Our Ninth and Final Stop of the Day: Buccia Vineyard

I was spent after leaving Firehouse, so the Bear and I decided to head out to the winery/bed and breakfast we were staying at, our ninth stop and final stop of the day, Buccia Vineyard in Conneaut, Ohio.

Note the nifty Chick-Fil-A shirt the Bear got me for my birthday!

I'll get straight to the point: this place is AWESOME. I've been looking forward to writing it up since the minute we arrived. Simply stated, this is the kind of place to go to have a good time whether you care about wine or not. 

The Bear had stayed here before but this was my first time, so my expectations for the next two nights were based solely on stories he had told me and a few pictures I saw on their website. I knew that a couple named Fred and Joanna Bucci owned and operated it and they're really good people. 

I also knew that I would have to go up a ladder to get to the bed. A waterbed. Yes, you read that right.

This place was mind-blowing for a number of reasons. Here are the top four:

1. Wine tasting is done completely on the honor system. If you're tasting, there's a table outside with bottles of each of Buccia's wines, measured pourers, a sign with the price per tasting, and a jar where you drop your money. If you're staying, Fred will direct you to where the wine is, tell you to help yourself, and that you'll settle the tab when you check out. 

I had never experienced this at a winery before. Relinquishing control and responsibility to guests sounds daring from a business standpoint but establishing this kind of trust between seller and buyer is a total winner. This is one of the things that now has me hooked as a repeat customer. It's easy and relaxed. There was no obligation to try a set amount of wines like the "3/$1.00"-type rates create, which allowed me to try exactly what I wanted; nothing more, nothing less. No one was hounding us for a credit card to start a tab and no one was vigilantly tallying each individual tasting for us, just in case we recently learned how to count without using our fingers. 

This trust made me feel like Fred thought of us as friends, not just as customers. We certainly appreciated being treated like the honest, hardworking adults that we are. It was easy to give more than our fair share to support a friend. 

2. It immediately feels like a home away from home. At some wineries, I've had the same cold, sterile feeling (and experience) I used to have when I went to model homes with my parents years ago: a nicely dressed person is only interested in talking to you because they want to sell you something and everything is nice to look at but don't you dare touch anything. 

Buccia is the total opposite in every way. No run-of-the-mill sales pitches, no hurrying to get to the next customer, no need to "look the part" of being at a hoity-toity winery, no pressure at all to do anything besides have a good time. This is a relaxed environment that anyone will feel welcome in and everyone will leave feeling like they have a new friend. The first night we were there, we sat outside in some folding chairs like we were at a friend's house for a picnic and shot the breeze with Fred and some other customers while we tasted wine. Fred is the kind of guy you will feel like you've know for years upon meeting him for the first time and wow, does he have the stories. I could have stayed out there all night just listening to all of the fun, sometimes hilarious experiences he's had. 

3. You might pick your own grapes. Sounds kind of crazy but really cool, right? Right. 

No, you're not picking some grapes off a vine and drinking them as wine the same day; Fred is a pretty spectacular guy but even he can't pull that off. However, one Saturday during the harvesting season, anyone and everyone is welcome at Buccia to help pick the grapes. Known as the harvest picnic, this event is held annually at the end of September, and anyone who attends will be paid handsomely in food and fond memories. If you go back in the next few years, you may be able to taste the fruits of your labor- a unique concept I have yet to find elsewhere. 

4. No other bed and breakfast has rooms like this. That's a pretty strong statement. But, I dare you to find another B&B with a hot tub with a partial privacy fence IN the room, a conversation pit, and a lofted waterbed with a ladder. I wanted to save the best for last. We stayed in room number one (of four) and it is incredible because you will not find anything like it anywhere else.

I can't make this stuff up. 

In addition to having sweet accommodations, breakfast was great each morning. We had mini blueberry muffins, bananas and creme, and orange juice on Friday morning and cinnamon rolls in place of the muffins on Saturday. Another nice feature about the rooms is that each has a private patio that overlooks the vineyard and is covered in grape vines, which is where we ate breakfast. 

