FEATURING THE WINERIES OF ASHTABULA AND LAKE COUNTIES
PUBLISHED BY GAZETTE NEWSPAPERS
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OPEN DAILY AT NOON 7 DAYS A WEEK
SH The Winery at
Our heritage of fruit, our legacy fine wines.
6062 S. Ridge Rd. W. Geneva
440-466-0626
Enjoy Our signature line of
Premium Wines Covered Bridge Wines Fruit Wines Experience our
Wine Tastings Full Menu and Bakery Gift Shop Outdoor Patio with full schedule of enertainment Friday - Sunday ** Weather Permitting**
www.thewineryatspringhill.com
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The Winery At Spring Hill: Fruit Heritage, Fine Wine Legacy By MARTHA SOROHAN Gazette Newspapers
monthly 6 p.m. the first Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. GENEVA – Seven years The well red Book Club is ago, the Swank family faced offering its first “Meet the a serious dilemma. Author” night with Dan With the growth of farmRuminski, historian, storyers’ markets and better-qualteller and author of ity produce in grocery stores, “Cleveland’s Great Millionfamily-owned farm markets aire Row,” 6 p.m. June 4. such as the Swanks’ Spring Spring Hill offers a wine Hill Orchards were on the deeducation evening to “Barrel cline. Club” members 6:30 p.m. the But with a history dating third Thursday of the month. to 1953 with orchards in A one-year membership is a Chardon, Geneva, and free benefit to purchasers of Windsor, and later expanda case of wine. ing the Geneva farm to 200 “We usually have 20 to 25 acres, the Spring Hill Orpeople,” Swank said. “In chards was not easy to let go. April, we had a program on “My dad had worked for taste and smell of wine to enthe USDA, in Washington, PHOTOS BY MARTHA SOROHAN courage people to learn to apThe slogan of The Winery at Spring Hill, “Our heritage is fruit. preciate wine. May was ‘red D.C., and after he retired, he Our legacy fine wines,” reflects its origins as Spring Hill Orchards, wines’ night. We’ll have ‘white returned to Geneva,” said 6062 S. Ridge Road (Route 84), Geneva. The Winery at Spring Hill cowine’ night and then ‘fruit owner Tom Swank. “I was out wine.’ Sometimes we have of high school then, and had gone to Ohio ing strong. Its 110 inside seats and 350 ‘blind tasting,’ where people guess wines State, like my grandparents and my par- patio seats — in good weather — fill up by aroma and taste.” ents, to study horticulture, fruit crops, nearly every weekend. With two firePolka Night is 6 p.m. the fourth processing. The business was good with places, the rustic winery retains the farm Wednesday of the month. “Cougars Unapples, in September and October, but we market ambiance. A gift shop is also on corked!” meets 6 p.m. the last Thursday still had to make a decision. Do we stay the premises. of the month. Open year-round, the winery offers a and change the business, or do we sell?” Entertainment 7:30 p.m. Fridays and As he watched other wineries start up complete menu, including cheeses, appe- Saturdays features bands such as “Lost in Ashtabula County, Swank and his sis- tizers, soups, salads, burgers, fish, steaks Sheep,” “Evergreen,” “Four Kings,” Good ter and co-owner, Cindy, pondered the and ribs. In season, the steaks and ribs Question,”“Castaways,” and “Light of are prepared on the outdoor grill. next move. Day.” On Sundays, the music starting at Pizza, from garlic and cheese to a 2:30 p.m. is mellow. On the schedule in “Wine was something I’d always thought about,” Swank said. “I’d worked seven-inch specialty pizza-of-the-month May were musicians Tom Todd, Take II, with wines the previous 20 years, and for $6.99, is also on the menu. Desserts, Jim Ales and Jeff Welsh. knew the people involved. They were all including Merlot brownie, wine cake or Swank attributes the popularity of helpful. A winery seemed like a good op- carrot cake, complete the meal. wineries to affordability. “You get a sit-down dinner, with servers. tion. I met with people, and they said the “A night out doesn’t cost an arm and a I want to give extra service,” said Swank. next step was to get partners.” leg,” Swank said. “We get a lot of famiThe 25 wines at Spring Hill are made lies, especially on Polka Nights. People Swank received an unexpected Christmas present at the Geneva Area Cham- on the premises from locally-purchased have the best time.” ber of Commerce Board of Directors’ grapes. In addition to its premium label These days, The Winery at Spring Hill Christmas party that year. When he wines featuring a sketch of the old farm faces a different dilemma. shared his ideas with Jim Pearson, market on their labels, Spring Hill also “People drive by and tell me that our Pearson told him that he knew someone serves “Covered Bridge” label wines, des- parking lot is always full. The only probwho might be interested. That person sert ice wines, and “100 percent fruit lem we have is that unlike a restaurant, turned out to be Pearson himself, who wines,” in apple, blueberry, cherry, peach we don’t have turnover. It would be nice, and raspberry. brought a partner into the investment. but people stay and dance. People who But what sets Spring Hill apart from come at 6 p.m. are here for the night. I The Swank siblings took the bold step of closing the Spring Hill Orchards in the competition, are weeknight events. recommend reservations,” Swank said. Started by a Mentor radio, a “Women 2007. After spending all of 2008 and early The Winery at Spring Hill is open year 2009 renovating the big wooden building, Who Wine” evening, with emcee and round noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday and they opened the doors of The Winery at games, is held 6 p.m. the second Wednes- Thursday, noon to 11 p.m. Friday and Satday of the month. Spring Hill in March. urday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Polka Nights are tremendously sucSuccess was instant. From Memorial Day through the end “It was packed from the first day,” said cessful. of October, the winery is also open noon Two book clubs – “The well red Book to 5 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays. Swank. Five years later, the winery is still go- Club” and “Book Club Chapter 2” — meet For reservations, call 440-466-0626.
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Come and enjoy our Beautiful Patio opening May 23 with Live Entertainment both Friday and Saturday 7-10pm An Exclusive Italian “Boutique Style” Winery located in the heart of the Grand River Valley Growing Region
Offering A warm family atmosphere, homemade wood-fired Tuscan pizzas, delicious panini sandwiches, and Award winning wines.
Patio offers:
Music Schedule:
• 2 Italian Bocce Courts Friday, May 23 • Outdoor Tuscan Valerie Marini Wood-fired Pizza Oven Saturday, May 24 • Walk-up Outdoor Wine Bar Cold Shot Band • Live Entertainment weekends • Dancing • Beautifully Landscaped Grounds with Rustic Barn Setting • Grape Vine Views
Come in and sample our Double Gold Award Winning Sweet Genevieve Ice Wine, 2013 Vintage turned out smooth and delicately sweet.
Don’t forget to become a Vineyards Loyalty Reward Card Member
It’s Easy! Earn points and redeem your rewards! Our way of showing our loyal customers we value them! Inquire within winery or laurellovineyards.com
4573 State Rt. 307 East • Harpersfield Twp., Geneva, OH 44041
(440) 415-0661 We offer a Catering Menu available on our website. Our personal party coordinator takes special time to design each event around the family; we are sure not to miss any details, big or small.
