Hundley Cellars- Geneva, OH

While Ohio traces its winemaking history back to the early 1800s, the industry has really exploded in the last decade. At present there are over 260 wineries across the state, which could keep you very busy if you attempted to visit them all. Fortunately, many wineries tend to be clustered in regions, making it easy to hit several on the same day. Which is a godsend, because quality can vary widely even in the same region. Some wineries don’t even grow their own grapes, relying on purchased juice from other states. However, there are some gems out there along the long and not so dusty Ohio wine trail, making it a region worth exploring.

Hundley Cellar VInes — Hundley Cellars Vines

Early Ohio wine production focused on the Catawba grape, likely a cross between two native eastern North American grape species, which was used to produce a sparkling wine that gained national acclaim. In fact, Nicholas Longworth of Cincinnati, founder of America’s first commercially successful winery, produced a sparkling Catawaba that was distributed not only across the United States, but throughout Europe. Longfellow himself dedicated an ode to Longworth and his wine, which certainly is impressive, and certainly must speak to the quality of the product. Or perhaps to the lack of availability of other wine options at the time; regardless, I am impressed.

I myself have not yet tasted an Ohio wine worthy of an ode, however I thoroughly enjoyed my tasting at Hundley Cellars. While they have several offerings, the standouts were their Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot; which is saying something, as I usually despise Merlot. The Sauvignon Blanc was clean, crisp and refreshing; the Merlot was much more complex than many, and not so fruit forward. My dislike for fruit forward, sweet wines kept me from sampling anything made from the Niagara grape, which they are known for.

The current owners purchased the land, a former orchard, in 2008; by 2010 the first vines had been planted. In the first few years they lost 40% of their Riesling vines, but pushed on, using their Niagara grapes, and Vinifera grape juice purchased from other Ohio vineyards. Today they are successfully growing Riesling, Vidal, Traminette, Seyval, Niagara, and Delaware grapes. They offer a cozy lodge-like tasting room, transformed from an abandoned ranch house, as well as several outdoor decks and tables, just perfect for savoring your wine. Additionally, there is a wonderful broad lawn that leads back to 5 of the winery’s 35 acres of vines.

Hundley Cellars Tasting Room — Hundley Cellars Lawn

Hundley also offers up some pretty tasty food; do not miss their Pot Roast sliders, which will work with whatever wine you ordered. One thing to note however, is that it seems to be a favorite winery on the Hen Party circuit; several large parties arrived in waves, taking over the winery in a flash of sashes and crowns. It can become quite loud, but they don’t seem to stay for very long. So while wine snobs may be disappointed, they have several very tasty selections, which is more than a lot of vineyards can claim. It is absolutely worth a visit on your way to the lake.