Uncovered Gem

Area Wineries: Savor the Flavor

Try to get to Debonné Vineyards, a Grand River winery in Madison that has been turning out the good stuff since 1916. Considered Ohio’s largest estate bottled winery, Debonné specializes in Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and ice wine.

St. Joseph Vineyard, another Madison winery, produces international-winning Pinot Noirs. Its other wines, including Rieslings and Chardonnays, are also award winners. Down the road is Grand River Cellars, another excellent choice.

If you don’t mind limited tastings but want to leave with one of the best Chardonnay’s in the region, stop at Harpersfield Vineyard, between St. Joseph and Ferrante Winery. I tasted its Chardonnay on the first trip but didn’t take a bottle because I had no ice chest in which to store it — and the heat outside was unfair to great wine. This trip the Chardonnay, whose reputation has grown into the stuff of legend, was not open for tastings.

Owner Patty Ribic explained they only produced a small amount. “We sell out what we make,” she explains. But a few other wines that could be sampled were excellent.

Another must-stop on your agenda is Ferrante Winery. They do a wonderful lunch. We ate inside because of the outdoor temps, but normally the terrace is a wonderful place, with its fountain and vineyard setting. Then it was time to sip and shop. Part of the Grand River appellation, Ferrante’s Grand River Valley Golden Bunches Dry Riesling took Best of Class in the American Fine Wine Competition, and several of its wines are 2013 gold medal winners. The winery is operated by third-generation Ferrantes: Nick and sisters Carmel and Mary Jo.

If you’re willing to have your mind changed about rosé, stop at M Cellars. Opened to the public in 2013 after selling its products to other vineyards for nearly six years, the wines are already award winners.

By the way, don’t pass up the white steeple church you see on South River Road (near Grand River). The building houses the South River Vineyard. While there, stop in and visit the new kid on block and South River’s offspring, Red Eagle Spirits. It’s housed in a repurposed old barn.

Checking out the Grand River wineries provides a good opportunity to snap a photo of the Harpersfield Covered Bridge. A two-span Howe Truss bridge, it is the country’s longest at 228 feet. Built in 1868, it’s listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The steel part was attached following a 1913 flood.

Ashtabula and Conneaut

With The Lodge at Geneva as our headquarters, we drove scenic lake roads over to Ashtabula’s harbor and crossed the impressive Ashtabula Lift Bridge on Ohio State Route 531 to Conneaut, Ohio. A Strauss Bascule bridge constructed in 1925, it’s on the National Register of Historic Places.

What a photo op! The structure was up when we arrived, so we decided to park and window shop Bridge Street’s shops and galleries. They’re housed in turn-of-the-century buildings.

We could easily have stayed longer to lunch there, visit its Hubbard House Underground Railroad Museum, go to Walnut Beach (known for lake glass) and check out the Ashtabula Maritime Museum. But we wanted to also see the harbor at Conneaut, do some of the 18 covered bridges on Ashtabula’s map east tour and still get back to Geneva-on-the-Lake for our dinner reservation at the Crosswinds Grille.

What we did find out is that even though the Ashtabula Harbor at Lake Erie and the Ashtabula River is a working freighter stop, its scenic shoreline and the Ashtabula Yacht Club (AYC) is a good Lake Erie destination.

Located on the river near the lift bridge, AYC is convenient. It welcomes transients but does not take reservations. There are other marinas on the river that mostly store and service local boats; however, boaters are welcome to check out Kister Marina, also near the bridge, and Brockway North Coast Marina further down the river. “Most visiting boaters come to us,” says AYC fleet captain Niles Waring. “We’ve had boaters dock here from Florida and Wisconsin.”

Waring points out that Ashtabula is worth visiting. “We’ve had a revitalization. Bridge Street has nice restaurants and shops, and boaters have only about 300 yards to walk,” he says.

When the bridge was lowered, we were off to Conneaut, a world-class fishing area at the mouth of Conneaut Creek. The creek is considered the county’s top steelhead trout stream, and the lake is a prime walleye and perch fishing spot.

At the Conneaut Port Authority office, harbor master Denver Spieldenner had good news and bad. Yes, they welcome transients into their 300-slip marina and yes, they take reservations through their fuel dock office. They would probably need a couple of weeks notice, however, because the port is such a popular fishing stop. “We never turn away a boater,” Spieldenner adds.