Email group event inquiries to: nobilo65@gmail.com
Retirement Parties Graduations Showers Small Wedding Receptions Birthdays Rehearsal Dinners and More
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Laurello Vineyards fosters a feeling of family
Enjoy wine wine and and pizza pizza cooked cooked Enjoy from an an outdoor outdoor Italian Italian from Tuscan oven oven on on the the large large patio patio Tuscan at Laurello Laurello Vineyards. Vineyards. at SUBMITTED PHOTO
BY ZACHARY DZURICK Gazette Newspapers HARPERSFIELD TOWNSHIP – In 2002, Larry and Kim Laurello converted a Burkholder Apple Orchard building as the base of Laurello Vineyards & Winery. The idea was to be a small boutique winery that fosters a family-style atmosphere. Over a decade later, that dream has become a reality as Laurello Vineyards produces about 3,000 cases of wine every year. “That family atmosphere is the feeling our customers get when they walk in the door, order their food, listen to our entertainment and drink our wine,” General Manager Danielle DiDonato said. The inside of Laurello Vineyards is decorated with photos of family. Not just relatives, but the customers who have become close friends. How close? Ever hear of a customer volunteering to work? “Larry and Kim’s best customers have all become very good friends,” DiDonato said. “Our customers are also a part of our bottling crew. Every other month, a group of volunteers get together and help bottle.” Being able to provide a personal touch is important, but it doesn’t matter if the wine and food are not up to par. This year’s Laurello Vineyards’ 2013 Vidal Ice Wine “Sweet Genevieve” won double gold at Finger Lakes International Wine Competition
in Rochester, New York. “It was pretty special to us,” DiDonato said. “It has brought in a lot of new people based on the publicity of winning the gold medals.” The entire of roster of Laurello Vineyards wines have drawn positive attention. “We have five dry reds,” DiDonato said. “There have zero-percent residual sugar and are very dry. The body of the wine is very heavy with berries, cherries and tobacco. You are getting so many flavors from that grape. We have fun explaining what a customer is going to taste when you have our wine. Not only will you taste in the wine what the grape created, but also there is a story behind each of the wines. They have named them based on family members.” One favorite red is the Cosmo. “It is a blend,” DiDonato said. “We call it a Super Tuscan Italian wine. It is easy to drink and it is very smooth.” Laurello Vineyards also has a strong selection of white wines. “People love the Pinot Grigio and the Illuminata,” DiDonato said. “The Pinot is a very dry white. It is very crisp and refreshing with lots of fruit flavor. The Illuminata is an off dry that is a little sweeter and very floral. People like that it is so light, refreshing and floral.” Tastings are a bit unique at Laurello
Vineyards. Real wine glasses are used instead of plastic cups. “We offer a tasting plate which is actually served on a wooden paddle with wine glasses that are inserted into the paddle and the customer can carry it to their table,” DiDonato said. “Customers can design it themselves or we have sets based on how the wines go together or by region. There are a lot of varieties. It is $5 for four tastes of wine.” In the summer you can enjoy Laurello Vineyards’ wines on a large outdoor patio and play on the Italian Bocce courts. There is also live music on the weekends. Something else that makes Laurello Vineyards unique is the outdoor Italian Tuscan Pizza oven. “It turns out some of the best pizza in the area,” DiDonato said. “We have customers who come every week just for the pizza.” The pizza prices range from $7-14. Last year, Laurello’s requested their customers favorite pizza recipes and produced about 10 of them as the pizza of the week. Some are still even on the menu. The kitchen is open Wednesday through Sunday open to close. For more information, visit www. laurellovineyards.com or their Facebook page or call (440) 415-0661. Laurello Vineyards is located at 4573 State Rt. 307 East in Harpersfield Township.
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The Lakehouse Inn provides many options in a beautiful setting The Lakehouse Inn is now a bed and breakfast, a winery, a restaurant and a day spa on a beautiful piece of property that overlooks Lake Erie.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
BY ZACHARY DZURICK Gazette Newspapers
the wine-maker and I am the general manager,” Bushweiler said. By having so many options available for GENEVA-ON-THE-LAKE – The customers, Lakeside Inn is able to offer Fagnilli family opened a bed and break- several packages to customers. fast in Geneva-on-the-Lake in 2000. A year “We do a lot of packages where we offer later, the family realized how many people winery tours throughout the area, offer food traveling to the area were interested in and wines pairing events,” Bushweiler wine so they opened a winery. said. “We are able to really apply everyNow the family operates one of the most thing everywhere on the property. Our unique and popular businesses in the com- wines are available at our day spa. You can munity. The Lakehouse Inn is now a bed drink your favorite wine while getting a and breakfast, a winery, a restaurant and pedicure.” a day spa on a beautiful piece of property Lakehouse Inn has 13 wines that you that overlooks Lake Erie. can enjoy in its huge outdoor patio while “Our setting is what makes us unique,” enjoying the views of Lake Erie. General Manager Andrea Bushweiler said. “We make 13 wines, anything from “We are one of only two wineries that sits sweet to dry. We have white and red,” on the water. We are one of the best places Bushweiler said. “We try to get as much to have a glass of wine and watch the sun- our of grapes as we can from the Grand set. We are the only winery that also has River Valley region. Our Cabernet an inn, a restaurant and a spa. We have Sauvignon Reserve and Red Sky are both almost a full resort on our property.” very popular. Our Riesling is great to drink The new expanded restaurant and spa on a hot, sunny day. It is a very refreshing opened two years ago. The Lakehouse Inn wine.” has seen rapid growth as they employ over The Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is a 100 people in the summer. The family re- dark, ruby red wine aged in a new, mediummains in the forefront. toast Hungarian oak barrel with an aroma “My brother Nate is the chef, my dad is of dark chocolate, black coffee, caramel and
blackberries and a finish of black pepper and spice. The Red Sky is a dry red wine, a medium-bodied blend of Sangiovese and Merlot. The restaurant has a big emphasis on farm to table. “Our restaurant features almost all local dishes,” Bushweiler said. “We are buying our grapes from a local vineyard. We are buying our food from a local farmer. There are not a lot of restaurants in this area that have that focus. So our chef has been one of the pioneers in that and it is really important to him. Even our guests may not be coming here for that, but when they find so much of the menu is local, they appreciate that we are supporting the local farmers.” With the beautiful setting, spa, overnight rooms and restaurant, The Lakeside Inn has become a popular venue for small wedding. “We can host weddings up to 100 people,” Bushweiler said. “We have become a very popular wedding venue.” Lakehouse Inn is open year round and is located at 5653 Lake Road East in Geneva-on-the-Lake. For more information, visit www.thelakehouseinn.com/ or call 440-466-8668.
