Can Northeast Ohio be the center of the Midwestern wine universe? It’s a subject for debate by those in the know, but the region has a thriving wine (and wine tourism) business that showcases over 100 different wineries and vineyards!
Wine producers in the region agree that over 600 jobs can be attributed specifically to regional wine production and business; 65% of all the grapes in Ohio are grown on a 22-mile long, 4-mile wide stretch on either side of the Grand River in Lake and Ashtabula County. These statistics speak to economic development that is likely to continue growing.
Beyond locally produced wines, the region appreciates the craft of wine production in such a way that many exceptional wine tasting events and festivals have cropped up (no pun intended) over the years. Here are some of the best that Northeast Ohio has to offer:
Cleveland Wine Festival
June 25-26, 2010
Nautica Pavilion, Cleveland
www.clevelandwinefestival.com
This two-day event originated in Voinovich Park (behind the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum) but has settled into the cozy confines of the Nautica Entertainment Complex on the west bank of the Flats Over 200 different wines from all over the world grace the palate; attendees can sample any of them-along with local restaurant nosh, great live music, demonstrations and wine seminars-for one low admission. Ohio wines are part and parcel of the event; once you’ve found a favorite varietal (or several) you can order them by the bottle or case. Designated driver tickets are available, too. This festival is one of the region’s largest and most well-attended.
Larchmere Uncorked
July 3, 2010
Larchmere Boulevard (between N. Moreland and East 121st Streets), Cleveland
www.larchmereuncorked.com
The Larchmere district hosts two great summer events (see also their rootsy PorchFest music fest). Uncorked is a part of the hip street’s Fourth festivities, dubbed the Larchmere Flea Market & Festival. Surrounded by an antique show and flea market, a cool local author book fair, and the irreverent Bazaar Bizarre art-craft show, Uncorked is a whole lot of fun. Guests score live musical entertainment, great food and wine to sample and walk away with a souvenir wine glass to boot. Uncorked is called a “festival-within-the-festival” by its organizers, who offer the space to vendors, merchants, residents, and guests as the official “LarchFest” after-party location. A great primer for Independence Day fun.
Hudson Wine Festival
July 16-18, 2010
Village Way Shopping District, Hudson
www.hudsonwinefestival.com
This three-day event celebrates its third running this year, benefiting the Humane Society of Greater Akron. With some 5,000 attendees expected, The Hudson Wine Festival showcases some 250 different varieties-ranging from local Northeast Ohio-produced favorites, to “Old World” and “New World” standbys. Family-friendly to the core, the festival also offers a “daily doggy parade” and a pet adopt-a-thon on site, along with a kids’ activity tent. Live music, scrumptious chow, wine seminars, and special Friday night V.I.P. festival kick-off round out this great event, which raised close to $30,000 for the Akron chapter of the Humane Society.
Vintage Ohio Wine Festival
August 6-7, 2010
Lake Metroparks’ Farmpark, Kirtland
www.visitvintageohio.com
The godmother of all Ohio wine events, Vintage Ohio sprawls across the beautiful Lake Farmpark with winery-specific booths, tastings, cooking demonstrations, arts and crafts and more. The anchor event of the Ohio Wine Producer’s Association, this festival focuses almost entirely on Ohio wines; patrons can choose from plenty of varieties produced along Lake Erie and beyond, including some of the best Ice Wines (soft, mellow and potent dessert wine) around. The Farmpark itself is family-friendly to begin with; adding a cooking school component and the summertime fun of a 5K “Run for the Grapes” race and cornhole tournament has helped to make Vintage Ohio even more inclusive.
