Browse the Northeast -- Lake Erie Collections
Laurello Vineyards, 201606/17/2016It is a common practice in the Grand River region for up and coming winemakers to rely on the expert advice of Arnie Esterer of Markko Vineyard. This is exactly what Larry Laurello, Jr. did when he purchased this Austinburg Burkholder farm with his wife Kim in 1991. The couple converted a farm market into a winery with several tasting rooms, on site restaurant, and an outdoor eating area and replaced several acres of Concord with vinifera. The location offers several red and white wines, mostly on the sweet side, and most of the grapes used by the winery are sourced from area farms. Wines produced here don’t go unnoticed; the winery won Best Winery of 2020 by Cleveland Hot List, and has also won awards for their selections of ice wine. |
Laurentia Vineyard and Winery, 201605/20/2016The vision of Gary and Leonard Blackie, this Madison winery is named after the glacier that delivered rich soil to the region. Designed as a house to make guests feel at home, the tasting room has a rustic but open log cabin feel, a central fireplace, and is made from reclaimed barn siding and hand-hewn beams from the 1800s. A wine bar and open cellar on the lower level of the winery offers space for private parties and weekend entertainment, while the outdoor deck areas provides scenic views of the wooded lot and the surrounding vineyard. The establishment opened its doors in 2015 and produces dry wine. All of the grapes are sourced from the Finger Lakes region of New York. As the vineyard matures, the wine will be produced from grapes produced on site. In 2020, the winery’s Stoltz Road vineyard was expanded to include additional Merlot, Syrah, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. In 2021, ground was broken on a third building dedicated to the agricultural aspect of the business. |
M Cellars, 201605/20/2016Other Ohio wineries produce Bordeaux-style blends, but M Cellars is the only one in Ohio that has gone through the rigiourous certification process and quality standards required to be a licensed Mertiage producer. According to the Mertiage Alliance, a industry trade association, Meritage wines are provocative red or white wines crafted solely from specific "noble" Bordeaux grape varieties and are considered to be the very best wines of the vintage. |
M Cellars, 201605/20/2016Glimpse of the spacious loft area on the second floor of the winery. |
M Cellars, 201605/20/2016Replacing old Niagara vines with new varieties, primarily Pinot Noir and Meritage blends, installing proper drain tile, and building a boutique winery requires time and careful planning. It took Matt Meineke, a small batch hobby winemaker from Mentor, seven years to establish his winery on 12 acres of land in Geneva. Canadian wineries situated on Niagara-on-the-Lake served as a source of inspiration for the Meineke family and the training Matt received at UC Davis and OSU helped him further develop his craft of producing cool-climate high-end wines. Established in 2012, the winery offers a tasting room, cozy fireplace, a loft, and an outdoor deck and patio overlooking the vineyard. The location creates European-style dry wines and is the only licensed Meritage producer in Ohio. |
Markko Vineyard, 199310/01/1993Situated three miles south of Lake Erie in Conneaut, the location provides a moderate climate, glacial till, and platea silt loam soil-an ideal site for growing grapes. Arnie Esterer and the late Tim Hubbard planted the first vines in 1968 and built the winery in 1972. Known locally as the godfather of Ashtabula County winemaking, Esterer began his tutelage under the late Dr. Konstantin Frank, a well-known viticulturist and winery owner in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Under Frank's direction the winery became the first in Ohio to successfully grow European vinifera grapes. Today, the winery has an annual capacity of 5,000 gallons and consists of 15 acres of Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet, and Pinot Noir grapes. “We believe wine is a food,” Esterer tells his patrons “It’s healthy and nutritious and should be consumed with food. It’s the beverage of moderation, not to be abused.” In the fall of 2020, Esterer passed away and the winery hired Lauren Fiala as wine maker and Todd Stevenson as vineyard manager. |
Markko Vineyard, 201607/01/2016Exterior photo of Markko Vineyard's winery. The structure provides a basement cellar for wine making and an intimate community tasting room on the first floor. |
Old Firehouse Winery, 199108/01/1991
Agribusiness support from the former Governor Voinovich helped expand the wine and grape industry in Ohio during 1990's. This photo of Voinovich was taken at Old Firehouse Winery during one of his winery tours of the region.
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Old Firehouse Winery, 199310/01/1993
View of the Old Firehouse Winery and "Old Betsy", a restored fire engine that once belonged to the village.
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Old Firehouse Winery, 199412/01/1994Appropriately named for the barn where Geneva-on-the-Lake’s very first fire engine was housed, the event winery is located directly on the shores of Lake Erie. Offering a tasting room and restaurant on site, all of the grapes and juice used to make the wine are sourced from other areas. The winery first opened its doors in 1988 and is owned by Joyce Morgan, Dave Otto, and Don Woodward. Known for its large summer festivals, the establishment offers wine made from American, hybrid, and international grapes as well as a number of fruit wines. |