For Pittsburghers, you are going to love this because it's only a 2-hour drive! From Cleveland, it's only about an hour! We headed there on Saturday morning and stayed one night! It's totally doable in one day since the area is small, but if you wanted to spend the entire weekend, or heck, even a week, you could also do that because there is a lot to do and see!
For those of you, like me, who are unfamiliar with the area, Geneva, Ohio is situated on Lake Erie and is right near the border of Pennsylvania- about an hour from Erie.
The area is chock full of wineries- one of my absolute favorite activities is winery hopping. I love trying new wines. I'm a red drinker, but I like to try all of the wines when I'm at a tasting because you never know when you could discover something you like!
This trip would be perfect for a couple's getaway but a lot of you DM'd me and had said you had gone for bachelorette parties which is a great idea! It would also be fun to get a few couples together for the weekend. We had seen some groups of people that rented party buses so they were able to get from vineyard to vineyard!
This trip would be perfect for a couple's getaway but a lot of you DM'd me and had said you had gone for bachelorette parties which is a great idea! It would also be fun to get a few couples together for the weekend. We had seen some groups of people that rented party buses so they were able to get from vineyard to vineyard!
While we were there, we visited 3 wineries: Debonné, Laurentia, and M Cellars. If you are looking to visit more wineries, you can find all of the info, here. I actually had no idea that Ohio was home to so many wineries. In the past, the Geneva area has been known for making sweet, ice wine, but in the past several years, this has changed and there are some wonderful vineyards that create all sorts of different wines. I'm not a sweet wine drinker so I was very glad to hear this!
Unfortunately, while visiting, it was freezing, but, I would love to return in the warmer weather when everything is in bloom and we could enjoy the outdoor spaces of each vineyard. They all had such beautiful outdoor areas!
I'm going to share the vineyards in order of my preference, but we really loved them all as they were all so different.
M Cellars
This one was my favorite! The interior is adorable with lots of space at the bar for tastings. There is also lots of seating space if you want to have a seat with friends and enjoy a bottle of wine. They had live music while we were there which made the atmosphere so much fun! We also got a great behind-the-scenes tour where we were able to learn more about growing grapes in the region as well as sample some of the wines right from the tanks and barrels. My favorite was their estate Meritage. I was truly impressed by the quality of wine here. They had so many different wines to choose from and even two bubbly options.
Laurentia
Laurentia was the place to be! There were so many people there (for good reason) while we were there so I suggest getting there on the earlier side to snag a table! Laurentia has an upscale log cabin vibe. We tasted a few reds and were impressed with every wine we tasted here. We brought home a bottle of the cabernet which was my favorite. Besides the wine, the food was delicious, too, and our table had a view of the kitchen. We had lunch and got their spinach and artichoke dip, the Margherita pizza, and the beef bites. The pizza was our favorite- so fresh and flavorful! In the photo above, you can see their outdoor seating which is situated right on a beautiful pond- so beautiful!
Debonné
This one was my favorite! The interior is adorable with lots of space at the bar for tastings. There is also lots of seating space if you want to have a seat with friends and enjoy a bottle of wine. They had live music while we were there which made the atmosphere so much fun! We also got a great behind-the-scenes tour where we were able to learn more about growing grapes in the region as well as sample some of the wines right from the tanks and barrels. My favorite was their estate Meritage. I was truly impressed by the quality of wine here. They had so many different wines to choose from and even two bubbly options.
Laurentia was the place to be! There were so many people there (for good reason) while we were there so I suggest getting there on the earlier side to snag a table! Laurentia has an upscale log cabin vibe. We tasted a few reds and were impressed with every wine we tasted here. We brought home a bottle of the cabernet which was my favorite. Besides the wine, the food was delicious, too, and our table had a view of the kitchen. We had lunch and got their spinach and artichoke dip, the Margherita pizza, and the beef bites. The pizza was our favorite- so fresh and flavorful! In the photo above, you can see their outdoor seating which is situated right on a beautiful pond- so beautiful!
Debonné is somewhere I would really love to come back during the warmer months because they had so much outdoor seating! We got there before lunch but they have a full restaurant, too! We headed to their tasting room which is cozy and unpretentious. The wine was good, but not my favorite. Debonne also brews their own beer and my fiancé got a flight and he loved all of them. I had a few sips; I'm not a beer drinker but I liked them! One of the great things about all of these vineyards was that they were all so affordable.
We had a lovely dinner at The Lakehouse Inn's restaurant, Crosswinds. As the name suggests, the Inn and the restaurant are situated right on Lake Erie with the most beautiful views. We had arrived right at sunset and watched the view for a few minutes before heading in for dinner! During the warmer months, you can sit outside and enjoy the views with a glass of wine in hand! This is a great spot for a date night or celebration. The food was delicious. Our favorite dish was the scallops with a bacon jam on top. SO good. They also make their own wine and I had a glass of cabernet that was delicious and perfectly dry.
Before heading home the next morning, we enjoyed some coffee in our cabin at Vineyard Woods. Vineyard Woods is compromised of adorable cottages situated in the woods on the property of a vineyard. They have cottages that sleep 2, but also have larger accommodations, too! We had the best night of sleep and we loved the oversized bathroom and the cozy sitting area. They also had a really cute fire pit- next time we will bring s'mores supplies!!
We packed up and headed to Scribbler's Coffee for an early lunch! My fiancé got the Italian panini and I got the Reuben and they were both SO good. It is the cutest little spot that you could cozy up with a cup of coffee and a good book. It's in the heart of the town and looks like it could be Stars Hollow- so many cute little shops!
All in all, I highly recommend the trip to Geneva, Ohio. There is so much to do and we had so much fun. We hope to come back and bring my parents with us next time- they will love it, too! Thank you to the Ohio Grape Industries Committee for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.
All in all, I highly recommend the trip to Geneva, Ohio. There is so much to do and we had so much fun. We hope to come back and bring my parents with us next time- they will love it, too! Thank you to the Ohio Grape Industries Committee for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.
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