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August 1st & 2nd • 1 - 10pm Each Day
$10 off gate price of $35. Code: UNRK14 Expires 7/25/2014
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Vintage Ohio celebrates 20 years BY ZACHARY DZURICK Gazette Newspapers GENEVA – On Aug. 1 and 2, over 30,000 people will celebrate the 20th edition of Vintage Ohio, the nationally-recognized wine, food and lifestyle event. Vintage Ohio was launched in 1995. The beginnings may have been humble, but the event was part of a clear vision. “Twenty years ago there was no marketing budget for the industry,” Ohio Wine Producers Executive Director Donniella Winchell said. “Vintage Ohio was created as a tool, not a festival. A tool to build awareness of SUBMITTED PHOTO the industry and Vintage Ohio is a popular wine-tasting event held at Lake Farmpark in Kirtland. drive year-round visitation.” perience, and lots of opportunities to shop concrete street for an hour or two. Vintage The plan included several steps. Ohio visitors spend six or seven hours with “First, we wanted to put wine to people’s at crafter booths. “Last year we attracted visitors from 22 us. They sip a little, they shop a little, they mouth,” Winchell said. “Second, for 363 days a year we drive visitors to the rest of states,” Winchell said. “Many of them are sit and relax to some music. They taste our wineries across the state. We wanted people returning home to visit family and some lovely food and then sip some more. to build relationships among the wineries friends and plan their trip around the Vin- It becomes literally a sensory experience.” Winchell said the event spurs tourism so we could be mutually supportive of each tage Ohio weekend, but some come in just for the entire region. other and we wanted to teach the wineries for the festival.” Vintage Ohio is more than just another “It serves as a launching pad for wine how to use the festival format as a tool.” country visitation as many people come for Two decades later the plan proved to be summer festival. “It really is a day-long adventure,” several days,” Winchell said. “It fills apvery successful. “Vintage Ohio is the model for about 30 Winchell said. “Most festivals people come proximately 4,000 hotel rooms in the imwine festival around the country and it is and chat with friends and neighbors on a mediate area.” It took a while for Vintage Ohio to bethe largest of its kind between the Appalacome profitable but once it did, the event chians and the Rockies every year,” has been able to create even more opporWinchell said. “In 1995 when we started, tunities for wineries and wine lovers. Vintage Ohio was the only kind of its event “It wasn’t designed to make money but in Ohio. In the summer of 2014, there will to be an economic tool for the industry,” be 36 Ohio wine festivals.” Winchell said. “Once we finally did make The event has been used as a model all some money, those dollars have been reinover the country. Festivals in Lodi, Calivested in other activities. From that grew fornia, Michigan, Missouri, Indiana and six wine trails. Those wine trails grew as a Tennessee have all sent representative to direct result of sources from Vintage Ohio. spend time learning how to emulate VinSo not only did the 20 or so wineries that tage Ohio’s success. typically participate in Vintage Ohio benThe event itself is held at the Lake efit, but all 190 wineries across the state Farmpark in Kirtland. This year, visitors have benefited. It has been fun to watch.” may sample wines from 25 wineries. There For more information, visit http:// will also be gourmet food, music, Friday visitvintageohio.com/ or www.ohio night fireworks, a cooking school sponsored wines.org/. by Pairings, Ohio’s Wine and Culinary ex-
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GREENE EAGLE WINERY “Take a sip back in time” 2576 Davis Peck Road, Cortland — 3 miles north of Mecca Circle Thursday & Friday 4-10pm • Saturday 2-10pm • Sunday 1-5pm
CLASSIC CAR & BIKE CRUISE-IN • MAY 24 • 3PM ALL MAKES & MODELS! Door Prizes • Dash Plaques • Food 50/50 Raffle for Charity • Bonfire DJ Rockin’ Rick 3-6pm • Trilogy 7-10pm
Bring your wheels to the winery! Sip wine in our tasting room (below) or enjoy the beautiful view from our deck (bottom).
ENTERTAINMENT! MAY 23 FRI John Reese 24 SAT Car Show 3-6 DJ Rockin’ Rick 3-6 Trilogy 7-10 30 FRI Melissa Harvey 31 SAT Jim Gill
like us on
JUNE 5 THU 6 FRI 7 SAT 13 FRI 14 SAT 19 THU 20 FRI 21 SAT 27 FRI 28 SAT
Book Club 6:30 Denise Starr JNE Matt & Shaina Take II Girls’ Night Out 6:00 Al Bonnis Bob Remp John Reese Melanie May
330.583.WINE (9463) GreeneEagle.com
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Greene Eagle Winery mixes history with handcrafted wines BY DORIS COOK Gazette Newspapers GREENE TOWNSHIP - Nestled in the peaceful countryside at 2576 David Peck Rd., Greene Township is Greene Eagle Winery opened in 2009 by brothers Keith and Dale Bliss and their wives. Peggy and Denise, who all grew up in neighboring Mecca Township and Cortland. Why open a winery? As Keith puts it succinctly, “There was really no winery around here in this area between Youngstown and Lake Erie. Both Dale and I and our wives had worked at Packard Electric. I retired early when Packard Electric was closing up divisions.” They bought the 60-acre former soy bean farmland to turn it into a boutique winery. Today the winery sets on fiveacres. One enters from Davis Peck Road down a long driveway past rows of trees to the main winery two-story building built in an 18th century Williamsburg post and beam design tavern. It has a second floor loft with a total seating capacity of 70. In addition, Keith built a small stone tasting room building just south on the land and close by his private residence. The main building has two levels, and an outside dining tables and chairs setting to enjoy the sunsets and the former farmland, said Dale. “We almost named our winery the Bliss Brothers Winery, but learned that a California winery had trademarked the name for their wines and could not use it. So we came up with Greene for Greene Township and we have eagles flying and nesting in this area. We do private wine tasting and special occasions by appointment Monday through Saturday,” he said. ‘Take a Sip Back in Time’ is a slogan used by the brothers in promoting the fiveyear-old venture they started to make handcrafted wines in the basement of the main building. “Keith is the one who loves history and I like old collector cars. Actually I have two Corvettes, one is 1994 and the other 2002 so they aren’t really old,” Dale said smiling. “Our great-great-grandfather Bliss fought in the Civil War. We have a photograph of him (restored) sitting on a horse with the Michigan First Cavalry. He fought in battles under General George Custer. We like history and use it as themes for our special events we have here.” The Bliss brothers already have planted several rows of white grapes-Diamond- a very popular grape for wines made in the New York Finger Lakes region. They also partnered with Cornell University and planted a Cornell 95 grape variety in the small vineyard to the north side of the main restaurant/winery center.
