Do me a favor... pretend that I posted this last Friday like I had planned on doing? That'll save me a lot of edits. Thanks.
The Geneva and Geneva on the Lake area have the right idea. The area offers a retreat for Northeast Ohioans from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. You get to enjoy lungs full of country air, the relaxing sounds of nature, and a delicious selection of the regions best wine. They don't try to be any more or any less than a relaxing and enjoyable destination for all.
I'll admit that last week wasn't my greatest so this little retreat was well needed. After a deep nap in the car on the way there and depression bubbling up in the form of a dismal 1st half for the Browns against the regionalism powerhouse that is pittsburgh, I groggily stepped out of the car... OK seriously pittsburgh and all of its "brands" are creeping into all of the surrounding areas like some sort of marketing black death. The steelers, yingling, giant eagle, pnc, heinz, ppg pittsburgh paint... the list is getting bigger and they are expanding into our area without a fight by anyone... but I digress.
Our first 2 stops were to Ferrante Winery & Ristorante and Chalet Debonne Vineyards and they were beautiful. All the wineries seem to have acres of grapevines on their premises and wonderful outdoor entertaining areas. They seem to be designed to blend in with their surroundings and the busy season in which they operate. Each building is unique in its own way with no sense of cookie cutter chain design or super modern urbanism. They reflect the times in which they opened and stay true to what the area promotes. They aren't pushed by ultra competitiveness to the point of becoming clones of the most popular. They act as a truly supportive community that strives to bring the whole area up equally. When needed, they share grapes, equipment, and ideas in a time where other industries would watch as the weaker businesses are snipped from the vine and push to thrive further as additional nutrients come their way... all puns intended.. unless it sounded stupid.
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The main reason we went up to Geneva was to visit a brand new winery owned by a friend of Gina's cousin Kerry called Hundley Cellars. Upon first glance the winery looked like an small redone two-story sitting on some beautiful green country acreage highlighted by the late afternoon sun. We walked in and the first thing you notice is the size of the great room. The smell of the wood that wrapped the room from ceiling to floor still hung in the air as if it were just finished that day. There were a few burlap wrapped tables positioned around a wood support pillar and what looked to be a family room setup on the far end. There were children laying on the sofas that were positioned around the fireplace playing hand held video games. Once the awe of this beautiful room let go of you and you got your bearings, you see the obvious first stop. The smiling owner, Tracy Hundley Pringle, and her mother behind the bar in front of where we walked in.
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| We talked for a bit with them about the winery and how it came to be. Once we were properly introduced and caught up, they took us out to see the grape fields. We walked out of the back of the building onto a large patio that had tables and chairs set up on it. There was a large grassy area directly behind the patio and a pond off to the left. Far in the back of the lot were the rows and rows of grapes. Tracy pointed out which rows of grapes were which and even showed us how the technique they used to help them grow and produce more bunches. We were told that because of the polar vortex filled winter they were afraid that they would lose most of their crop for the year. Much to everyone's surprise however there were grapes on the vines. Tracy and her family currently live in South Carolina and had not been up to the winery for a while. During this time she wasn't able to keep tabs on how well the grapes were doing given the weather situation. Her face lit up as she picked one and put it in her mouth. It was a great moment to see a person right at that wonderful moment where they get to enjoy the fruits of their labor... Again pun/no pun whatever. |  |
We walk back to the winery and re-entered through the cellar doors into the basement fermentation/storage area. My mind had a hard time wrapping itself around how many bottles or grapes for that matter each of the containers held... but it looked like a lot. When we looked into one of the containers we saw the chemical reactions of the fermentation process just whirring and whooshing the almost wine around without a bit of help from any of us. Even though it is probably the least glorious or designer part of any winery tour, seeing the near finished product there in those containers made me feel like I should be out there picking grapes just so I could feel like I was a tiny fraction of the process that created it. It's something that's been brewing in me for awhile (Goodness I'm on fire with the puns!) and I'm just going to have to start creating something and selling it. The thought keeps me awake at night.
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The wine samples that we were allowed to taste were delicious and surprisingly different. I like sweet wines if I'm generally going to drink it without food, and there was one there that I will definitely grab for my own shelves to go along with my Cabernet Sauvignons and (brace yourself for the chills) dandelion wines from Amish country. You stop judging right now! I can easily say that if Tracy or her mother are at the winery, you should go for the conversation alone as they were exceptionally nice people and are more than willing to teach you about the whole process. Having a bottle or 6 of their delicious wine while chatting doesn't hurt either and you won't be disappointed. I highly recommend stopping by to see them at 6451 St. Rte. 307 in Geneva.
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We closed out the night at a winery in Geneva on the Lake... the name escapes me for obvious drunken reasons but it was right on the strip with a lake view slightly obstructed by a working ferris wheel. As it got dark I remember enjoying the long conversations we had far more than the food or the wine that was served. We actually mixed the 2 wines together there at the end and it made it sorta better. Our tiny glimpse of Geneva on the Lake from our picnic table gave us enough incentive to revisit it for a longer time next year once things get kicking again since, unfortunately for us, we arrived on the last day of this year's busy season. I also slightly remember witnessing the power of religious faith and, even though I may not be the most devout anything, it warmed my heart.
The drive home wasn't too bad and I'll make you a deal... if I get enough shares and retweets, I'll post a pic of Gina sleeping in the car... and maybe a funny video of her too. |
OK I love ya Cleveland buh bye!
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