Don’t sleep on ohio wines
Photo Courtesy of Maple Ridge Vineyard
Bordeaux, Napa Valley, Alsace… what do these regions have in common? Other than their names being synonymous with wine, the simple answer is that you have heard of them. I feel like there are three rungs on the casual wine connoisseur’s journey—merlot and chardonnay exist, I’m expanding my palate and I appreciate other French and California varietals, and what do you mean there are wines made in every state of America? Old world is easy to know; every wine blog and review site will rave about their experience with the most recent vintage from Burgundy or Tuscany, while also raving about the Chardonnay from Napa or the Pinot Noir made in Oregon. However, you’re not likely to find a wine review talking about the excellent wines being made in North Eastern Ohio.
Yes, you read that right. Ohio.
With the in mind, I’d like to describe my first experience visiting what quickly became my favorite winery, Maple Ridge Vineyard, located in Madison, Ohio.
I grew up staying with my grandparents every summer in North Eastern Ohio; their home mere feet from the shores of Lake Erie. It’s an area of the country that has always been near and dear to my heart, and, surprisingly, it’s a region that was able to grow with me as my tastes changed, as my interests evolved and as I began my own journey of exploration in the world of wine. One thing I didn’t know when I was younger, was just how important wine was, and was going to become to that region.
Shortly before my birth, the region was officially designated as the Grand River Valley AVA; short for American Viticultural Area of which there are 5 designated AVA’s in Ohio. In recent years, new wineries have been opening all over the area. Being just a couple miles from the third largest of the Great Lakes, Lake Erie, the moderating effect of the lake and the river for which the region is named has allowed a great variety of old-world wines to thrive. Not to sound too controversial, but I would put some of the Pinot Noir and Riesling that have grown in the Grand River Valley up against any region.
Maple Ridge, in particular, is an absolute gem of an establishment. I’ll admit, straight off the bat, they currently only accept reservations from clients that are already apart of their wine club. It is an exclusive club by necessity at this point, they are a winery that only has 6 acres of estate grown grapes, and while they import grapes from growers in California and Washington state, they are still a winery that bottles a minimal number of very exceptional wine. What’s the advantage? Quality, care, and patience.
The first time I ever visited, I was worried that I was being driven down the back road at the start of every ‘80s horror movie. The region is certainly, mostly farmland. Grape vines litter the side of the road for miles, and occasionally you’ll pass one of the dozens of tasting rooms that only serve the wines made on-site. There is a point, though, where all that seems to disappear and what is left is back country roads. So, when we turned off that paved road and onto a gravel path, I was starting to wonder. But as we drove along the red, white, and blue “Open” flag that is ubiquitous among the region’s wineries came into view, I knew I was safe.
When you arrive in the parking lot, the first thought is, “where’s the winery?” The only buildings on site are an outdoor patio area and a single-family home… Turns out the Maple Ridge’s tasting room is in the garage— It was a charm that I didn’t know I craved when it came wine.
Maple Ridge itself is an operation of four people; it’s a passion project that shows itself off in the wine. The wine is pressed, fermented, aged, and blended only when it is ready and only to the satisfaction of all involved – an almost wine by committee. That same care is also extended to the hospitality granted to it’s visitors; when my mother first visited, the owner came to the tasting room, sampled the wine, didn’t grade it up to quality and poured it down the drain. I’ve since come to know now how beautiful that particular blend was, but that wasn’t something that I had ever experienced at a wine bar or a winery. I have worked for a wine bar where we sold every last ounce and none of it went to waste. When I first visited, I remember less of the wine I had and more of the treatment we received. The owner, Jim, freely poured me a taste of this and of that, feeling out how I felt about the wine. Eventually he asked me my favorite, and of course I picked the one that wasn’t even bottled yet. Graciously, though, when I asked if we could have a bottle of that, he goes to the cellar and fills a carafe straight from the barrel. Several years later, case of that particular St. Emilion blend from that first meeting ended up in the cabin my groomsmen where staying in at my wedding.
For a wine blog, I know this post is a little light on wine. That’s by intention, though. I’ll talk a lot more about the wines of Ohio in the future, and especially the wines of Maple Ride, but the story of wine is centuries old… I believe that a bottle of wine can serve as a connection point to a time and a place that we will never get back to and by opening that wine we may temporarily transport ourselves back to the past… it becomes a shared experience of a lifetime of discipline and expertise that went into the making of the wine with the purpose of bringing people together in a unique way. A good wine is a good wine, but a wine will always taste better when paired with people.