Saturday's breakfast

As for the wine, it's okay. It's mostly on the sweet side, but that's to be expected since grapes that produce the sweeter wines generally grow well in the area. Buccia's Chambourcin was good with the traditional bite and a burst of almost Zinfandel-like pepper flavor. The Reflections of Lake Erie ended up impressing us both. It reminds me of a Gewurtztraminer-style Riesling. Buccia's Reflections is a well done blend of white grapes with a slightly sweet taste than a semi-dry Riesling and smooth finish. It is very similar to the Piesporter my mom likes to drink, so we got two bottles to take home.

Buccia is a must-go for anyone, regardless of their taste or interest in wine. In addition to the harvest picnic, they host a lot of different evens through the summer and fall like a steak fry and a pig roast. A bread and cheese basket can be ordered on a daily basis if you get hungry during your visit. They also ship wine within the state of Ohio if you're looking to try something before making the trip, just call (440) 593-5976. If you're looking to stay overnight like we did, book your stay as soon as possible because they fill up quickly. With three of the rooms at $80/night and the honeymoon suite at $120, the price is right. All in all, the wine is decent, the company is great, and there will always be some sort of fun whether there's a formal event or not. 

I won't give any spoilers to Fred's stories. I highly encourage you to go hear them yourself. It will be a memorable visit to say the least.

One final note on Buccia- no matter which winery we went to on our trip, if we had the opportunity to speak to an owner or winemaker, we quickly found out that they all know Fred Bucci and have wonderful things to say about him. The experience alone of meeting Fred is worth the drive- he truly is a good person and a grand lover of life. At the very least, you'll leave Buccia with a new friend, and maybe some wine, too.

Go out of your way to come here, you won't be disappointed. 

Up next, we head to Pennsylvania to test some wineries that were new to both of us, starting with Mazza. Check back soon for an update, and remember to enjoy your grapes responsibly! Cheers!

Stop Number Five: There is NO Communion Wine at South River Vineyard

After leaving M Cellars, the Bear and I decided to stop and go to church at South River Vineyard.

South River Vineyard is housed in an old church on South River Road in Geneva, Ohio. Inside, there are a few rows of wooden pews facing each other and stained glass windows all around. There's a veranda on the side of the building and a separate pavilion for a relaxing, outdoor experience overlooking the vineyard. The setting is absolutely beautiful and very quiet; it is perfect for anyone looking for a scenic venue that can help them diffuse and re-energize. I highly encourage everyone to check out the photos on their website because they are stunning.

This was an interesting experience for me. I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church and though I don't consider myself to be a deeply religious person now, being at South River was almost surreal. I was in an old church, standing by the hard, wooden pews no butt could ever forget, and I was tasting wine that was definitely not communion wine. I felt like such a rebel.

And of course, there's nothing like some good ol' Catholic guilt to bring the experience full-circle.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Grapes, Amen.

Anyone who visits South River has the option to purchase a cheese and bread plate but patrons are allowed to bring small picnics to enjoy with their wine, too.  South River also allows well-behaved dogs on leashes in the pavilion which may be a draw for some; this is the first winery I've seen that openly permits four-legged friends. They do not allow weddings, private parties, or photography, such as senior pictures or engagement photos, which is unfortunate since South River has such a scenic property.  

Tasting flights of any four wines of your choice are available for $6.  The girl at the tasting bar was nice and did a decent job explaining the wines and dividing her attention between us and other customers, but she wasn't the easy-to-talk-to, "spark plug" personality we've found at some of our other, more memorable winery visits. The wine also didn't stand out. We split our tasting and the Bear ordered the Pinot Noir and the Exodus and I had the Chardonnay and the Riesling.  The Pinot Noir was predictable with a light body and silky taste, and it had a hint of cherry that I liked. The Exodus, a Merlot, didn't have the bitter chocolate taste it was supposed to, and I was looking forward to that so I was a little let down. The Bear was less than satisfied with these as well.

The Chard was a good, dry white, but I wasn't particularly wowed. It had a hint of buttery vanilla and it was oaked, but it was lacking the traditional, bold flavor of an oaked Chardonnay. It was crisp, bright, and mild, which would make it a good summer wine, but it wasn't special. This would be a good wine for someone who is starting to transition from sweet to dry wines.  It is good, but it isn't something I fell in love with.

