Follow the Wines and Vines Wine Trail. Ohio's Lake and Ashtabula Counties, located east of Cleveland, are home to over 40 wineries. The narrow strip of land, not more than ten miles from Lake Erie, produces a wide variety of wines. The region is especially noted for its Icewines and Rieslings.
Sample the wines. Many of the vineyards have tasting rooms and adjacent restaurants. Try Chalet Debonne in Madison Ohio and the Old Firehouse Winery in Geneva-on-the-Lake Ohio.
Spend time on the Lake Erie Islands. The Lake Erie Islands of north central Ohio, and the surrounding mainland, are also filled with small, mostly family-run wineries. Heineman Winery, on Middle Bass Island, has been crafting wine since 1888. They offer tastings and tours. On the mainland, near Port Clinton, Mon Ami Winery offers tours, tastings and elegant meals at their restaurant in the historic 19th century, limestone winery.
Explore the Chautauqua-Lake Erie Wine Trail. The eastern end of Lake Erie, in New York and Pennsylvania, also has its share of wineries. Follow this wine trail from Erie to Buffalo. Highlights include Merritt Estate Winery in Forestville, New York and Presque Isle Wine Cellars in North End, Pennsylvania.
