How to Visit Wineries in Northeast Ohio

It’s fun to spend a day or a weekend visiting the various wineries in Northeast Ohio. The “Wine and Vines Trail” begins about 30 miles east of Cleveland and extends about 90 miles west to Pittsburgh. It meanders around about 20 wineries which produce superb cool weather wines - Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and Riesling. They also produce prize winning Icewines. As you drive from winery to winery, you’ll enjoy spectacular water views, Amish communities, and covered bridges. Two of the best times to visit are in the spring when the Icewines are introduced and during the grape harvest every fall. However, there is really no bad time to visit this interesting area.

Things You'll Need

• Time and money to visit this area.

Instructions

1. Choose to spend a night at the Buccia Vineyard also in Conneaut and less than half a mile from Lake Erie. They also offer a honeymoon suite in addition to their regular B & B rooms which all have private baths, a hot tub, and a private patio. They have wine tasting, a craft corner and picnic tables so you can enjoy an outdoor feast with your wine. Ox roasts and steak fries are some of their summer events at the winery.

2. Rent a beach house or a cottage if you stay at the Lakehouse Inn Winery in Geneva-on the-Lake. They also have rooms available at the inn itself. There is a restaurant on the grounds and a glassed in room for tasting wines in cooler weather. They also host several weddings every year and hold many events such as a Murder Mystery Weekend, Wine and Chocolate Weekend and the Bacchus Festival.

3. Enjoy a selection of fruity wines including Frosty Peach, Red Raspberry and Spice Apple when you visit the Old Firehouse Winery in Geneva-on-the-Lake. They also produce a Firehouse White Catawba and a Firehouse Red. This is a fun place to visit and a perfect place to grab a late snack on Friday and Saturday nights until 12m. Events at this winery include a Mother’s Day Grapestomp, a clambake, a Celtic Event, and a Christmas Open House. They frequently have live music (a charge may apply.)

4. Enjoy a varied selection of live music along with your wine when you visit Harmony Hill Vineyards. This winery, located in Bethel, has a group of country music songwriters who will perform in 2008 in addition to a large list of other performers. As you drive onto the vineyard property you’ll cross the “Golden Retriever Crossing” and you may want to visit the donkey and burro before going to their rustic, barn-like tasting room. These animals along with the family cats and dogs oversee this winery. You will usually find the wine maker, Bill, serving the wine samples and discussing the merits of each wine. They also have the only wine cave in the area. Harmony Hill is now producing a Cabernet Sauvignon wine which is not very prevalent in this wine region.

Tips & Warnings

• There are several other wineries to visit along with charming towns with great little eateries and unique shops to browse in. Please be sure to check with each winery for the days and times they are open. Have a grape time!