“Cincinnati Secrets” is an occasional series with collaboration from Brett Johnson, a home-based winemaker, that seeks out wine-based businesses for review and profiling. If you know of a restaurant, winery, wine store, or similar business that you would like to see reviewed, please contact the Cincinnati Wine Pairing Examiner at tjgabelman@hotmail.com.
Valley Vineyards
2276 East US 22 & 3
Morrow, OH 45152
513-899-2485
www.valleyvineyards.com
Visiting Valley Vineyards in Morrow is always an unforgettable experience. I went for the first time in 2003, just after I had moved back to Ohio from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. After visiting wineries for several years in Oregon, I was surprised to find that I had grown up with one virtually up the street! I attended a wine tasting with a good friend and ended up purchasing a bottle of Cabernet Franc, which I tried to hold off on opening for as long as I could. Visiting this year, I noticed that a great deal had changed.
Although the original family-farm barn has been relatively unchanged in the time that I have been going to the winery, the landscaping and cosmetic features have been updated, giving it a more home-like feel. Also the label has been redesigned and modernized. There are plans, of course, to continue to change: look for updated carpeting and furniture in the dining areas as early as this fall.
The wines, people, and welcoming reception, though, have not changed a bit. Upon entering the tasting room, Brett Johnson and I were immediately greeted with a smile and a warm hello from Mindy Siebert, the tasting room manager. We then met with Joe Schuchter, grandson of Ken, founder of the winery, and the third-generation of the Schuchter family to work at the winery. We also met and spoke with Kenny Joe, Ken's son, and Joe's father; but both Kenny Joe and Dodie (Kenny Joe's wife) were busy working on mulching the front of the winery for the June 6 Wine Festival.
Joe was gracious with his time, stories, and the personal narrative of growing up on the vineyard and knowing that his family tradition of agriculture and winemaking was in his blood from the earliest days. Do not be surprised to see him, his younger brother, or older sister working the tasting room if you stop in.
Speaking with Joe made it clear that he had a sense of personal pride in the success of his grandfather's business, and spoke most highly of the moment he saw his grandfather's eyes sparkle and the business expanded with the decision to distribute statewide with Buckeye Distributing. He relates that his happiest moments working in a family business are the ones that bring joy to his family, not commercial success or achievement.
It is this sense of family and community that has driven Valley Vineyards from the earliest days and what has led them to the forefront of the many wineries in the Ohio River Valley AVA.
The tasting room and dining areas are dark spaces but the cellar, though cramped with boxes, bottles, and barrels, glow with modern lights and technology. The stainless steel tanks sparkle, the oak barrels offer a hint of woody aroma, and the modern, full-size chemistry lab will take you back to memories of high-school science courses. The winery offers a self-guided tour of the cellar and fermentation area, with a convenient print-out available from the website. Do not be surprised, though, if you run into Greg Pollman, the current winemaker, and he offers his unique insight into the winemaking process.
Of course, any member of the Schuchter family would also be happy to regale you with stories about what its like to make wine and work in the farming business. (Indeed, if you get a chance, ask Joe about why his father is no longer the winemaker!) After forty years, the Schuchter family has some remarkable anecdotes. With those anecdotes have also come some remarkable achievements and some amazing wines!
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Also, be sure to check out my ongoing series of articles: Fabulous Friday Feasts, a collaboration with Aimee Plesa, The Rules, which discusses the rules of food and wine pairing, and Cincinnati Secrets, which explores various wine destinations in Cincinnati!
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