Finding cool wines in Northern Ohio

Entrance to the Paper Moon Vineyards Winery and Tasting Room

August in Atlanta can be unbearable, so why not escape the humidity and saunter up north for a bit of wine history and tasting? You don’t have to fly to the West coast to immerse yourself in wine. On a recent trip to Northern Ohio, I discovered a thriving tourist wine business.
 

The Lake Eerie region of Northern Ohio is no stranger to the winemaking trade. Production of wine started in the region in the early 1800’s and by 1860, it was the leading producer of wine in the United States The cool lake breezes moderated temperatures in the summer and kept humidity at bay resulting in a microclimate perfect for viticulture. Some of these old vineyards are still in use today.
 

Today, you can travel the Lake Erie Shores and Islands Wine Trail, visiting 12 unique wineries along the route. I stopped at a new winery called Paper Moon Vineyards, which sits in the outskirts of the beautiful tourist town of Vermillion, Ohio. The winery boasts remains of an old Concord grape vineyard. Although they currently source their grapes from surrounding areas such as Avon, Ohio and vineyards around the Finger Lakes, they have a newly planted vineyard with unique cold climate varieties including: Vidal Blanc, Traminette, Chambourcin, Marquette and Noiret. Stop by their large tasting room and sit outside to gaze at the newly planted vineyards. Tastes are reasonably priced, so go ahead and try them all! Wines I tried from their current selection include:

Paper Moon Vineyards Cayuga White: Cayuga White is an American hybrid grape that they sourced from the Finger Lakes. The wine had aromas of white peaches and wild Muscadine grapes. On the palate the wine was immensely fruity with a semi-sweet finish. It is a perfect aperitif.

Paper Moon Vineyards Fredonia: The Fredonia grape, an American grape variety like Concord, was also sourced from the Finger Lakes. It is often grown for juice or table grapes. The light, red wine had aromas of candied, red fruits with a hint of mint. On the palate, the wine was light with raspberry and cherry and hints of foxiness that culminated in an immensely sweet finish.
 

The outside tasting room at Paper Moon Vineyards in Vermillion Ohio