So we set out on a beautiful Saturday to experience the Wine and Chocolate trail in Northeastern Ohio. I would recommend these events to anyone interested in a fun day out! You could go to any of the wineries on the list- a total of 18 anytime on Friday or Saturday from noon to 6pm each day. You got a free tasting and a free chocolate item at each place. it is a great way to try some of the smaller wineries in Ohio. For $50 for a couple we received a free box of Malley's Chocolate, wine glasses, and all of the tastings. We hit 11 of the places on Saturday. The ones we did not make were slightly further out. We also could have fit in one more but were hungry for dinner and done with the wines for the day. It was a lot of tastings! One thing we did learn is that the wineries make no money from this event unless you purchase something from them directly. All of the tastings are paid for out of their pocket. Finding this out we would have probably purchased food for lunch at a smaller winery instead of Debonne. Debonne can afford a few bottles of wine, but the smaller boutique wineries face more hardship.
We started at South River Vineyard. We each got to try 2 kinds of wine. I have had their wine before and it is a decent Ohio Wine. The pace is really fun to visit in the summer with a picnic basket and friends. They provided a piece of chocolate.
The next place we went was Red Barn Distillery. They are somehow connected to South River. They serve amazing cocktails and so their drink was a cocktail and not a wine. It was fruity and fun. Someone else had ordered a peanut butter martini and she had a bit left over so gave me a taste of that as well. Red Barn is another just fun place to go and have a drink. you can also watch the distilling process.
The next stop was Virant Family Wines. As we pulled up I remembered that this was the place with the amazing steaks on Saturday nights. We got 2 tastes each with a chocolate pudding and whipped cream creation. The best part is we made reservations for that night for the Steak Dinner!!!! (More to come)
Chalet Debonne is a long time favorite and one of the biggest wineries on the list. it is always bustling inside and they have really solid wines for all palates. In the summer it is THE place for music, sitting outside, drinking wine, and eating good food. They also provided 2 tastes and a chocolate cup with cream. We also chose to eat a little something here and had the antipasto plate.
Ferrante did a slightly more upscale presentation and non chocolate food. Everyone has their choice of 2 tastes. One of which was a hot wine. That was very enjoyable on a chilly February day. They also provided a little bit of mac and cheese. It was decent but not something I would order again.
Next was Deer's Leap. This place is quirky and cool. The dessert was good, cheesecake. The wines here are not my favorites. They do have a few brightly colored birds behind glass and a cute store with "wine" gear. It is a fun place to go and meet up with people. The staff is very friendly and they clearly have a group of local regulars.
Benny Vino was a really cute place that had live music playing while we were there. They served Chili- I guess they serve it for free every Saturday. It was tasty and place was comfortable.
Silver Crest Cellars was very modern inside and also had very friendly owners. You received 2 tastings as well and chocolate covered potato chips. It is different from some of the other wineries in the area because it is so clean and so modern.
Grand River was much more formal, they had you sit down at a table and brought you a glad to get your tasting. I am sure it was there way to get people to order food off the menu. They served a warm bread and chocolate pudding.
I definitely missed a few with pictures. Our favorite winery- maple Ridge Vineyard was so quaint. It is literally inside of a garage that has been remodeled. It is small but so friendly and the owners loved their craft. We had a great time talking to them and learning more about their business. They offered little chocolate heart cookies. We also went to Hundley Cellers. There was a nice warm feel to it. Nothing overly remarkable.
ok...the best part of the day...dinner! I remember years ago going to this place with my best friends family. he father just raved about the steak. I now remember why! the menu is fairly simple- burgers, fried food, nothing special. But on Friday and Saturday nights...they do the steak dinners.
jalepeno cheddar balls
I chose the Strip Steak dinner. It was cooked perfectly medium rare on an outside grill. It was served with salad, corn, potato and bread. It was $21 but I only ate maybe half of it. Ronnie and I both brought steak home and had it for dinner for 2 more days! But it was just cooked so well. better than most steakhouses.
Ronnie had the prime rib. Yes, this is a gilled prime rib. It is not cooked and then grilled, it is grilled start to finish. THIS. IS. AMAZING. The fat is caramelized giving good flavor to the entire piece of meat. The seasonings are perfect. I am at a huge loss of words to even come close to a full description. Just TRY IT!!!!
We started at South River Vineyard. We each got to try 2 kinds of wine. I have had their wine before and it is a decent Ohio Wine. The pace is really fun to visit in the summer with a picnic basket and friends. They provided a piece of chocolate.
The owners daughter now runs the restaurant but he comes through to greet people every night. He is a great older man who just wants to make sure your food is good and you are having a great time. He was knowledgeable and so passionate about what he does. We were seated next to 4 people who happened to be from Youngstown. So for me that was fun to reminisce. While they are closer to friends parents age, they knew many of the same people I knew from back home. It is always enjoyable to run in to someone you can talk to about home. This was one of the most fun days Ronnie and I have had together. The entire day including all of the wine and food probably was around $110. That is not bad for a full day out!
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