This is a view of the 18th-century Williamsburg post and beam design Greene Eagle Winery main building on the Bliss brothers 60-acre farmstead at 2576 David Peck Road in Greene Township, east of Route 46. “Those Cornell 95 grapes did not make it through this past winter because of the cold, so we are experimenting a little. We buy the grape juices in quantity and use our secret recipes to make our wines. Last fall we made a new red wine, based on the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. We couldn’t get our labels done in time, however. It is a limited edition crush and when it’s gone we don’t make it again until the next year. We hold a Halloween party for customers here and will bring it out then. As part of the party there is a storyteller reading the Legend of Sleepy Hollow and a headless horseman riding in for the fun event,” said Dale. They are bringing out another new red
wine called Red Treasures with the label focused on a ghostly pirate drinking wine by a pirate ship. The Bliss brothers do special events through the year, some seasonal tied to holidays or spring or summer months in between. They recently held a Classic Car & Bike Cruise-In over Memorial Day weekend and another cruise-in set for Saturday, Sept. 13. In February around Presidents Day, they invite in President Lincoln, President George Washington and even President McKinley re-enactors. There is also weekend entertainment in the tavern winery. “We serve a dinner to the folks and the presidents mingle with the crowd talking with them It’s very nice. In the winter time this stone fireplace in the tavern winery is always lit and it’s very cozy. We cater to special parties, weddings, showers, organizational meeting, and other occasions. People can rent the tavern or even The Stone House for small groups. There is also a small gift shop. The wines made by the Bliss brothers can be purchased at the tavern by glass or bottle and they do limited shipping of their wine,” said Dale. They make both white and red specialty wines, serve Eagle-tizers plus other snacks, salads and sandwiches plus desserts on the menu made in the tavern kitchen. The Green Eagle Winery is open yearround on Thursdays through Sundays. Thursday-Friday hours are 4 to 10 p.m., PHOTOS BY DORIS COOK Saturday 2 to 10 p.m. and Sundays 1 to 5 Dale Bliss, co-owner of Greene Eagle Win- p.m. For more information on special ery in Greene Township and Cortland events or to book a special occasion party area gets ready to pour a handcrafted call the winery at 330-583-WINE (9463) red wine for a customer. Dale and brother or check their website at GreeneEagle.com Keith Bliss with their wives Peggy and and on Facebook. Just drop in on any Denise opened the tavern winery busi- Thursday through Sunday to enjoy the ness in 2009. They make a variety of blissful and serene atmosphere of Greene Eagle Winery in the country. handcrafted wines on site.
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KĹšĹ?Ž͛Ć? >Ä‚ĆŒĹ?ÄžĆ?Ćš Ć?ƚĂƚĞ tĹ?ĹśÄžĆŒÇ‡ SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Producing internationally award winning wines including Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Franc and Ice Wine. On-site brewery featuring hand crafted beers from Cellar Rats Brewery. Menu includes a large selection of appetizers, VDQGZLFKHV DQG 3DQLQL¡V Wine tasting & tours daily. Private party room available. Live entertainment Wednesday & Friday nights & Saturday & Sunday afternoons. Special events all year round. Gift shop filled with specialty items.
June 4th & 18th Woof Wednesday June 6th Hot Air Balloon Rally Night Glow Dinner June 6th & 7th Hot Air Balloon Rally June 11th & 25th Tethered Hot Air Balloon Rides June 20th Beer on the Vine June 21st Model Airplanes June 28th Crafts & Corks Crawl June 29th Jazz on the Vine Concert July 2nd & 16th Woof Wednesday July 9th & 23rd Tethered Hot Air Balloon Rides July 19th Pet Day July 26th Model Airplanes July 27th Jazz on the Vine Concert August 6th & 20th Tethered Hot Air Balloon Rides August 9th Classic Car Show August 13th & 27th Woof Wednesday August 23rd Model Airplanes August 24th Jazz on the Vine Concert September 3rd & 17th Tethered Hot Air Balloon Rides September 10th & 24th Woof Wednesdays September 12th & 26th Clam Bake September 13th Cask Tasting September 20th Kites on the Lawn October 17th Field to Fork Progressive Dinner November 1st Hallowine Party November 7th Field to Fork Progressive Dinner
7840 Doty Rd. Madison, OH ¡ 440-466-3485 ¡ www.debonne.com
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Debonne Vineyards keeps getting better with age BY DAWN BUBONIC Gazette Newspapers MADISON - Debonne Vineyards’ charming chalet is nestled in a serene country setting with a stunning view. It’s the perfect atmosphere to relax and enjoy one of their award-winning wines. The winery is family-owned and operated by the Debevc family. It opened its doors in 1972 by Tony, Sr. “The Chairman” and his son, Tony. Tony, Sr. passed away in 2010. The family’s rich history is evident throughout the winery as evidenced in the tasting room with a breathtaking mural of The Chairman on the ceiling with a rose in honor of his wife, Rose. “We are a boutique-style winery, very similar to what you would see in California or the Finger Lakes. We have a regular clientele that we even have nicknames for and employees that have been with us for many years; Terry has been with us for 25 years and Holly for 27 years,” said owner Beth Debevc. The deep freeze this winter caused extensive damage to vineyards in the area, something Debonne Vineyards hasn’t seen in its 40-plus years of existence. “We had winter injury in 1994-95, but nothing like this. We lost about 75 acres of grapes. The vinifera grapes were hit the hardest, the hybrids also have damage, but the concords are fine. This won’t affect us this year, but it will in the next couple of years. We are cutting the vines down to the graft hoping for growth. We may have to bring in juice from CA or WA and have to change our labels accord-
PHOTO BY DAWN BUBONIC
Debonne Vineyards’ tasting room features stunning murals on the ceiling, including one of The Chairman, Tony J. Debevc, Sr. ingly,” Debevc said. removed from the barrel and bottled. After this long winter, summer is The barrels are then topped off with a quickly approaching and wine lovers can new vintage, allowing for a truly unique enjoy their favorite wine with one of the blend. A 500-gallon French oak barrel is numerous events that Debonne Vine- used for Debonne’s cask, which is a blend yards has planned. of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon Debonne has an extensive list of and merlot. award-winning wines. Their biggest They have live music in the evenings award to date is Best of Show – Best Wednesday and Friday and in the afterWhite Wine out of 1,800 entries for their noons Saturday and Sunday. There are Riesling at the San Francisco Interna- tethered balloon rides every other tional Wine Competition. Wednesday through summer. This is alThey offer more than 30 different ternated with Woof-Wednesday in which wines that can be purchased by the glass you can bring your dog. Upcoming events or bottle. Their most popular red is the also include the turkey trot in NovemRiver Rouge, which is a semi-sweet, light ber, hot air balloon rally, jazz festivals, red. The Riesling reserve with rich classic car show, radio-control plane ralpeach, apricot and floral aromas and fla- lies and more. vors is their most popular white wine. “My favorite event is pet day. It’s a Debonne had more than 2,000 people blast! People bring their pets and some attend the Ice Wine Festival in March. are dressed up. It’s a lot of fun,” said With their award-winning Vidal Blanc Debevc. Ice Wine, it’s no wonder why. It won the The winery serves appetizers and sandCrystal Globe Award for Best Ice Wine wiches. Tours of Debonne Vineyards and at the Finger Lakes International Wine Cellar Rats Brewery, a division of Debonne Competition out of 137 entries from Vineyards, are available upon request around the world. It also won Best Des- Tuesday through Saturday from 1 p.m. – sert Wine and Gold Best of Class at the 5 p.m.; they are not available after 4 p.m. Pacific Rim Wine Competition in Calif. on Saturdays during the summer. For the third year, Debonne will be A winery based on history and tradihosting a cask-tasting event in Septem- tion, where does it see itself in the next ber along with other members of the 10 years? Winegrowers of the Grand River Valley: “My husband and I talk about this all Ferrante, Grand River Cellars, Laurello the time. I think that we see ourselves and St. Joseph Vineyards. The cask keeping our status as it is; an interestproject stemmed from a trip that the ing, enjoyable place to be,” said Debevc. Debevc family took to Greece. Each winDebonne Vineyards is located at 7840 ery uses 100-percent estate fruit and has Doty Road in Madison. For more infordifferent barrels and varietal blends. mation, visit www.debonne.com or call Every year, only 1/3 of the cask wine is 440-466-3485.
