June is officially Ohio Wine Month.
Every month should be Ohio Wine Month.
That’s what I’m saying after a recent trip to Northeast Ohio along Interstate 90 near the Lake Erie shores. Sip after sip I kept thinking. O-H !
There’s a reason that Midwest Living magazine has named the Grand River Valley the next wine region to watch. Plenty of good food, great sips, and fun activities along the way.
Here are five awesome wines that will have you saying “Way to go, Ohio.” And believe me when I say that it was hard to only pick five.
M-Cellars Blanc de Noirs
All good things start with a glass of sparkling wine. M Cellars owners Matt and Tara Meineke are making an elite lineup of traditional method sparkling wines. Their Blanc de Blanc and Madelyn, which is a sparkling riesling, were awarded Best of Ohio in the Ohio Wine Competition. Meineke has also released a wonderful new bottle called Sparks which is a refreshing blend of Albarinio and pinot noir. My winery host Brianna poured me samples of the entire bubbles lineup. The cool thing about these sparkling wines is that all of the grapes are estate grown on the property.
I was floored with how well the $25 Blanc de Noir paired with a $15 box of chocolate/raspberry F-Bomb truffles which you can also find at Heinen’s in Hudson. They will also pair nicely with the nonalcoholic Gruvi Bubbly rose.
Grand River Cellars Riesling
You scream. I scream. We all scream for Riesling. Especially on a hot summer day. Grand River Cellars’ semisweet Riesling was awarded Best of Show and Best of Ohio White Wine in the 2025 Ohio Wine Competition. I’m not much of a sweet wine drinker, however, this wine will surely satisfy both sweet and nonsweet wine drinkers. There’s lots to like about the peach and apricot flavors and aromas of this pour. I had a glass with their bruschetta and picked up a $13.99 bottle to take home and enjoy with friends.
While you are there, check out the wine cave that Grand River Cellars rents for $100 for up to 20 people. All you have to do is order dinner from the special cave dinner menu.
Kosicek Cellars Allegiance red
Kosicek Vineyards continues to amaze. I had a glass of Allegiance red with owner Tony Kosicek and his daughter Emma. This classic East vs West blend of 50% cabernet sauvignon grapes grown at Kosicek that are blended with 25% cabernet Franc and 25% petit Syrah from Temecula, California. The American Wine Society gave this Bordeaux blend 93 points. Stop in and enjoy a $26.99 bottle with friends while relaxing in their new wine treehouse that has a spectacular view of the vineyards. Hammock swing and cool breeze off the lake are included. It’s one of the newest Grand River Valley experiences that you can rent for $35 per hour, with a 4-hour minimum.
Kosicek is one of the few wineries in the GRV to grow cabernet sauvignon grapes. Mention Phil Your Glass next time you are there and you can purchase a bottle of their $24.99 wine club exclusive 2022 estate-grown cabernet sauvignon.
“You’ll open this wine and say you couldn’t have grown these grapes in Ohio,” Tony Kosicek said.
I think it’s a stunning bottle of wine.
You will want to reserve a spot for their Tasting in the Vines event on Sept. 28.
“We set up tables in the vineyards and taste grapes side by side with the wines made from those grapes,” Kosicek said. For reservations, call the winery at 440-361-4573. Check out their Instagram account Kosicekvineyards for more details as they are made available.
South River Sémillon
I had a heavenly experience with my $12 tasting flight at South River Winery. I love the atmosphere of the tasting room which is an 1892 church that was built from a Sears & Roebuck kit and relocated to Geneva from Shalersville in Portage County. The sun shining through the colorful stained glass windows is truly beautiful. The estate grown Sémillon is a crisp and juicy white wine that pairs perfectly with a hot summer day. Bring on the sushi or a spicy shrimp dish. This $25 mouthwatering wine will be perfect.
You won’t want to miss the Autumn Glow Festival held from Sept. 4 until Nov. 2 every Thursday to Sunday when Chinese lanterns will light up the vineyards. Keep an eye out for details on the South River Winery Facebook page or on southrivervineyard.com.
Ferrante Rosé
Nick Ferrante and his team have something for everyone. There’s a new outside bar and patio with a view of the vineyards where you can enjoy great food and a glass of wine from their long list of award winners. Burger Bash on the Patio with live music is every Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. until the end of August.
I really enjoyed their new non-vintage rosé. Non-vintage means the wine was made from a blend of grapes from different harvest years. It was awarded Overall Best of Show in the 2025 Ohio Wine Competition. It has a wonderful fresh-cut watermelon aroma to go along with ripe strawberry and red raspberry flavors. I grabbed a couple of $9.99 takeout bottles of this semidry wine that will surely be a crowd-pleaser at your next gathering.
If you go
Pack plenty of water and stay hydrated.
Double-check the days and hours of operation of each winery before you make the one-hour trip to the Grand River Valley.
Go to visitashtabulacounty.com/grand-river-valley-wineries for help planning your trip.
You can reach Phil Masturzo at philyourglass@gmail.com and follow him on Instagram @pmasturzo_philyourglass
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 5 Grand River Valley wines that you need to try | Phil Your Glass
Reporting by Phil Masturzo, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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