The Riesling was...special. It tasted like grass. I would buy this if I was expecting the Chick-Fil-A Cow as a dinner guest.

It's possible I had a bad tasting, but unless you moo, I would stick with the Chardonnay.

This was the only winery on our trip from which we did not purchase a bottle. We did get a souvenir logo glass, though!

South River's wine can be shipped by the case throughout the state of Ohio as well as Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, and Virginia. If you are interested in ordering a case, call 440.466.6676; they are not available for sale online through their website. South River is the first that I have come across so far to be able to ship across state lines. I will do further research into the state of Ohio's laws to see why some wineries are limited as to where they can ship and some are not.

Overall, our experience at South River was decent but this is a winery we aren't itching to go back to soon. The wine didn't stand out, the people didn't stand out, so we weren't head over heels thrilled. The wines aren't bad by any means (with the exception of the Riesling), they just aren't for us. South River prides itself on being a quiet place to sip wine and it was exactly that- maybe even a little too quiet for me. Undoubtedly, the affect of the church setting subconsciously influences the demeanor of their guests.

My impression is that South River would be a good choice for a gathering where you'll be making your own fun and want a pretty place to go- like a low-key girl's night out or a romantic picnic for dog lovers- and the wine will be supplementary to, rather than the focus of, your visit.

It's always possible that we may have come on a bad day, so if you haven't been to South River and you'll be in the area, stop by- it's certainly worth a try. Or, if you have been to South River and had a better experience than we did, please share it- we would love to hear a story that can make us reconsider a second visit!

As always, remember to imbibe responsibly, regardless of what's in your glass! Check back soon for our next stop, Deer's Leap! Cheers, all!

Our Fourth Stop: M Cellars

After leaving the Virant Family Winery, our next stop was M Cellars in Geneva, OH.

M Cellars' facility is gorgeous.  The last time we were in the Geneva area was in late 2012 when the finishing touches were being applied and I'm glad we were able to see the finished product.

Unfortunately, it was pretty crowded when we were there.  Owners Matt and Tara Meineke were the only two people we saw behind the tasting bar, so we didn't have the opportunity to hear any history behind M Cellars or their wines.  In their defense, one of the tour busses from a Geneva-on-the-Lake resort had pulled up just before we got there and they were suddenly inundated with customers.

Their website provides a little more background and owner/winemaker Matt Meineke gives a brief synopsis on how he got into the wine business.  In short, Mr. Meineke went from making wine in his home to purchasing 12.6 acres land,  patiently preparing the soil, planting 10 acres of grapes, and finally producing and selling wine in the extravagant venue that is M Cellars.

This dream was years in the making for the Meinekes; their first crop of grapes, Pinot Noir and Riesling, were planted in spring 2008- at least a year after acquiring the land and cultivating it for planting.  M Cellars opened in November 2012.

I never realized how long it took to start a vineyard and winery from scratch.  Winemaking is clearly a patient person's art, therefore I will stick to consumption rather than production.

The crowd made it difficult to spend as much time there as we would have liked.  Mrs. Meineke assisted us with our tastings and she was very nice; I wish we could have talked with her more.  We only tried a couple of wines and found the Noiret (pronounced nuh-ray) to be notable.  It has a hint of green and black pepper, full body, and decent finish.  This is a decent dry red and would be easy to pair with a boldly flavored main course.

I hadn't heard much about this type of wine prior to our visit, so I did some research and found that the Noiret grape is fairly new.  It is a hybrid developed by Cornell University researchers and was released in July 2006.  Noiret grows well in New York, which has similar growing conditions to Ohio, so wine drinkers in the area will probably see even more of it in coming years.  We ended up purchasing a bottle and I look forward to revisiting this once we uncork it.

2012 Lake Erie Noiret

M Cellars' wines are available online with a 10% discount on orders of 12 bottles or more (minimum order of 2 bottles) and can only ship within Ohio.  There are non-wine items in their online store that can be shipped outside the state.  If you're interested in making the trip to Geneva, their website also covers their daily menu and promotes events hosted at the winery, including live entertainment, if you're looking for that to be part of your experience.  You will also want to bookmark their Facebook page, as it has even more up to date event information.  M Cellars is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays from 12-6 and Fridays and Saturdays from 12-8.