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Deer’s Leap Is Within Stone’s Throw of I-90 by MARTHA SOROHAN Gazette Newspapers HARPERSFIELD TOWNSHIP - Deer’s Leap Winery on Route 534 is the only winery in Ashtabula County located just a stone’s throw from I-90. That’s precisely the location that Robert Bostwick was seeking when he bought Biscotti’s Winery, in Conneaut, in 2011. “I was looking for someplace in Geneva. That’s the center of the Ohio wine industry,” said Bostwick. As a member of the family that founded and operates Heritage Wine Cellars in North East, Pa., Bostwick was well acquainted Ashtabula County winery owners, such as the Ferrantes, Debevcs and Biscottis. He brings to the business a lifetime of winery ownership and management, having grown up selling produce PHOTOS BY MARTHA SOROHAN from a fruit stand on the family farm. In his quest for a busier location for his Deer’s Leap Winery is located just south of I-90 on Route 534 in Harpersfield Townnewly purchased winery, Bostwick found ship. Entertaiment moves to the covered porch from Wednesday through Saturday at the I-90/Route 534 intersection a former during the season. ambulance building which he purchased in North East and in Chautauqua County, Leap is not surrounded by vineyards. and converted into a thriving full-service New York. Bostwick purchases as many Ohio grapes restaurant, winery, small aviary and gift Bostwick’s magic touch has carried over as he can and presses them in North East, shop. to Deer’s Leap, offering 25 wines and a Pa., where his grandfather founded NaOpen since late November, 2011, it has menu featuring appetizers such as cheese tional Grape, the forerunner of Welch’s. tripled in size in its first two-and-a-half and humus plates, sandwiches, and upscale “I’ll never be able to press grapes beyears. dinners of prime rib, lobster, Lake Erie cause we’re on city sewer,” he said. “There’s “We purchased it in February, 2011, be- perch, and pastas — even alligator pasta. no place to put the waste.” gan construction in May, and opened in Deer’s Leap also has a full-service liquor As a distributor of Biscotti’s and Deer’s November,” Bostwick said. “This location license and catering license. Leap wines to Giant Eagle, Bostwick does is everything. I’ve been in this business “Our food is priced so that anyone can not hold back when boasting about Deer’s since I was 20, and I’ve learned that loca- afford it. Any night, we have specials,” Leap wine. tion is everything. A lot of people stop here Bostwick said. “I’m a master wine maker. I’ve won medbecause we’re the first winery they get to.” Specials include tacos on Monday, $2 off als,” he said. “Top Concord in California Deer’s Leap stands out as one of the few burgers on Tuesday, $6.99 pasta bar on this year, and two silvers in a Gold ComAshtabula County wineries with a full-ser- Thursday, and $7.99 fish dinner special on petition under the Biscotti label. I had five vice restaurant serving lunch and dinner. Friday. Live entertainment is offered 6 to entries and won five medals,” he said. Its rustic main dining room with fireplace 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 7 to Bostwick credits his wife, Jean, a carseats 75. The banquet room seats 16, and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. penter and baker by trade, with many 20 can be accommodate in the “bird room” Unlike most county wineries, Deer’s touches at Deer’s Leap. A bird lover, she is adjacent to the aviary of parrots, a the force behind Deer’s Leap indoor favorite with kids. aviary and its array of parrots. An outdoor covered porch offerBostwick converses with them at the ing seasonal evening entertainend of the day. ment seats 150. “They’ll say, ‘Hi, Bob. How’re you The nature-theme interior feadoing?’ They have the IQ of a fourtures wall-mounted deer heads, year-old. The birds are extraordirough-cut black walnut baseboards, nary. You get so attached,” he said. and deer paintings by national naBostwick says the restaurant’s loture artist Jack Paluh. cation, full liquor license and afford“Deer’s Leap was in my head,” able pricing are key to its success. Bostwick said, “so I went to a na“We’re growing rapidly,” he said. ture artist for a logo. I knew I “In the first two years, Deer’s Leap wanted a deer leaping over a grape doubled its business; from the sectrellis.” ond to third year, November 2012 Deer’s Leap is one of a string of to 2013, it grew by 100 percent. successful businesses investments “I love wine-making,” Bostwick by the Bostwick family. In the early said. “It’s what I’ve done. My grand70s, Bostwick founded Great Lakes father, great-grandfather all made Juice Company, which supplied in- Sleeping fawn statuary decorate the base of the porch wine. It’s what I enjoy doing.” gredients to Gallo. Upon liquidat- fountain at Deer’s Leap Winery, 1520 Harpersfield Road Deer’s Leap is located at 1520 ing, he retained 500 acres of grapes (Route 534). Harpersfield Road.
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Windows on Pairings is ready to educate
Windows on Pairings is drawing closer to its grand opening weekend on June 21-22. PHOTO BY ZACHARY DZURICK
BY ZACHARY DZURICK Gazette Newspapers
tors for the summer. The classroom kitchen area will feature a camera and large television hanging from the ceilGENEVA – The long wait is nearly ing so those at the six kitchen cooking over. Windows on Pairings will celebrate stations will be able to see the instrucits Grand Opening on June 21 and 22. tor as he or she cooks. This is the first phase of the Pairings “ We k n o w t h e r e w i l l b e c o o k i n g project, which will be a much larger fa- classes offered every Saturday and some cility with expanded capacity for entre- on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays,” preneurial training, more kitchen class Sterle said. “Those will range from usspace and a full restaurant facility. ing the Terra Local Farmers Market to On Saturday, June 21, Windows on source the produce and bringing it inPairings will host a VIP event for the side and then cooking up a lunch with donors and supporters of Pairings, the fresh local produce. There will also Ohio’s Wine and Culinary Experience. be classes in conjunction with UniverOn Sunday, the site will celebrate with sity Hospitals. Those include ‘Cooking the public from 12-7 p.m. for Diabetes’ and ‘Healthy Eating and “It will be the big community open Cooking.’” house,” Executive Director Catherine The finalized class schedule should be Sterle said. “We invite everyone from the available to view on the website by June 1. surrounding community to drop by. We There will also be a wine-tasting area will have some food trucks out, they will that will remain open to the public even be making Kettle Korn and we will have during classes. Wine will be available to grape juice samples. It will be a fun com- consume on site or to purchase to go. munity day to experience the property.” “We will be open seven days week,” Windows on Pairings is located in a Sterle said. “Monday through Saturday converted barn on 50 Park St. in Geneva. from one to nine, but Sunday will have “This was an 1800s barn and we were more limited hours. You can come in, do able to keep some nice original features,” a tasting, or it can be a community meetSterle said. “We tried to keep a little of ing place. You can meet some friends and a historic feeling throughout the facil- have a glass of wine and enjoy a light ity.” tapas menu.” Right now, Windows on Pairings is Windows on Pairings will also be confirming a class schedule and instruc- hosting special events such as wine and
food pairings, wine and chocolate pairings and wine sensory education tastings. There will even be a wine and art class. This summer there will be two kids camps offered on June 25-27 and July 30-Aug. 1. “Kids will get some hands-on time to prep and cook stuff in the kitchen and learn about nutritional living,” Sterle said. “In conjunction with that we will have a Parent Escape that will highlight several local businesses along the 534 corridor that parents will get coupons for as a way to get away and explore the area while the kids are doing cookingdemonstration classes.” Sterle said that education is the main goal of Windows on Pairings. “We are 501(c)(3) non-profit. Our mission is education driven,” Sterle said. “We want to educate the public on not just the wine industry, but everything else from the culinary side we have going on in Northeast Ohio. We will also have some business development classes like ‘How to Open a B&B,’ ‘How to Start a Winery’ and classes like that.” Sterle said the space is also available for rent for events such as rehearsal dinners, family reunions or business meetings. For more information, visit www.pairing sohio.com.
