Photo Credit: Vintage Ohio Wine Festival via Facebook

Vintage Ohio Wine Festival
Lake Metroparks Farmpark
8800 Chardon Road
Kirtland, OH 44094
(800) 227-6972
www.visitvintageohio.com

Dates: August 3 and 4, 2012 from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Price: Ticket prices vary by package

Sights, sounds and most importantly, tastes – the Vintage Ohio Wine Festival has it all. Music for the ears, fireworks for the eyes and tasting for the palate come to Ohio all in one weekend. With more than a dozen vineyards and restaurants participating, you’ll want to add this festival to your list of summer fun.

The Vintage Ohio Wine Festival brings together winemakers and chefs from across the region to spoil us with Ohio’s finest in food and drink. Travel to Lake Metroparks Farmpark in Kirtland and be dazzled with the latest regional bottles of red, white and sparkling wine. The newest feature, a Meet The Wine Maker Tent is a wonderful addition. The top 10 Ohio winemakers will be there with tastings and food pairings. More than 15 restaurants are participating, including Big Daddy’s serving sweet potato fries, Italian sausage sandwiches and char-broiled chicken breast sandwiches; Cowboy Kettle Korn with its famous kettle corn; and J & J Catering offering coconut shrimp, steak skewers and crab patties. Others to look forward to are Nader’s Bistro, The Original Greek Gyros and Adams Reserve by Great Lakes Cheese. After indulging in some great eats, savor the tastes of quality wines from the area. The tents of these five wineries definitely deserve a visit.

Photo Credit: Deer’s Leap Winery

Deer’s Leap Winery
1520 Harpersfield Road
Geneva, OH 44041
(440) 466-1248
www.deersleapwine.com

Deer’s Leap Winery has the wines everyone is looking for: reds like the Geneva Fusion and whites like Niagara. However, this winery really stands out for its fruit wines. Classic sweet flavors like pear are available, as well as more unexpected ones such as elderberry and harvest spice made with cloves and cinnamon. If none of these spark your interest, then you must try the Niagara Mist, a semi-sweet sparkling white perfect for any party. Bottle prices range from $9 to $14.

Related: Best Wine Bars In Cleveland

Photo Credit: Klingshirn Winery

Klingshirn Winery
33050 Webber Road
Avon Lake, OH 44012
(440) 933-6666
www.klingshirnwine.com

This winery has an amazing variety to choose from beyond standard whites, reds and dessert wines. Klingshirn’s premium wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Grigio and White Riesling among others. Most interesting are the local wines like the Country Blush, a hybrid of grapes with a semi-dry finish, or the Native American wines made from the Vitis Labrusca variety of grapes. The Golden Chablis is semi dry, the Niagara is a semi-sweet white while the Vin Rose is a semi-sweet light red. There are so many to try, it may take a while to sample all of those deserving. Prices per bottle of wine vary from $6 to $20.

Photo Credit: Wyandotte via Facebook

Wyandotte Winery
4640 Wyandotte Drive
Columbus, OH 43230
(614) 476-3624
www.wyandottewinery.com

The history of the Wyandotte Winery goes back more than 30 years and so does its passion. The desire for making unique wines is still alive in the bottles of blueberry port and pomegranate wine. The most popular varieties are undoubtedly the Winemaker’s Select, a Carmenere/Malbec blend, and the Graystone, an Ohio Riesling. The Winemaker’s Select is a limited-quantity wine blended from two bold grapes resulting in a strong fruitty finish. The Graystone is an easily drinkable, crisp, white wine with a semi-dry finish. Try any one of the 14 bottles at the Wyandotte Winery. You won’t be disappointed by any. Bottles of Wyandotte wine have an average price of $13 and splits (smaller bottles) of fruit wine range between $15 and $25.

Photo Credit: Valley Vineyards

Valley Vineyards
2276 East US 22 & 3
Morrow, OH 45152
(513) 899-2485
www.valleyvineyards.com

Valley Vineyards is a winery in Ohio that shouldn’t be missed. It offers more than 15 different types of wine to taste, but don’t let that scare you. The wines are a fantastic variety. The Hillside Red is a popular and exciting option. Grown in the Ohio River Valley, the grapes are aged for 12 months in oak and blended to a smooth, fruity finish. The whites vary from a Valley Vineyards Champagne, bubbly and sweet, to a crisp medium-bodied White Reflections. Bottles of wine fluctuate between $9 and $40 for reds, whites and dessert wines.

Photo Credit: Paper Moon via Facebook

Paper Moon Vineyards
2008 State Road
Vermilion, OH 44089
(440) 967-2500
www.papermoonvineyards.com

Paper Moon Vineyards is set in beautiful Vermilion on acres of land near the Vermilion River. Newer to the wine-making community, it produces wines made from regional and distant grapes. From the sweet and light, casual red Fredonia to the semi-dry with a pear finish Cayuga White, there is something for everyone here. Visit the vineyard for a variety of appetizers such as breads and a cheese plate, to entrees and desserts. Paper Moon Vineyards is making itself at home in the vineyards of Ohio. Prices per bottles range from $8 to $20.

Related: Best Farmers’ Markets In The Cleveland Area

Marissa is a happily adventurous wife, mother and runner. Living in Lakewood, Ohio she searches neighboring communities for exciting food and drinks that are good and good for you on the Cleveland area. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.