That said, the bad news is that the Port Authority slips are for boats 25 feet and under, though it can occasionally accommodate boats up to 30 feet.

Back to the good news: There are two fish cleaning stations across the way, and the marina has showers and laundry facilities. Among other advantages are its location, according to Spieldenner. “We have quick access to Lake Erie,” he says. You don’t have to navigate the river.”

Mentor/Mentor-on-the-Lake

Whether cruising or driving to a destination such as Geneva-on-the-Lake, it’s possible to miss some gems along the way. But if you dock at the elegant Mentor Harbor Yachting Club in Mentor-on-the-Lake, Ohio and rent a car, or if you’re driving and can snag a room at the charming Lawnfield Inn and Suites in Mentor, you’ll uncover treasures best known locally, but flying below the general radar. Picture a lighthouse haunted by a cat and an unusual campaign location, library and estate of a former U.S. President.

First, treat yourself to a stop at the Mentor Harbor Yachting Club (MHYC). We were wowed by its gorgeous Mediterranean architecture and its friendly staff when stopping there on our drive from Geneva-on-the-Lake to the Lawnfield Inn.

Although MHYC is private and among the top clubs on the Great Lakes, you’ll know it welcomes transients when you are handed a Visitor’s Guide listing options for provisions, health care, pharmacies, car rental and taxi service. Its guide also includes where to find marine hardware and supplies and boat services, such as Freshwater Gills, specializing in restoration of marine interiors. MHYC has a fine dining room, snack bar, pool and beach and will work with boaters 24/7.

“Just call ahead to make sure we can accommodate you,” says harbormaster Dan Miller.

We relocated from The Lodge at Geneva to Mentor’s Lawnfield Inn for its central location. To the east is Geneva-on-the-Lake. North is the Fairport Harbor Museum and Lighthouse. South is Holden Arboretum and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Penfield House. West is Lawnfield, President James A. Garfield’s estate.

Cruising by car

Industrial alterations where the Grand River meets Erie have changed the landscape and seascape in front and on the side of the Fairport Harbor Marine Museum and Lighthouse. But it’s still is a prime destination. (Note: The Fairport Harbor Breakwater Light seen across the Grand River is privately owned.)

A visit here is more about taking in the scenery from atop the 60-foot sandstone lighthouse, stepping into the Frontenac Pilot House, seeing the lighthouse’s third order Fresnel Lens, and hearing about all the museum’s Great Lakes memorabilia from keeper Dan Maxson, then listening for its cat ghost.

“This is the first lighthouse museum in Ohio and the Great Lakes,” says Maxon. As he shows off the artifacts during a museum tour, his excitement is infectious.

For lunch, we drove a short distance south where we could cross to the village of Grand River, Ohio on the western shore to indulge in seafood at Brennan’s Fish House. But we had to peek in to Pickle Bill’s Lobster House across the road because the outside was so outrageously funky. The inside turned out to be just as fascinating. I wouldn’t want to spoil the fun, so you’ll have to put Pickle Bill’s on your short list.

At the opposite end of the architectural spectrum from Grand River’s restaurant shacks was the Penfield House on the Chagrin River southwest of Mentor in Willoughby Hills, Ohio. Imagine sleeping in a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home. Casual tourists cannot stop by the Penfield House, which is privately owned by Louis Penfield’s descendents, but it’s available for a short stay with a two-night minimum.

The next day we mused about what James A. Garfield, a brilliant man who was shot early in his term as the 20th President of the United States, would have accomplished if he lived. Garfield’s Lawnfield Estate is within hiking distance from Lawnfield Inn, where we’d dined the previous night and enjoyed a lovely meal. Operated as a national house and park, the home also contains Garfield’s presidential library.

South of Mentor, a winding road leads to the scenic Holden Arboretum. A favorite of bird watchers, Holden also has research, landscaping, shade and butterfly gardens.

One last treat before heading home was to stop at Malley’s Chocolate Shoppe and Ice Cream Parlor. Opened in 1935 during the Great Depression, Malley’s has nearly 25 locations in and around Cleveland as it expanded to meet demand for its ice cream concoctions and chocolate covered “marshmallos,” toffee and pretzels. We left with yummy Bordeaux chocolates.

A sweet and indulgent end to an even more delightful northeastern Ohio trip.