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Old Firehouse Winery has provided good times for over a quarter century For 26 years, the Old Firehouse Winery has been providing great wine and fun entertainment in the middle of The Strip in Geneva-onthe-Lake and on the shores of Lake Erie. SUBMITTED PHOTO
BY ZACHARY DZURICK Gazette Newspapers
see all of the fire department patches and they want to bring in their hometown department patch. We have patches from all GENEVA-ON-THE-LAKE – For 26 over the United States, including Califoryears, the Old Firehouse Winery has been nia, Chicago and Boston. We used to have providing great wine and fun entertain- a patch from New York with the Twin Towment in the middle of The Strip in Geneva- ers on it, but just after 9-11 we had to take on-the-Lake and on the shores of Lake Erie. it down because people were trying to get “We are the largest lake front winery,” up close to it and we were worried it would General Manager Joleen Anderson said. disappear, so it is now in a place of honor.” “We have continuous entertainment on Anderson said that people are drawn to Saturday and Sundays. We also have live firefighters. music seven nights a week. It is great to “People feel a real connection with fire sit and listen to on the patio. It is a very departments,” Anderson said. “People like unique experience.” looking at the fire trucks on the beams and The Old Firehouse Winery is located in say, ‘oh, I had when I was little.’” the original Geneva-on-the-Lake Old Firehouse Winery has a strong seFirehouse. When the village formed, vil- lection of white, red, pink and fruit wines. lage officials decided they needed a fire Last year’s very popular 25th anniversary truck. The location was chosen because it wine, Raspberry Reflections, is returning was the only building in the village big to the wine list. Other favorites include enough to house the truck. Firehouse Red, Grape Jamboree, LightThe original truck is still on display and house Niagara, Vidal Ice Wine, Frosty the interior of the building features Peach and Spice Apple. New this year will firehouse décor and over 200 firehouse be a wine called Lake Effect that is a semipatches from across the United States. dry blend of Seyval and Vidal grapes. “A lot of our décor is supplied by cus“Our Firehouse Red has that great semitomers,” Anderson said. “They come in and sweet flavor,” Anderson said. “All of our
fruit wines just have a really unique flavor. They are very vibrant and flavorful. People enjoy that nice, fresh pop that you get from our wines.” The wines will be getting a new fresh look this year as well. “We had traditionally used the fire dog as our logo,” Anderson said. “We will be using very vibrant colors. Each wine has its own very personality, so our Frosty Peach will have a nice juicy peach on the front. So the new labels will accent the pop and flavors you will get out of the wines.” The kitchen’s summer menu will feature the always popular burgers, large salads and Sweet Potato Fries with Cinnamon Butter. New this year will be a few healthy choices. “Our summer menu will be getting some fresh new additions, including a hummus plate plus salmon wraps and salmon burgers,” Anderson said. Old Firehouse Winery is located at 5499 Lake Road in Geneva-on-the-Lake. For more information and the calendar of entertainment, visit www.oldfirehousewinery.com/ or call (440) 466-9300.
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5750 Madison Rd. (Route 528) · Madison, OH 440-298-9838 · www.grandrivercellars.com
Located in a picturesque setting nestled into the woods. Open for lunch, dinner & wine tasting 7 days a week. Live entertainment every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, & Sunday. Serving locally made craft brewed beers. Private party rooms available.
Special Events June 14th-Woof, Wag, & Wine June 15th-)DWKHU·V 'D\ 'LQQHU 6SHFLDOV June 27th-Winey-Margarita Party June 28th-Crafts & Corks Crawl July 28th-Winey Margarita Party September 5th-Winey Margarita Party September 13th-Cask Tasting October 17th-Field to Fork Progressive Dinner November 1st-Halloween Party Nov. 7th-Field to Fork Progressive Dinner November 8th-Turkey Trot Tasting December 6th-Lunch with Santa December 7th-Crafts, Corks & Christmas Go to our website for details about these great events and a listing of all our live entertainment.
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Grand River Cellars pairs wines and entertainment for summer fun BY DAWN BUBONIC Gazette Newspapers MADISON - Grand River Cellars is the 2014 Madison Perry Area Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year, and it’s easy to see why. From the moment guests walk in the door, the friendly and attentive staff makes them feel like they are at home surrounded by friends. Grand River Cellars takes great pride in being the local winery for the neighborhood and making memories for everyone that visits. “We really love when people come and experience our winery. We’re a great find for out-of-towners; we’re a friendly winery that caters to the locals. We love when someone walks in and has never been here before. We also love seeing the same faces and having that personal touch,” said Cindy Lindberg, a partner of Grand River Cellars. In addition to Jeff and Cindy Lindberg, the winery’s other partners are Tony and Beth Debevc, Ed Trebets and Tony Rego all familiar names in the local wine industry and community. The winery was established in 1976 and opened its doors to the public in 1978. The current partners bought Grand River Cellars in 2005.
Cindy Lindberg, a partner of Grand River Cellars.
PHOTOS BY DAWN BUBONIC
The atmosphere at Grand River Cellars is warm, cozy and inviting. The deep freeze from winter has affected local vineyards, including Grand River Cellars. “We have some juice in reserve. If we haven’t lost the grape vines, we’ll be fine. We may need to bring juice in from out of state,” said Lindberg. The atmosphere at Grand River Cellars is warm, cozy and inviting. It features outdoor seating, a large dining area, a bar and a sitting area with a comfortable couch in front of a fireplace; perfect for conversation while enjoying a glass of wine. Grand River has a complete menu, including a variety of appetizers, sandwiches, entrees and desserts. They use local meats and vegetables for specials. With over 20 different wines to choose from, there is something for every wine aficionado. The White Fox is their most popular white wine and the Cabernet Franc is their most popular red wine. Grand River Cellars is well-known for their dedication to the community and they offer wines that reflect this commitment. Ed Trebets, winemaker and partner, created the cabernet sauvignon and Semillon Muddy Paw wines. Proceeds from each bottle of the Muddy Paw wines go to the Geauga Humane Society’s Rescue Village. Cindy, a former school psychologist, continues to help children by Grand River Cellars donating $1 from every bottle of Austin’s Red and Austin’s White to the Northeast Ohio Autism Group. In September, Grand River Cellars will
be hosting the third annual cask progressive wine tasting event with Debonne Vineyards, Ferrante Winery, Laurello Vineyards, and St. Joseph Vineyards. The cask project started in 2010 to have a continual red wine blend from the Grand River Valley. Each winery has a 500-gallon barrel and every year removes and bottles 1/3 of the wine and tops it off with a new vintage, resulting in a unique wine from each winery. Grand River Cellars’ cask wine is a blend of cabernet franc, merlot and cabernet sauvignon in a Hungarian oak barrel, resulting in a dry wine with a little spice. Grand River Cellars has music on Thursdays from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays from 7:30 - 10:30 p.m. and Sunday 4-7 p.m. In addition, they offer a number of events including woof, wag & wine, corks and crafts crawl, wineymargarita party, a Halloween party, progressive dinners including the turkey trot and much more. Lindberg said, “The best part of owning a winery is the flexibility to be creative and do things that I want to do, I like coming up with different events. I don’t have a favorite event; each one is unique in its own way. I enjoy watching the crowd enjoy the event. That makes it all worthwhile.” Grand River Cellars is located at 5750 S. Madison Road (Route 528) in Madison. For more information and a complete list of events, visit www.grandrivercellars.com or call 440-298-9838.