Visitors should be aware that M Cellars wines are a slightly pricier than other wineries in the area; bottles start $15.92 each.  Also, if you are hard of hearing or sensitive to loud sounds, I recommend going when they are not very crowded- maybe a weekday and/or shortly after they open for business- because there is very little sound-deadening material in the facility.

I would like to give M Cellars another shot but the Bear was underwhelmed so it may be a while before we return.  The two most memorable things from this visit, aside from the crowd, were the lovely family pictures of the Meinekes on the tasting bar and their women's restroom because it was really, really clean.  Both of those things are great, but I will remain optimistic that the next time we're there, the actual wine experience will stick with me more.

Check back soon for our next stop, South River Vineyard!  As always, enjoy what you pour, but please drink responsibly.  Cheers, all!

Third Stop: Virant Family Winery

Our next stop on our customized tour of the Ohio Vines and Wines trail was the Virant Family Winery in Geneva, OH.  I visited their website on the (very short) drive from Chalet Debonné to check their hours and their homepage proudly states "Come see us soon.  After all, you'll be treated like family!"

That statement couldn't be more spot-on.

Before we arrived, Virant's website had already made the winery stand out above the rest because it is the first site I have seen to promote the use of Be My DD.  Be My DD is a service through which anyone can reserve a driver for safe transportation to and/or from a party, winery, bar, etc.  This speaks volumes as to how much the Virant family cares for their customers.  

I was impressed and we weren't even there yet.

We drove up a narrow road to find a quaint, moderately sized brick building surrounded by row upon row of beautiful, healthy grape vines.  They opened at 2 and we got there a little early, but that didn't seem to matter much as we were welcomed in.  The interior reminded me of an American Legion hall; everything was basic and sufficient.  My immediate impression was that this is a business run by a hardworking, down-to-Earth family who does what they love and loves what they do- the quintessential American Dream.

The Virant Family Winery not only sells wine, they also host private parties, showers, and have a scenic outdoor venue for weddings that overlooks the vineyard.  They have an everyday menu anyone can order from while tasting, which includes a cheese plate, burgers, chicken breasts, fries, and a few other fun, picnic-type items.  We were also invited back on any Friday or Saturday night from 5-9 p.m., year round, for their steak and prime rib dinners.  

Everyone was so warm and welcoming, I felt like we were being invited to a friend's house for a cookout.

All of the individuals we met at Virant were kind, attentive, and very easy to talk to, especially the sweet older gentleman who was decked out in his bib overalls.  The Bear was given the gift of gab and he lights up when he has the opportunity to socialize with our local vintners, which warms my heart.  Watching him enjoy himself so much was my most memorable part of our visit and we could have stayed there all day if we weren't determined to see so many other wineries.

As for the wine, Virant offers quite a few sweet wines and fruit wines with a couple of dry offerings.  I tried the Riesling and the Bear had the Midnight Chambourcin.  The Riesling had a refreshing nose with a bit of an apple taste.  This was well done for a semi-dry wine, the finish was very smooth and crisp.  This is the kind of wine we call a boat wine- one we would take out on our friend's boat after work on a hot summer Friday evening because it's cold and it goes down easy.

The Midnight Chambourcin was an excellent dry red.  There was a hint of plum in the nose and taste, the wine had a full body, and the finish was surprisingly smooth.  The plum notes made this Chambourcin stand out from others we have tried.  This would be a good wine to have with Virant's Friday and Saturday steak and prime rib dinners!  The Chambourcin ended up being the bottle that came home with us.

The majority of Virant's wines were a little sweeter than what we generally prefer but there are drier options available, such as the Chambourcin and the Riesling.  Wines by the bottle and special orders can be placed over the phone at 440.466.6279 and shipped within the state of Ohio.  If you're interested in attending the steak and prime rib dinner or hosting a private party, reservations and arrangements can be made at the same telephone number.  Virant's wines can be purchased online by the case at a 15% discount.  

