The Lake Erie Shores & Islands Wineries

June is Ohio Wine Month! Last year we celebrated pandemic style by conducting a DIY wine and snacks pairing at home. You can read about it here. While that was a good time, it was nice to get out of our house and enjoy Ohio wines in person at the wineries this year. We ventured out to the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Wineries, an area we’ve never really explored before and one we will be back to soon!

***Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the Ohio Grape Industries Committee. As always, all opinions are 100% our own***

When you think of Lake Erie you think of sunsets, boats, island adventures and probably Cedar Point. Wineries may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but the cool climate of the Lake and various soil types located here provide fertile ground for both old and new vines. So when you think of your next trip to the Lake or the islands, make sure to add some wineries to the list because there are over 25 in this area!

Julia has actually been to a few during one of her bachelorette parties, but those were located in the Vermilion/Wakeman area. While that is an absolutely gorgeous place to sip wine, the wineries we chose to go to were Gideon Owen Wine Co. and Rocky Point Winery. If we had more time, we would have ventured over to Put-In-Bay to go to Heineman Winery as well.

Gideon Owen Wine Co.
Our first stop of the day was Gideon which is located in Port Clinton. You may remember them by their former name, Mon Ami. Owners Donna and Quentin Smith purchased Mon Ami in 2019 and changed the name in honor of the founder of Catawba Island’s 2nd winery. When you visit you can either sit inside in the gorgeous Chalet or on their spacious patio. You can also sit in the Tirage Wine Bar. Here you can purchase a Tirage Card and browse from machine to machine and choose either sip, half glass or a full glass of their wines. Such a fun experience!

We got here first thing at 11:30 am when they opened and the place quickly filled up. We ordered a flight of their dry white wines and also an order of oysters. The weather was perfect for sitting on their patio. They have a pretty delicious sounding food menu so next time we’ll be sure to go for lunch.

Rocky Point Winery
Our next stop was Rocky Point Winery in Marblehead, it’s located just steps away from the Marblehead Lighthouse. This is such a pretty area. Fun fact: Rocky Point was the original name of the Marblehead area, which is why they chose this moniker. Many of their wines originate on North Bass Island, the northernmost American island on Lake Erie. After harvesting, the Riesling, Cabernet, Concord, or Catawba grapes make it across the lake and then are crushed and fermented.

We were pleasantly surprised to see there was already live music happening when arrived around lunch time! We ordered a flight of dry wines and sat outside by the vines and enjoyed the performance. It was only 12:30 but the place was lively and starting to get filled up.

Heineman’s Winery
If you’re in this area, Heineman’s Winery is also a quick ferry ride over to Put-In-Bay. We would have stopped here if we had the time. Julia has been here before and it’s a really cool place. It’s Ohio’s oldest family owned and operated winery. They have a wine garden where you can relax and sip wines and you can also explore their crystal cave.

Ørchard Bar and Table
Before we made our way back home, we had to stop for lunch at Ørchard Bar and Table. We’ve heard so many good things and have been drooling over their instrgam for some time. We were so excited we finally had the chance to eat here. Orchard is a family owned and operated European inspired new American restaurant on Catawba Island. The menus are inspired by changing seasons. We had the charcuterie board, beef carpaccio, pork belly and octopus and lobster roll. We also had two delicious gin cocktails. After we ate we were given a tour of the grounds and made a stop at the Orchard Farm Stand to stock up on some goodies like their homemade jams.

We hope you get to enjoy Ohio Wine Month at any of Ohio’s wineries! For a list of wineries and their locations head to Ohio Wines website to discover them all.