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www.emerineestates.com
440-293-8199
EMERINE ESTATES WINERY LOCATED OFF RT. 11 & RT. 6 — 5689 LOVELAND RD., JEFFERSON, OHIO 44047
Established in 2003 Family Owned & Operated 100% all-natural traditional and exotic fruit wines Café menu available Our winery can seat up to 90 guests. Outside seating on our deck is available. Private party room for your special event. Winery Hours: Mon-Thurs 11am-7pm Fri & Sat 11am-10pm
—— Introduced in 2010 ——
WINESHAKE
®
This fermented cream and fruit delight will shake up the way you think about wine! AVAILABLE IN 6 DELICIOUS FLAVORS: Blackberry Cream • Caramel Apple Cream Chocolate Raspberry Cream • Coconut Cream Peaches & Cream • Strawberry Cream Enjoy it at the winery or take some home today!
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Something special in the wine industry A quiet country road in Cherry Valley Township is home to delightful Emerine Estates Winery.
PHOTO BY JOANNE BEVACQUA
BY JOANNE BEVACQUA Gazette Newspapers CHERRY VALLEY - Members of the same family who have been making wine for nearly a century can bring about some amazing results. Great wines are just a portion of what the Emerine family in Cherry Valley Township has to offer. Jason Emerine, CEO of Emerine Estates Winery, has a long family history to thank for the business that thrives at 5689 Loveland Rd., just south of Route 322. His great-grandfather started the tradition of making wine in 1917. Jason’s grandfather and parents have taught the art to him. Emerine explained, “This is a family operation. Every grape, every piece of fruit that we use in our wines is picked by my family. My kids and my parents help my wife Bridget and me with harvesting. They actually can’t wait until harvest time.” “I have always felt that your product is a reflection of who you are. For my grandfather, everything was black and white. It was all about grape wine. His wines were great, but they were very straightforward. My wines are more playful. That’s just the kind of person that I am,” Emerine said. A trade secret enables the Emerines to pollinate their crops inside their greenhouses. “We grow everything in 15 greenhouses that total 30,000 square feet. The harsh winter did not affect our vineyards,” explained Emerine. “I hate to see so many of our friends (in the wine industry) struggle with their crop loss. When it hurts one of us, it hurts all of us.”
The Emerines produce a variety of dry, semi-sweet and sweet wines. The many selections from their grapes and others from fruits grown on the farm provide delightful choices for any palate. Emerine has also developed a new, unique wine called “Hot Shots” that is produced in limited quantities by combining three or four types of Asian cinnamon. Another secret, now patented, took Emerine 10 years of trial and error to develop. Putting in 60 hours a week, he designed a way to ferment cream. Since 2010 this has allowed visitors a special treat of their choice of Wineshakes, Wineshake sundaes or even a Wineshake cone.
Perhaps one of the not-so-secret reasons for the success of Emerine Estates is the passion to stick to the ways they were first taught to produce wine. They do not use machinery during the wine making process. They do not add any chemicals to their product - and that includes sugar. Thus the sweetness of their wine comes from slowly evaporating the water off of the wine, taking two to four years to reach the results they expect. One small change has evolved from consumer interest. Since 2003, the wines have been fortified with 11 essential vitamins and minerals. The winery’s café offers a menu of appetizers, burgers, chicken and pork items. All of the meats are raised on the property. Additionally, baked Tilapia and weekly specials are available to feast on before being tempted by dessert. Hours for the winery are 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Emerine explained that, “We do this to support our family and this community. It is not about the dollar. When you start worrying about the money, it isn’t fun anymore. I don’t want this to just be a job. I find comfort in making wine. Every day here is a family reunion. The kids and my parents come over. Some days we might just spend jumping in the pond rather than in the greenhouse. Everyone in the family can put their two cents worth in about our winery. If my kids don’t want to do this anymore, we can close the doors. I never want this to be called a profession. The is my play time with my family.” The results of this family’s passion for the art of wine making shows at Emerine Estates.
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Conneaut Cellars Winery continues offering prizewinning Lake Erie wines By DORIS COOK Gazette Newspapers CONNEAUT LAKE, PA. – For over three decades Conneaut Cellars Winery LLC has continued to make top winning Lake Erie wines. Located at 12005 Conneaut Lake Road (Routes 6 and 322) in Conneaut Lake, Pa., the winery was founded by Dr. Alan Wolf. Today his son, Joal Wolf and wife Mary continues the family wine making business. It is close to the family resort area of Conneaut Lake. Historically, the winery is also close to the old Erie Canal section and nearby prime Pennsylvania game land area. “After I got out of Army after serving 28 years, I came back to join my dad., then took over the business. We’ve expanded a lot in the last 15 years. We buy our grapes from the Northeast, Pa., and mostly from the Moorehead family estate vineyards, but also from a few other vineyard growers,” said Wolf. Another expansion is underway with the Wolf family installing a distillery to make specialty vodka and brandy in two flavors initially, he said. “We will be using grapes and is part of a five-year plan. We had an addition built on the back of the wine making area of our building. I thought about this for awhile and went to the American Distillery Institute workshop held in Baltimore and several other workshops last year held at Cornell University in New York,” Wolf added. “We will be using the grapes because of the sugar content and adding ingredients. I have a special license permit for the distillery business.“ His winemaker, Chuck Elliott, is busy at this time of year overseeing the bottling of the 23 specialty wines that Conneaut Cellars Winery produces, which sells and ships to customers in 18 states. Some of the newer varieties include Ice House Bubbly White, Ice House Crackling Pink, Red Raspberry and a Vidal Frost Ice Wine.
