  FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE


       FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL
  INDENTURE (this “Supplemental Indenture”), entered into as
  of July 13, 2006, among Aventine Renewable Energy Holdings, Inc., a Delaware
  corporation (the “Company”), the guarantors party hereto (“the “Guarantors”),
  Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as trustee (the “Trustee”) and Wells
Fargo Bank, N.A., as collateral agent (the “Collateral Agent”). 

RECITALS


       WHEREAS, the
  Company, the Guarantors party thereto and the Trustee entered into the Indenture,
  dated as of December 17, 2004 (the “Indenture”), relating to the Company’s
Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2011 (the “Notes”); 


       WHEREAS, the
  Company and the Guarantors propose certain amendments to the Indenture (the “Indenture Amendments”)
  with respect to the Notes, which Indenture Amendments must be approved with
  the consent of the holders (the “Holders”) of a majority of
the outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Notes;


       WHEREAS, the
  Company and the Guarantors also propose certain additional amendments to the
  Indenture and the Security Documents (as defined in the Indenture) (the “Security Documents Amendments” and
  together with the Indenture Amendments, the “Proposed Amendments”)
  with respect to the release of all of the Collateral under the Notes, which
  Security Documents Amendments must be approved with the consent of at least
two-thirds of the outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Notes; 


       WHEREAS, the
  Company has made an offer to purchase for cash the Notes and solicited consents
  (the “Offer and Solicitation”) of the
Holders of the Notes to the Proposed Amendments pursuant to the Offer to Purchase
  and Consent Solicitation Statement dated June 14, 2006 (the “Statement”),
each upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein;


       WHEREAS, pursuant
  to the Statement, Company has received the valid consents of the Holders of
  at least a majority in outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Notes
  consenting to the substance of the Indenture Amendments set forth in this Supplemental
Indenture; 


       WHEREAS, pursuant
  to the Statement, the Company has received the valid consents of the Holders
  of at least two-thirds in outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Notes
consenting to the substance of the Security 



















  Documents Amendments relating to the release of all of the Collateral for the Notes under the Security Documents;


       WHEREAS, all conditions
  and requirements necessary to make this Supplemental Indenture a valid, binding
  and legal instrument in accordance with the terms of the Indenture have been
  performed and fulfilled and the execution and delivery hereof have been in
all respects duly authorized; and


       WHEREAS, pursuant
  to Section 9.7 of the Indenture, the Trustee is authorized to execute and delivery
this Supplemental Indenture.


       NOW, THEREFORE, in
  consideration of the premises herein contained and for other good and valuable
  consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged,
it is mutually covenanted and agreed as follows:


       Section 1. Defined Terms. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein are used as defined in the Indenture. 


       Section 2. Proposed Amendments to Indenture. Effective as of the Amendment Effective Date for the Proposed Amendments (as defined below):



       (a) The
  following Sections of the Indenture shall no longer apply with respect to the
  Notes and the corresponding provisions in the Notes shall be deemed to be deleted
in their entirety and replaced with the phrase “Intentionally Omitted”: 

	
      Existing Section Number
      	 
		
      Caption
      
	 	 	 
	
      Section 4.3 in its entirety
		 
		
      Limitation on Restricted Payments
	 	 	 
	
      Section 4.4 in its entirety
		 
		
      Limitation on Indebtedness and Issuance of
	

		 
		
      Preferred Stock
	 	 	 
	
      Section 4.5 in its entirety
		 
		
      Corporate Existence
	 	 	 
	
      Section 4.6 in its entirety
		 
		
      Payment of Taxes and Other Claims
	 	 	 
	
      Section 4.7 in its entirety
		 
		
      Maintenance of Properties and Insurance
	 	 	 
	
      Section 4.8 in its entirety
		 
		
      Compliance Certificate; Notice of Default
	 	 	 
	
      Section 4.9 in its entirety
		 
		
      Compliance with Laws
	 	 	 
	
      Section 4.10 in its entirety
		 
		
      Commission Reports and Reports to Holders
	 	 	 
	
      Section 4.12 in its entirety
		 
		
      Limitations on Transactions with
	

		 
		Shareholders and Affiliates
	 	 	 
	
      Section 4.13 in its entirety
		 
		
      Limitation on Dividend and Other Payment
	

		 
		
      Restrictions Affecting Subsidiaries
	 	 	 
	
      Section 4.14 in its entirety
		 
		
      Limitation on the Issuance and Sale of Capital
	

		 
		
      Stock of Restricted Subsidiaries






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      Section 4.15 in its entirety
		

		
      Issuances of Guarantees by Restricted
	
	

		

		
      Subsidiaries
	
	 		 
	
      Section 4.16 in its entirety
		

		
      Limitations on Liens
	 		 
	
      Section 4.18, clauses (a)(1) and
      (a)(2)		

		
      Limitation on Asset Sales
	 
		 
		

	
	
      Section 4.19 in its entirety
		

		
      Pledge of Capital Stock of NELLC
	
	 		 
	
      Section 4.20 in its entirety
		

		
      Limitation on Sale and Leaseback
	

		

		
      Transactions
	
	 		 
	
      Section 4.21 in its entirety
		

		
      Limitation on Business Activities
	 		 
	
      Section 4.22 in its entirety
		

		
      Limitation of Impairment of Security Interest






       (b) Section
  5.1 of the Indenture captioned “Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets” is
  hereby amended by rendering clauses (c)(i) and (c)(ii) inapplicable with respect
to the Notes.


