Round 2 of Lake County Getaway Giveaway brings you a ‘Sip into Summer’ experience featuring some of the top wineries in Lake County!
Giveaway closed!
Prize includes:
- ONE (1) OVERNIGHT STAY at Steele Mansion Inn & Gathering Pub
- Choice of one (1) Wine Experience:
- Signature Wine Barrel Room Tasting & Tour at Debonne Vineyards, requires Saturday night stay and based on availability*
- Grand River Cellars Wine Cave Tastings, hosted Saturday afternoons only* and based on availability
- Your choice of 3 $25 gift cards to any of the wineries listed below:
- Stonegait Winery
- Cask 307
- Ferrante Winery & Ristorante o Laurello Vineyards
- Red Eagle Distillery
- M Cellars Winery
- Debonne Vineyards
- Grand River Cellars
- The Winery at Spring Hill
- Baci Winery
- Benny Vino Urban Winery
- Deer’s Leap Winery
- Laurentia Vineyard & Winery
- Old Mill Winery & Restaurant
‘Sip into Summer’ Lake County Getaway Giveaway Official Sweepstakes Rules
Lake County’s Best Wineries
The Grand River Valley in Lake County, Ohio, is known for being one of the best agricultural regions in which to grow grapes for wine. While perhaps flying more under the radar than regions like Napa Valley and the Finger Lakes, the wines produced in this region are just as high-quality and delicious – and since it’s right outside of Cleveland, you can drive to Lake County from Pittsburgh in just a few hours!
Now’s the perfect time to start planning a weekend getaway for this summer to visit some of the Grand River Valley’s best wineries, and to help you get started, we’ve made a list of more than a dozen of our favorite spots. From boutique, family-owned businesses to large, innovative vineyards with decades of history, check out the best wineries in Lake County for superior sips this summer:
Stonegait Winery
Bill and Beth Heinz had a dream of starting a vineyard-to-bottle winery, and their backgrounds in farming, construction, and raising horses led to the name of their family-owned business, Stonegait Winery. Onsite, you can try more than a dozen types of Stonegait wine (or try a flight of six for the best variety!) and enjoy delicious bites off their menu of shareables, salads, sandwiches, and pizza.
Cask 307
Since opening in June 2019, Cask 307 has been the gateway to the Grand River Valley wine region. Its stunning space includes an outdoor patio and tasting room where you can sample their wines, enjoy premium charcuterie and cheeses from their in-house deli, and even be educated on the grapes that grow in the valley and have an informative tasting experience with Cask 307’s experts.
Ferrante Winery & Restaurant
The legacy of Ferrante Winery & Restaurant began in 1937 with the family’s first winery in suburban Cleveland. Forty years later, Peter Ferrante built the state-of-the-art winemaking facility that is still family-owned and run to this day! With 40 acres of vineyards and innovative technology for cutting-edge wines, you can enjoy a huge variety of unique wines as well as a full menu of Italian classics for lunch and dinner.
Laurello Vineyards
Featuring upwards of 25 varieties of award-winning wines (including ice wine!), Laurello Vineyards is a boutique winery that focuses on creating “Old World–inspired blends and single-varietal wines with crisp acidity and firm tannic structure to balance the fruit-forward notes.” In addition to their wine samples and live entertainment, visitors can dine on classic appetizers, wood-fired gourmet pizzas, and even house special Italian-inspired sandwiches.
Red Eagle Distillery
Of course, the Grand River Valley isn’t just known for wine – you can also sip on some spirits this summer! Built out of a barn dating back to the 1800s, Red Eagle Distillery carries out the region’s tradition of creating craft wine and spirits with their Ohio bourbon, vodka, rye whiskey, brandy, and even a distilled red maple spirit. Visit the barn to try samples, craft cocktails and local beers and ciders on tap before taking a short walk over to Black Door Tavern for some chef-inspired small plates.
M Cellars Winery
M Cellars is a family-owned and operated boutique winery that offers “handcrafted wines with a sense of place,” and that place is a gorgeous tasting room and an outdoor patio that offers a panoramic view of the winery’s spacious vineyards (which you can even tour on Sundays). This winery’s approach to winemaking “values the varietal character of each wine while showing off terroir and vintage in the most expressive way possible.”