While online and telephone ordering is convenient, I highly recommend making the trip to Geneva to the Virant Family Winery.  One of the most exciting and interesting aspects of visiting wineries isn't the wine itself, it's getting to know the people who work there.  In our experience, the ability to do this is the biggest difference between wineries that sell entertainment and aesthetics and wineries that sell their passion.  Without question, the Virant Family Winery is an establishment built on passion; the pride they take in their work is reflected in the quality of their wines as well as the quality of their people.  Experiencing the genuine kindness and hospitality of the Virant family is well worth the drive.  They are an absolute joy to spend time with and you will indeed be treated like family.

Thank you for reading!  Next up will be our review of M Cellars and South River Vineyard, so check back soon!  Please remember to consume alcoholic beverages responsibly.  Cheers, all!

Elf Introduction

Years ago, my best friend from college and I decided we would be fancy and try wine.  Being college students and wine novices, we had unflinchingly rigid selection criteria:

1. Is it wine?

2. Is it cheap?

3. Is it easy to drink?

If the answer to those questions was 'yes', we found a winner.  

Bonus points were awarded if it came in a pretty or unique bottle.

We have plenty of stories of our good and bad wine experiences and actually, our tastes grew somewhat.  We both started off with the sweet wines.  Then, she started to drink "dry reds," which I sadly had to shy away from since they triggered my migraine headaches, and I started to drink "dry whites."  I use the term dry loosely because very few of the wines we drank were legitimately dry wines.  We didn't care though, we were 21 year old musicians drinking wine when none of our friends cared about wine, so we were about as cool as could be.

Looking back, a more accurate description of the development of our wine tastes would be that we started by drinking glue-your-mouth-shut sweet wine and graduated to wines with the residual sugars of hard candy.

Then, in 2010, I started my very first big girl job and settled in with my work team, which consisted of people of all ages, education and experience levels, and personal backgrounds.  We all seemed to have two things in common though: looking out for each other and having a good time together.  Our team functioned more like a family than a workgroup and I am one of the fortunate few people out there who love the people I work with.  

We began to frequent a local bar or winery on Friday nights.  Since then, our Friday night meetings turned into wine-infused boat trips along the shores of Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River, which evolved into gatherings at each other's homes in which we celebrated the end of the week with, you guessed it, wine.  We often had new wines to try but quickly developed a short list of stand-by favorites.

We celebrate responsibly, of course.

I was also fortunate enough to convert one of those friendships into romance with my best friend, my soulmate, the love of my life, who also happens to be my very own personal sommelier.  He was significantly more experienced in the world of wine- especially Ohio wine- than I was and took on the challenge of expanding my palate.  We started by visiting wineries he liked that were new to me and grew from there.  Soon enough, something I once dabbled in not only became a hobby but it became our hobby.  Now, we enable and encourage each other to try wines and wineries that are new to both of us and we have so much fun sharing what has matured into our passion.

He is my Bear, my protector, my teacher, and my inspiration.  He is the driving force behind my writing, as he is the one who opened my eyes to a whole new world of wine from which I haven't looked back. 

I have learned so much about wine through our many adventures and stumbled upon so many excellent local wineries.  Never did I think that as a twenty-something, I would be talking about a wine's body, be able to identify it's notes, or creating an educated, informed opinion about a vintage.  We have gone so many places together and done so many interesting things, I wanted needed to start a blog to keep track of it all.  

After all, I can type a lot faster and more legibly than I can write.

So, why The Wine Elf?  The previously mentioned group of super fun work friends is the same group of people responsible for my blog's title.  I would bring cookies regularly for those near and dear to me, and one told me I was his favorite Keebler elf and asked me if I live in a tree.  Life is more fun if you play along, so I said "absolutely I do."

From that point on, I was referred to as: The Keebler Elf, Ms. Keebler, Keebie, and ultimately became just "The Elf."  I love it.  I'm sure I will sneak in a cookie post or two from time to time.  

I can't wait to begin to document the many adventures of The Bear and The Elf.  We recently returned from a winery trip to the northeast part of Ohio and I look forward to sharing our experience shortly!

As a reminder, please enjoy the grapes (and any other beverages) responsibly.  Cheers, all!