MARLBORO TWP. − Maize Valley Winery and Brewery is nestled amid rolling hills and farmland, a picturesque setting befitting a postcard.
A barn-style building houses a restaurant and bar. Rustic outbuildings dot the adjacent acres. Beyond that is countryside, especially bucolic under the afterglow of a sunset.
That sense of calmness can be broken, however, when seasonal events occur, such as the weekly summertime car shows that attract hundreds of people who visit to drink wine and beer, eat at the restaurant and shop at the market.
Such turnouts show how popular Maize Valley continues to be as it marks a significant milestone in its evolution from a working family farm into a major agritourism destination in northern Stark County. The Vaughan and Bakan families, who run the farm, are celebrating 20 years of winemaking this year.
And Maize Valley continues to evolve, with a coffee bar opening this month. A three-bedroom house in the parking lot area also is being transformed into an Airbnb. The project is expected to be finished this summer.
“You can’t stay status quo,” co-owner Michelle Bakan said. “Not for very long or you’ll regret that.”
Maize Valley is a pioneer in the Ohio wine and beer industry
In the 1960s, Donna Vaughan and her late husband, Kay Vaughan, founded what would become the winery and brewery. The Maize Valley farm was primarily a cash grain business, along with raising hogs and beef cattle. They also grew produce.
The winery and brewery were preceded by Maize Valley market, which opened in 2001 and sold fruits and vegetables.
Produce is now a much smaller portion of the business, although pumpkins are still grown and sold. Lavender and sunflowers are grown, too.
Co-owners are now Todd Vaughan, Michelle Bakan and Bill Bakan, along with Todd and Michelle’s mother, Donna Vaughan.
But the family realized the market alone wasn’t enough to keep the farm operations viable.
The parents, however, were skeptical of their children’s idea for a winery, and they didn’t even drink alcohol. But they eventually agreed to the venture.
“Wineries were just starting,” Michelle Bakan said of 20 years ago. “They’ve grown tremendously.”
Todd Vaughan said he dove into the craft of making wine.
“I learned the hard way,” he said. “We figured it out as we went.”
Todd Vaughan sought the expertise of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wooster, part of Ohio State University. He attended winemaking conferences and classes.
“Ohio really helps educate and helps its wineries,” he said.
Experimentation was key, too.
“If it didn’t work at first, we tried it again,” Todd Vaughan said. “Things go a lot smoother now than they used to.”
The winery became so successful that Maize Valley added a brewery in 2014, distinguishing the business as one of the first winery-breweries in the state. More than 20 wines are made from grapes harvested on three-and-a-half acres, including award-winning varieties. Wine is sold at Acme Fresh Market, Giant Eagle and Meijer stores, as well as other retail locations across Ohio.
Specialty drinks include wine slushies, and mocktails and cocktails made with a blueberry lavender syrup using lavender grown on the grounds.
Sixteen craft beers are on tap at Maize Valley, and beer is also canned and sold on-site.
“We feel like it’s been an excellent addition for us,” Michelle Bakan said of the brewery.
Maize Valley preserves local history
A market continues today at the winery and brewery, offering a plethora of items, from Maize Valley-branded steak sauce, relish and mustard to candy, licorice and fudge, along with a host of souvenirs, including wine glasses. A deli counter is stocked with cheese and meats.
Maize Valley maintains a rustic decor and atmosphere, thanks to being partly housed in the remnants of a barn dating to the 1800s.
Bill Bakan is credited for reimagining the barn as a market.
“Bill had the vision,” said his wife, Michelle Bakan. “And the rest of us said, ‘All right.'”
Third generation now helping at Maize Valley
Maize Valley continues to be a family operation. Family members each have their roles and specialties.
“We’re very fortunate we all get along,” Todd Vaughan said.
Both he and his sister Michelle Bakan graduated from Ohio State University with agricultural-related degrees. She majored in dairy science, and Todd Vaughan focused on plant pathology.