       (c) Section
  6.1 of the Indenture captioned “Events of Default” is hereby amended
  by rendering each of the clauses (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix) and (x)
inapplicable with respect to the Notes. 


       (d) Any definitions used exclusively in the provisions of the Indenture which no longer apply to the Notes pursuant to paragraphs (a) through
(c) of this Section 2 are hereby deleted in their entirety from the Notes and in the Indenture shall no
longer apply with respect to the Notes and all references to paragraphs, sections, articles or other terms or provisions of the Indenture which
no longer apply to the Notes pursuant to paragraphs (a) through (c) of this Section 2 above hereby deleted
in their entirety in the Notes and in the Indenture shall no longer apply to the Notes. 


       Section 3. Release Of Collateral. (a) The Note Liens are hereby released in their entirety, effective as of the Amendment Effective Date. The
Trustee hereby instructs the Collateral Agent to execute and deliver, and the Collateral Agent will promptly execute and deliver, such instruments effectuating or confirming such release or termination of the Note Liens created in favor of the
Secured Parties under the Security Documents, effective on the Amendment Effective Date. The Trustee will, at the sole cost and expense of the Company and the Guarantors, execute and deliver to the Company and the Guarantors such documents as the
Company and the Guarantors may reasonably request. 


        (b) Trustee
  and the Collateral Agent each further authorize the Company
  and the Guarantors to file financing statement releases or terminations, as
  appropriate, for the benefit of the Company and the Guarantors in appropriate
  form to evidence the matters referred to in Section 3(a) above and  for filing
  in the offices and jurisdictions that the Company or the Guarantors reasonably
  deems necessary or appropriate for or to give effect to the foregoing. 

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       Section 4. Indenture Ratified. Except as hereby otherwise expressly provided, the Indenture is in all respects ratified and confirmed, and
all the terms, provisions and conditions thereof shall be and remain in full force and effect. 


       Section 5. Counterparts. This Supplemental Indenture may be signed in various counterparts which together will constitute one and the same
instrument. 


       Section 6. Supplemental Indenture Is a Supplement To Indenture. This Supplemental Indenture is an amendment supplemental to the Indenture and
this Supplemental Indenture will henceforth be read together. 


       Section 7. Governing Law. This Supplemental Indenture shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New
York. 


       Section 8. References to Supplemental Indenture. Any and all notices, requests, certificates and other instruments executed and delivered
after the execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture may refer to the Indenture without making specific reference to this Supplemental Indenture, but nevertheless all such references to the Indenture shall include this Supplemental
Indenture unless the context otherwise requires. 


       Section 9. Effect of this Supplemental Indenture. From and after the Amendment Effective Date, the Indenture shall be deemed to be modified
as herein provided but except as modified hereby, the Indenture shall continue in full force and effect. The Indenture as modified hereby shall be read, taken and construed as one and the same instrument. 


       Section 10. Severability. In the event that any provisions of this Supplemental Indenture shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the
validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby. 


       Section 11. Trust Indenture Act. If any provisions hereof limit, qualify or conflict with any provisions of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939
required under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 to be a part of and govern this Supplemental Indenture, the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 shall control. If any provision hereof modifies or excludes any provision of the Trust Indenture
Act of 1939 that pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 may be so modified or excluded, the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as modified or excluded hereby shall apply. 


       Section 12. Trustee Makes No Representation. The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Supplemental
Indenture or the recitals contained herein. 


       Section 13. Effect of Headings. The section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction thereof.


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       Section 14. Effectiveness. This
  Supplemental Indenture shall become effective upon execution by the Company,
  the Guarantors and the Trustee. As used herein, the “Amendment Effective Date” shall
  mean (i) with respect to the Indenture Amendments, the date that the Company
  delivers written notice to the Trustee that valid consents have been received
  from Holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding aggregate principal
  amount of Notes and the related Notes have been accepted for purchase in the
  Offer and Solicitation and (ii) with respect to the Security Documents Amendments
  and the release of the Note Liens thereunder, the date that the Company delivers
  written notice to the Trustee that consents have been received from Holders
  of at least two-thirds of the then outstanding aggregate principal amount of
  the Notes and the relating Notes have been accepted for purchase in the Offer
and Solicitation. 

[Signature Page Follows]

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       IN WITNESS WHEREOF,
  the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed
as of the date first above written.


  
  	 AVENTINE RENEWABLE ENERGY

         HOLDINGS,
        INC. 
	 	 	 
	By:	/s/ William J. Brennan
	 	

	 	Name:	 William
        J. Brennan
	 	Title:	 Chief
        Accounting & 

        Compliance Officer


  

  

  	        AVENTINE RENEWABLE ENERGY,

         LLC,
      as Guarantor 
	 	 	 
	By:	/s/ Ronald H. Miller
	 	

	 	Name:	  Ronald
            H. Miller
	 	Title:	 President & CEO


  

  
  
  	 AVENTINE RENEWABLE ENERGY,

         INC.,
        as Guarantor 
	 	 	 
	By:	/s/ Ronald H. Miller
	 	

	 	Name:	  Ronald
              H. Miller
	 	Title:	 President & CEO


  

  
  	 WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., as

         Trustee 
	 	 	 
	By:	/s/ Jane Y. Schweiger
	 	

	 	Name:	Jane Y. Schweiger
	 	Title:	Vice President


  


  
  	 WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., as

         Collateral Agent 
	 	 	 
	By:	/s/ Jane Y. Schweiger
	 	

	 	Name:	Jane Y. Schweiger
	 	Title:	Vice President