Taste of Cleveland
September 3-6, 2010
Time Warner Cable Amphitheater, Cleveland
www.cleveland.com/tasteofcleveland
This Labor Day Weekend event offers both beer and wine tastings, along with a plentitude of local restaurants showcasing their culinary masterpieces. Primarily a wine distributor event, expect plenty of wines from California, Washington, Oregon and some Ohio wines as well. Foodies love Taste of Cleveland for the nosh and food demonstrations; marquee concert headliners pull in Cleveland’s rock and roller community and children’s activities-including arts, crafts and dance performances-help keep the kiddos happy, too. Last year, Peter Frampton, Lita Ford, Billy Squier, Cowboy Mouth and Cleveland’s own Michael Stanley performed at Taste of Cleveland; performers for this year’s event should be announced any time now.
Geneva Area Grape Jamboree
September, 2010 (Official Dates TBD)
Downtown Geneva
www.grapejamboree.com
This fun, family-friendly event celebrates the harvesting of Geneva’s grape crop as much as it does wine. Freshly squeezed grape juice, jams, jellies and other grape products are paired with a county fair-like atmosphere, two giant Main Street parades in the afternoons and the rides, food and concessions befitting of a county fair. And if the kids don’t have enough to do (they will) they can even enter a manic grape stomping contest! The wines featured are (naturally) all produced in Northeast Ohio. This is classic regional fun at its best, with an old-school, end-of summertime vibe that can’t/won’t be denied.
Lakehouse Winery Tour Weekend
November 5-7, 2010
Lakehouse Inn, Geneva-on-the-Lake
www.thelakehouseinn.com
This one’s for the grown-ups. If you’ve always wanted to spend a weekend at a local bed and breakfast with access to a slate of Northeast Ohio’s premiere wineries, this event has your name all over it. Spend a weekend touring the local wineries-with sumptuous meals, cozy lakeside accommodations for two nights, five course dinners, continental breakfasts, complimentary wine glasses and round trip transportation between the local wineries included. These late autumn offerings are lazy and magical, the grounds beautiful. Especially when the weather holds. These tours also fill up fast, so plan ahead.
Heinen’s/WVIZ World Series of Wine
November 2010 (dates TBD)
Terrace Club at Progressive Field, Cleveland
www.wviz.org/wine
Any Northeast Ohio wine event list would be unfinished without this benchmark event at the home of Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Indians. This weekend-long Grand Slam of the Grape offers patrons “Grand Tastings,” winery dinners, seminars and opportunities to interact with winemakers, distributors and the region’s most impassioned vino buffs. The annual WVIZ/PBS fundraising event, the World Series of Wine offers nearly 400 wines and 150 wineries from all over the world-expanding wine aficionados’ palates as they support local public television. A calendar of related events leads up to the event, but when the Terrace Club transforms into a full-blown wine atrium, it’s downright magical to be there. Keep an eye out for dates to be announced soon.
The Fabulous Food Show
November 12-14, 2010
International Exposition (I-X) Center, Cleveland
www.fabulousfoodshow.com
The Fabulous Food Show has been a big draw for Clevelanders since it launched a few years ago. Replete with amazing food demonstrations-including Food Network personalities like Cleveland’s “Iron Chef” Michael Symon-this is clearly a destination for foodies. There are dozens of wineries and wine distributors that take up residence as well. The American Wine School anchors the educational/tasting component of the programming, with a Wine & Spirits Tasting Pavilion that offers pours from over 50 different wineries. With some 250 wines and 25 beers to choose from (not even to mention a spirits pavilion and fashionable Bubble Lounge) there’s plenty to love. Cleveland’s chapter of the American Wine School keeps things lively at the FFS, but have a calendar of their own found by clicking here.
Sources
http://www.clevelandwineschool.com
http://www.clevelandwineschool.com
http://www.fabulousfoodshow.com
http://www.thelakehouseinn.com
http://www.grapejamboree.com
http://www.cleveland.com/tasteofcleveland
http://www.visitvintageohio.com
http://www.ohiowines.org
http://www.hudsonwinefestival.com
http://www.larchmereuncorked.com
http://www.clevelandwinefestival.com
http://www.localwineevents.com
http://www.coolcleveland.com/wiki/Newsletter/CoolClevelandInterviewDonniellaWinchell