The kids learned hard work and country living, lessons and ways of life they still practice today. Vacations are rare and scheduled in the winter. Farming still occurs, albeit on far fewer acres. Family members often work seven days a week, particularly May through October.
Scott Mann assists with day-to-day operations of the winery and brewery.
A new generation now helps run Maize Valley, including Breanne Rupe, who handles marketing and promotions and other duties, and Cara Bakan, a manager.
Maize Valley monitors trends and looks for new ways to keep and attract customers.
New menu items are featured. Offerings include appetizers, burgers and sandwiches. Multi-course craft dinners are featured quarterly. Seasonal events also include corn mazes, wagon rides and family-oriented activities in the fall. Entertainment includes live music and summer concerts, as well as trivia nights, music bingo and “Sunset Sips in the Lavender.”
Fun events include recent yoga sessions with a certified instructor in the lavender field. Participants picked a bundle of lavender, performed yoga for an hour, and then enjoyed a beverage − all included with a $35 ticket.
Other changes include Todd Vaughan taking over brewing duties; he already heads the winemaking.
“We’re always looking for new ideas and opportunities,” he said. “This business has changed a lot.”
‘We didn’t know where it was going to take us.’
Maize Valley’s approach boils down to this: “What can we do that sets us apart from any brewery and winery in the state?” Michelle Bakan said.
Added Todd Vaughan: “If you’re not growing, you’re going backwards.”
Maize Valley has persevered through slim profit margins, the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, government regulations and unpredictable weather.
All the years of experience hasn’t made running the business easier, Michelle Bakan admitted.
“Retail in anything is quite difficult,” she said. “We didn’t know where it was going to take us.”
Chip Weisel, president of the Lake Township Chamber of Commerce, said the impact of Maize Valley has been felt in the Hartville area.
“Bill (Bakan) is the quintessential entrepreneur because I didn’t know what agritourism was until I met Bill,” Weisel said. “He’s done a great job of highlighting what our townships in this area of northern Stark County are about. It’s that blend of agriculture, but letting people experience going to a brewery and winery and picking pumpkins and going to a lilac festival.”
He calls Bakan an “idea man and visionary.”
“I’ve always been impressed by his abilities to take risks,” Weisel said. “And if it doesn’t work out, he’ll just pivot and try something else until he finds something that sticks, and it’s encouraging and an inspiration.”
Maize Valley becomes destination
Maize Valley has become a destination, drawing customers from inside and outside Stark County, and from as far away as Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, Indiana and Michigan.
Akron-Canton area folks remain the core clientele.
Elise Grasse, 32, of North Canton, recently went to a car show at Maize Valley with her husband and 3-year-old daughter.
The family also enjoys the corn maze and pumpkin and apple cannons in the fall.
“It’s a great way to be on the farm and talk to people and be away from technology,” Grasse said. “There’s so few places where you can go and enjoy an outside environment. It’s just so great.
“They’ve found a way to incorporate all ages,” she said. “I would never bring my 3-year-old if they didn’t have a playground. When you think of an adult winery, you don’t think of a family atmosphere.”
Try the 1/2 Buffalo, 1/2 Balsamic Chips
McKenzie Harder, 31, of Lake Township, enjoyed a recent evening at Maize Valley with her friends.
Seated at a picnic table outdoors, the group enjoyed food, drinks and conversation. Harder usually visits Maize Valley at least a couple of times a month.
“There’s a lot to do,” she said. “We would always pick our pumpkins here.”
Craft shows are another reason she goes to Maize Valley.
“I enjoy the atmosphere,” she said of that and other events. “It’s so relaxed.”
Harder complimented the food, too. She strongly recommends the kettle cooked chips appetizer, topped with blue cheese dressing, oven baked, and then drizzled half with buffalo sauce and half with balsamic reduction.
“If we’re going out somewhere close,” Harder said, “this is always in the top suggestions.”
Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com. Follow on Instagram at ed_balint and TikTok @edwardbalint.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Maize Valley keeps blazing trails as it celebrates major anniversary
Reporting by Ed Balint, Canton Repository / The Repository
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