PHOTOS BY DORIS COOK
This is a view of the Conneaut Cellars Winery main entrance to the store, gift shop and tasting room. The winery is located at 12005 (Routes 6 and 322) in Conneaut Lake, Pa. “Joal’s dad started this wine making busiThe Wolf family also holds special events ness and we still have a few pieces of his origi- during the year. A popular event is the annal equipment used back when the winery nual Blues Festival on Saturday, June 14 from began. We’ve added some new filtration pro- noon to 6 p.m. held rain or shine on the grassy cess equipment pieces plus updated bottling hillside. The bands providing the music enprocessing and labeling section machines,” tertainment use the open pavilion. said Elliott during a recent tour of the facility. Ron Yarosz and the Vehicle will perform He said the company buys grapes from June 14 from noon to 3 p.m. followed by Duke Ohio, New York and even Maryland growers Sherman Blues Band from 3 to 5 p.m. Folks for the wines made in the Conneaut Lake fa- are encouraged to bring friends, lawn chairs, cility. Large stainless steel tanks plus Ameri- blankets and picnic foods, buy wine and Groce can and French oak wood casks hold some of food vendor will also be on the site. the wine brands made. All the processing of Free juice is provided for designated drivgrapes to fermentation, aging, and storage is ers. No carry-in alcoholic beverages or pets done in-house at the winery. are allowed for the festival day and children “Last year we installed a new type filtra- must be accompanied by an adult. Tents are tion machine for the wine. It is made in Ger- also put up to provide sun shade and protecmany and is enclosed, safe and automatic op- tion from any rain. erated. We bottle our wine year almost yearFor booking any special occasion event or round. We have some ice wine made where even weddings and for other information on we get the grapes frozen when picked but the Conneaut Cellars Winery services call 814turned into juice when it comes here. The na- 382-3999 or their website: www.Conneaut tive grapes we use are Concord and Catawba CellarsWinery.com. The winery also has sevand we buy from large juice houses and guar- eral outlets for their wines listed on the antee the sugar content,” Elliott explained. website. Sweet wines are the more popular wines sold at Conneaut Cellars Winery, he said. “There is a Noray wine that was crafted jointly by Cornell University and Penn State University that we have here and eventually is made into a Red Port wine. In our large storage tanks section the tanks hold 1,060 gallons each for the fermentation process,” said Elliott. “This area is kept cold in the winter months also.” Conneaut Cellars Winery has a wine tasting room area in their main sales section in the front portion of the expansive facility. Here customers can come in and take a sample taste before they buy their wine purchases. The owners hold wine tasting and tours of the facility by appointment for groups. There is a lovely wood-structure open pa- Conneaut Cellars Winery LLC winemaker, This is just part of the rows of huge stainless steel tanks used to hold grape juice and vilion in the back area of the site for picnics, Chuck Elliott explains how this new type other ingredients as part of the fermenta- or customers can wander back to sit and sip. filtration equipment made in Germany tion process at Conneaut Cellars Winery fa- There is also a gift shop in the winery store works as wine is processed at the after cility. Some wines are also stored in oak area, custom gift baskets to purchase or can fermentation occurs. The new equipment be shipped. wood casks or barrels. was installed at the winery in 2013.
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VISIT ONE OF ASHTABULA COUNTY’S LARGEST WINERIES!
——— Est. 1937 ———
Tour our state-of-the-art winemaking facility... in the heart of the Grand River Valley Appellation. Taste award-winning wines and tempt your palate in our full-service Italian Ristorante! Live Weekend Entertainment!
Look for your favorite wines in local stores!
5585 NORTH RIVER ROAD WEST :: GENEVA, OHIO 44041 :: 440-466-VINO Visit us at www.FerranteWinery.com
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Ferrante Winery & Ristorante offers first-class experience BY AMY JONES Gazette Newspapers HARPERSFIELD TOWNSHIP - Sometimes trials in life can be overwhelming and defeating. The best of us fight back and find a way to learn from them. After a very destructive winter, Ferrante Winery & Ristorante in Harpersfield Township is ready to overcome and continue to offer fine wine, fine food and a great dining experience. The heavy rains combined with the fast moving and long-lasting deep freeze that was winter wrecked havoc on orchards and vineyards not just statewide, but regionally. Most growers have sustained losses and many are faced with acres of destruction. It was a tough year, and Ferrante Winery was no exception. According to Mary Jo Ferrante, the effect of the weather was simply “devastating.” Much work will be done to graft and salvage existing vineyards, but they are upbeat and, in spite of the difficulty, feel comfortable that this will be overcome. After all, they have faced devastation and beat it before. The original winery was built in Collinswood, Ohio, in the Cleveland area in 1937 by Anna and Nicholas Ferrante. It served for 35 years until it closed in 1972 and the current winery was completed in 1979 in Harpersfield Township. The family worked hard to expand more and more and generate an enviable harvest. In 1989 they added a full-service restaurant as well to provide a memorable dining experience. Things seemed to be moving along beautifully until tragedy struck in 1994 and the winery fell victim to an arson fire. Not dissuaded, the Ferrante family rebuilt and continued to plant more. They have to date 50 acres of vines planted and in production and continue to grow and innovate. Ferrante says that the winery is continually purchasing new equipment and tanks and is always looking for ways to improve. The combination of the Grand River Valley appellation and the southern shores of Lake Erie provides the ultimate microclimate to produce world-class white wines at Ferrante Winery. The Ferrante Winery boasts some of the finest wine in the county, including its ice wine, which is produced from frozen Vidal Blanc and Cabernet Franc
Pictured are some of the vines damaged or destroyed in last winter’s deep freeze. The Ferrante family feels comfortable that they will weather this and continue to provide quality wines to the community. PHOTO BY AMY JONES grapes. Grapes used for ice wine remain on the vine until mid-December. Once properly frozen, the grapes, which become very high in residual sugar, are harvested to produce a very sweet dessert wine. Nicholas Ferrante, a third-generation winemaker, also boasts his Signature Series wine produced from premium estate grown grapes such as Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Grigio and Gewürztraminer. If guests are unsure which selection to make, the winery has several tasting tray options with eight to ten testings on
a tray. This tasting allows the opportunity to sample different wines in an elegant atmosphere. To enhance the dining experience, the winery offers live music on weekends. Ferrante Winery is located at 5585 State Route 307 in Harpersfield Township. For hours and information, check Ferrante Winery out on the web at http:/ /ferrantewinery.com/index.htm or call (440) 466-8466. To sign up for the newsletter, visit http://ferrantewinery.com/ signup.htm.
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528 6
2
County Line Rd.
13
5
10 12
3
534
6
2
307
84
90 9
534
10 12
3 9
90 307
84
8 11
LAKE ERIE
13
5
534
534
20
45
45
45
90
307
Lake Roaming Rock 6
322
11
46
87
46
Mosquito Creek Lake
84
11
11
11
167
44
77
90
193
193
193
193
84
6
20
531
87
322
7
7
7 6
84
6
85
6
322
285
4
3
2
1
Ferrante Winery
Emerine Estates
pg 22
Deer's Leap Winery
Debonné Vineyards
Conneaut Cellars
pg 26
pg 14
pg 12
7
Lakehouse Inn & Winery
Grand River Cellars Winery pg 20 Greene Eagle Winery
pg 24
5
8
Laurello Vineyards
6
9
Ohio Wine Producers Association pg 8
pg 4
pg 6
pg 10
10
11 Old Firehouse Winery pg 18
12 Pairings pg 16
6
285
Conneaut Lake
Lighthouse
Covered Bridge
Landmarks
18
13 The Winery at Spring Hill pg 2
322
Pymatuning Reservoir
OH-PA STATE LINE
6
11