September and October are grape harvesting months in Ohio, especially Concord grapes. If you have ever had wine made from Concord grapes, then you may have equated it to spiked grape juice, due to its sweetness. The melt in your mouth, delightful flavor is comparable to dessert wines, plentiful in the Ohio region, and also known for their glace’. Concord grapes are just one of the plentiful grapes that are native to the region. The delightful aroma of the ripened grapes on the vines, will dance around and tickle your senses, as you drive through the Geneva, OH winery region. Open those vehicle windows, to let the fragrance in to infiltrate and linger, long after you have left the region.
Grapes grown in Ohio have to withstand all temperatures and have a hardy zone five for planting, which means they can survive to -10 degrees. In fact, dessert wines, better known as ice wines, are made from grapes that have reached ideal frost temperatures, around 17 degrees, and must be picked right away, usually sometime in January. Our summer heat and humidity well into the fall season make for a long growing duration before that time comes, however.
On a recent trip to the Geneva region, I found myself venturing off to Spring Hill Winery, where the vineyards reached out to greet me with their elegant shapes. The grapes were plentiful and deep blue-purple and had numerous bees trying to sample their sweet bounty. I guiltily reached out and plucked one, rinsed it with my water bottle, and plopped it into my mouth. The grape did not disappoint, as it burst-rich with flavor. The winery boasts a large indoor and outdoor area for seating, full menu, and live music, adjacent to their vineyards, along with a unique gift shop.
Next, I drove a short distance -where I was greeted with the most picturesque, quaint and beautifully colored winery; Harpersfield Winery. The sunflowers are lavish, as they reach straight up to warm their brilliant petals. An outdoor covered pavilion sits adjacent to the courtyard, where musicians entertain guests, amongst the trees, and lush green grasses and foliage. A blues band, “Wallace Coleman Blues”, was entertaining on this sunny, warm Sunday afternoon, and the harmonica player played, as he sang about a “Mean red spider”, “ making its cobwebs all over town”. The lyrics were unique and entertaining, and the music had a great rhythm to it.
The last winery I stopped at was Laurello, where serving anample amount of Italian fare that is handmade. Sampling the homemade meatballs and Italian bread is never a disappointment, and pairs nicely with one of their dry reds. As I walked a short distance outside to the covered pavilion, I was greeted with the rhythmic jangles of yet another band. This one called themselves, “K-Roll and Tom”, which played soothing sounds from artists like Sheryl Crow, and storytelling.
As we approach fall season the Geneva regions is getting ready for their Grape Jamboree. The Geneva Chamber of Commerce has announced that the Geneva Grape Jamboree will be September 24-25, 2022, in downtown Geneva, located at Rte 20 and Rte 534. A parade will begin at 1:30pm Saturday Sept. 24, and Sunday Sept. 25, at 2pm. Geneva will celebrate the grape harvest season by offering fresh squeezed grape juice, grapes, grape pies, wine and more. There will be an art, craft and car show, or you can sign up to stomp some grapes with your bare feet!
photos taken by Nicole Rapp at Spring Hill Winery