Debonne Vineyards
Debonne Vineyards prides itself on being the largest estate winery in all of Ohio – with over 175 acres of vines just for their wines! That’s not its only accolade either, having also become the first winery in Ohio to open its own microbrewery as well. Debonne also offers a year-round food menu and an outdoor grill open seasonally that features specialty sandwiches, salads, and apps. Oh, and did we mention that their Flight Terminal tasting bar features a whopping nine wine flight options?! Debonne is an absolute must for dedicated wine lovers.
Grand River Cellars
Named for the excellent wine-growing region in which it’s located, Grand River Cellars was first opened in 1976 and was lovingly restored in 2005 into the thriving winery it is today. Over the years, this winery has won countless awards for its wines, which you can enjoy by the sample sip, glass, or bottle. Visitors can also dine at the winery’s restaurant or, for a one-of-a-kind experience, host dinner in the winery’s private wine cave restaurant.
The Winery at Spring Hill
There truly is something for everyone to enjoy at The Winery at Spring Hill! In addition to its selection of dry and sweet wines, visitors can enjoy handcrafted fruit ciders, and a delicious food menu featuring flatbreads, burgers, and salads. The Winery at Spring Hill also features live music and entertainment on weekends, but you’re more than welcome to stop by their retail shop Wednesday through Sunday to grab a bottle to go!
Harpersfield Vineyard
Harpersfield Vineyard is a farm-style vineyard with a cozy tasting room and lush grounds where guests can enjoy a bottle (or two!) of the vineyard’s eight varietals of estate wines, from chardonnay and pinot gris to cabernet franc and rose – and more! The vineyard also offers an artisanal cheese tray and rotating flatbreads from their kitchen as well as live entertainment all weekend long.
Baci Winery
Baci Winery at St. Joseph Vineyard is a boutique, family-owned winery built around the vineyard itself, which has grown a wide (and growing!) range of varietals since its very first planting. This seasonal winery will be reopening soon for the spring and summer, featuring brand-new wine labels, an expanded outdoor patio bar, and a brand-new winemaking facility with a contemporary Italian feel and a whole new food menu!
Benny Vino Urban Winery
Located in the heart of Perry Village, Benny Vino Urban Winery has a character unlike any other in the region! Opened by Benny Bucci in July 2010, Benny Vino was quickly named the best urban winery in the Cleveland region thanks to its delicious wines, savory appetizer and pizza menu, and Benny’s clear passion for creating an atmosphere dedicated to enjoying a great glass of vino with some good friends.
Deer’s Leap Winery
Six generations of family have helped cultivate the success of Deer’s Leap Winery, including current winemaker Robert Bostwick, whose 35 years of experience in the industry have led to international acclaim and awards. Open daily year-round, Deer’s Leap offers “a variety of wine from sweet Fredonia to a dry Cabernet, as well as a vast selection of fruit wine.” Extensive menus for appetizers, lunch, and dinner are also available.
Laurentia Vineyard and Winery
In 2011, two wine-loving brothers purchased the land that would become Laurentia Vineyard and Winery with a dream of creating one of the best vineyards in this famed wine region’s history, and it’s easy to see that they’ve done just that. More than a decade later, Laurentia has grown into 45 acres of vineyard with a seasonal-focused restaurant, an exclusive wine club, and eight wines with award-winning flavor and character.
Old Firehouse Winery
Calling all dog lovers! With labels that celebrate the classic firehouse Dalmatian, Old Firehouse Winery is the ultimate spot for fun-loving weekenders. To start, the winery features a historic Ferris Wheel on its ground that you can ride (perhaps before your tastings!) as well as live music and dinner theater events. Old Firehouse also offers two lines of wines: Firehouse Cellars, its premium brand, and Firehouse Wines, its flagship wine with Grand River Valley-sourced grapes.
Old Mill Winery
Old Mill Winery is a cozy winery and restaurant located inside a classic red barn that features a fun, family-style atmosphere and charming outdoor patio. Its food menu features a full range of options – including gluten-free options! – as well as a dozen wine varieties and seasonal favorites like wine slushies and Geneva summer berry fruit wine.
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.