OHIO WINE COUNTRY: Any recommendations?

WINE TALK
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I have decided to visit all the regional wine regions in this country that I have never visited before, and OHIO is first on the agenda - gonna go early summer, and probably base myself in Madison for 5-6 days, and try to stay within a 50 mile radius.

Any suggestions? Looking for smaller boutique wineries. Who do you think are the best wineries in Ohio? So far, it looks like it’s White wine country, but open to anything unique -

Thanks in advance -

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As a local, I’m anxiously awaiting other locals suggestions.

I think in general Southern Ohio has/had better wineries for the table. There certainly isn’t any reason to spend 5-6 days here in way east NE OH just for wine though. Even if you want to just see the scene I would think half that would suffice. I used to work in Geneva (next to Madison) and I hear they have a great State Park facility now. I’ve only been there once but it was night.

There was a winery a while ago (StJoseph) that I remember getting praise for going all in on Pinot. I just looked them up and apparently they have sold and appear to be now marketing to the weekend crowd as well.

I am kind of embarrassed to admit that I do not know where to point you. I never thought the question would come up here or I could have been doing “research”. [rofl.gif]

@travel

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I recommend Pat’s cellar. That would be my first stop, maybe my only

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In the Grand River Valley:
M Cellars:

Harpersfield Vineyard:

Markko Vineyard:

Many people like Maple Ridge but it was highly variable in my experience:

If you want the most popular (and are not prone to type 2 diabetes), give this a try–but probably not worth going to the winery:

Outside of the Grand River:
Meranda-Nixon Winery:
http://www.meranda-nixonwinery.com/

Le Petit Chevalier:

Ohio’s best winery is no more. Kinkead Ridge Winery was great, but was sold. Once sold the vines froze and now are plowed under It is now made by grapes imported from California.

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Sorry to pile on but I haven’t found a good Ohio winery yet. I will say that it hasn’t been a dedicated search. Instead it’s been a visit a few when back there and then those are even chosen to fit into other plans. Even with this less than scientific approach, I would have assumed that after a dozen or so visits I would have happened upon something decent. I’ve followed the same approach to Pennsylvania and even West Virginia with better luck.

Edit to add: I don’t recall visiting any of the wineries that Josh lists. Maybe my method just didn’t find the good ones.

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I plan on hitting a few breweries as well (and going to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as I am flying in and out of Cleveland), and really just want to see the area (I’ve never seen Lake Huron). I know I am not going to find the next great American Winery, it’s really just an exercise in brain chill (working 70 hour weeks and I am a bit burnt out). I always do these trips by myself, and find them very peaceful and a good way to unscramble.

I have been going back and forth between Texas and Ohio for this excursion, and figure I can do Texas next year. Virginia and Colorado are also in the picture down the road.

And again, thanks everyone for your thoughts -

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We lived in SW Ohio for a long time, still visit family there often. Since Kinkead Ridge has closed the only winery we could recommend visiting is Meranda-Nixon which Josh mentioned above. It isn’t world class by any stretch but decent wine and great people.

Basically all of the wine we’ve tried in central and northern Ohio has been less than good.

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M Cellars is my favorite. Great rosé, dry riesling, gewurztraminer.
Harpersfield is pretty good. They usually have some good bands on the weekend, so it’s nice to chill outside with some music when weather is cooperating.
Laurentia is the other one that we visit regularly. Great patio, very pretty setting.

I mainly drink the dryer whites and rosé when in OH wine country. We do have some good ice wines if you’re into dessert wines.

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Bingo ! I think the winery experience in Ohio is more about enjoying a day up by the lake when the weather is nice than the actual wine itself.

If you are doing breweries, Great Lakes is a must stop. R n’ Roll HOF is very cool, I would check out Mabel’s for BBQ on East 4th. West Side Market if cool also but if you’re traveling you can’t really take advantage of all of the great food vendors there.

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Natural areas of interest are Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park, Ledges Trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and Worden’s Ledges. Did you mean Lake Erie or are you making a road trip? In Cleveland, Lake View Cemetery, Little Italy, and University Circle are a favorite.

Let me know if you make it down to Columbus (or Hocking). Rockmill Brewery is my favorite in the state:

This is next door at Rockmill Park:

Other favorite Ohio breweries are Jackie O’s, Pretentious Barrel House, Gemüt Biergarten, and Rhinegeist Brewery.

This said, all things equal, I would head to Traverse City, Niagara-on-the-Lake, or the Finger Lakes before the Grand River Valley for wine.

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Thanks for posting about Rockmill, we are heading to Hocking Hills in early June, might make a stop there on the way

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I think you would like Noble Beast for a brewery stop, more classic styles than the typical ipa set up.

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I started visiting the Michigan Peninsulas in the early 1980s, and am a big fan of Michigan wines. Ditto with the Finger Lakes, I represented a half dozen Finger Lake Wineries for quite a few years and just fell in love with the area. I usually recommend people visit the Finger Lakes as much as visiting the West Coast regions.

BUT - Always been curious about the wine centers of Ohio, Virginia, Missouri, Arizona, Colorado and Texas.

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Contact here and see if you can make a visit : https://www.tomsfoolery.com/ - they are making good whiskey and really good applejack.

I used to be very familiar with the scene having ran a contest between Ohio and Michigan wines c2008-2011 but have not paid attention in depth since then. I think generally Ohio has lagged in the wine scene. No, not just lagged - is really stuck in an old rut. There isn’t an equivalent of Nathan Kendall or Chepika there and I’ve not seen signs of it even budding. Or a Neu Cellars to bounce to Michigan. OTOH, I suspect our opinions of good/interesting wines are not the same and your take may be different.

Aside:
Missouri is a fascinating visit and practical in logistics unless you spend an afternoon trying to find a pre-Prohibition Norton vineyard.

Texas is probably the most interesting wine scene to emerge in the last 6-8 years. Spread out as hell though. I was hoping to visit for Wild this year, but it looks that won’t work out.

Colorado has some of the most interesting terroir potential in the US. Own-rooted Riesling from >6000’, anyone?

Virginia is boring so same reasons as Ohio, though the wines are technically better.

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[scratch.gif]

You won’t be able to see Lake Huron from Cleveland unfortunately.

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Oops - Meant Lake Erie

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Yeah, I just wanted to use the head scratching emoji. Edgewater Beach is close to downtown and may be a nice place to see it from. I have never been there though.

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After the RnR hall of fame visit allow some time to tour the WWII submarine docked just east of the hall!

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Only Ohio wine I had was a Markko chardonnay years ago.

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A couple of days in the Grand River Valley is enough. The best wineries have been mentioned in previous posts. That is where you’ll find the best wine in the Cleveland area.

The other strong suit of the area has also been mentioned. That is the park system. The Cleveland Metroparks are outstanding. On the east side you have the North and South Chargin Reservations. Further south you have Cuyahoga Valley NP. And, closer to the wine country, you have the Holden Arboretum. And many others previosuly mentioned.