A summer day. Hot air cooled by a breeze rolling over a valley. Vineyards along Gore Orphanage Road in Erie County stretch back past the winery and the event pavilion, the rows marked by varietal—Pinot Noir, Lemberger, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay—the vines full of grapes that will be made into Lake Erie Appellation wines. All the wines are made from estate-grown grapes. Worth noting, because not all Ohio wineries use all their own grapes.
Fifteen years after publication of my book Ohio’s Lake Erie Wineries, some people still say things like “Ohio wines are not worth drinking” and “I can’t stand the sweet wines produced by Ohio Wineries.” The reason I wrote my two Ohio wines books was to dispel those opinions by challenging people to visit Ohio wineries. The comments irk me. What they often don’t know is that Ohio is the sixth largest wine-producing state in the United States and its wines win national competitions against wineries in California (which commands most of the wine produced in the country). Ohio was once called vineland when it was settled, because there were so many vineyards along the Ohio River. Lake Erie has the perfect climate for growing grapes—the winds flow through the vines and keep the mildew away and the moderating temperature extends the growing season.
Did I fail? Possibly. I have friends that say those things to me. Lawyer and horticulturist Nicholas Longworth, the grandfather of winemaking in Ohio, planted European grape varieties into the 1840s. His entrepreneurial spirit enhanced Ohio’s reputation as a winemaking state, and it is said that he gave South Bass Island’s Philip Vroman grape stock from his Cincinnati vineyards, which gave birth to the Lake Erie Appellation and Ohio’s Lake Erie wineries. Datus Kelley planted Isabella grapes on Kelley’s Island in 1842 and founded the wine-growing industry on Kelley’s Island. The early vineyards were planted by German immigrants and the winemakers were often from France, like Louis Rhein of France, who worked at Schaedler Winery on Kelley’s Island. By 1870, most everyone on the island was involved with the growing of grapes or making of wine.
What makes the Lake Erie Appellation unique is the temperate climate that allows viticulturists to grow vinifera Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, and Chardonnay grapes, as well as Vignoles, Baco Noir, and Lemberger varieties. Notable wineries that make some, if not all, bottle estate-grown wines located west of Cleveland on the mainland include Klingshirn, Sandy Ridge, Vermilion Valley, Quarry Hill, Paper Moon, and Firelands. The wine industry continues to expand—some, like Mulberry Creek, are still on my list to visit. The experience of tasting wine ranges from standing in bottle storage room, sitting by a cozy fire by with a view of Lake Erie, or eating a sausage and cheese plate at a picnic table.
I wrote my first book because I was living right here in Northeast Ohio, but did not know how deep and rich our wineries history is—I only knew Heineman’s in Put-in-Bay and their Pink Catawba wine. What? We have great vinifera (European noble wines) here in Ohio? Not only is there rich history and wines beyond Catawba, but I soon learned how fun it is to talk with the winemakers and owners and come to understand this rich industry of cooperative wineries, with enologists, viticulturists, wine associations, mentors, and schools to support them. I learned to look at the labels when tasting wines, which can say “Lake Erie,” “Ohio,” or “American”; some may be more specific—the Grand River Valley and Isle St. George (also known as North Bass) each have their own sub-viticultural area. If you’re a wine snob, stick with the Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay—you’ll be surprised because you can’t find most of the wines in groceries that tend to sell the “sweet stuff.”
Back to Vermilion Valley. During our last visit, we ate cheese and crackers, listened to acoustic guitar, watched the red-winged blackbirds, and sipped slowly from our bottle of wine. We lingered. It was a peaceful and pleasant afternoon in the country. I have pleasant memories of taking visitors to the winery for talks by David Benzing, one of the original owners who stayed true to the vision of creating a sustainable winery. I can still remember tasting my first glass of Lemberger wine under his tutelage.
Vineyards now appear in farm country all through the state–Ohio’s approximately 300 wineries have made our state a wine destination. Wineries are born, and reborn, when dreams become visions that become real. The best way to explore wines is by visiting wineries, but you have the chance to compare wines and the process behind them, at the Vintage Ohio, Ohio’s iconic outdoor wine and food festival at the Lake Metro Parks’ Farmpark in Kirtland this coming weekend from 12-9 on Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $39.