When wine lovers start planning a getaway, destinations like Napa Valley, Sonoma, the Finger Lakes, or Tuscany usually top the list.
Tucked along the southern shore of Lake Erie, however, is a wine region that’s quietly building a reputation of its own…the Grand River Valley AVA just east of Cleveland. It’s remarkable to think that one of the Great Lakes—which most people associate with boating and beaches (and where my Partner in Wine grew up)—is also quietly creating ideal conditions for cool-climate wine grapes.
We found ourselves there while celebrating my Partner in Wine’s mother’s 84th birthday. And since we were already visiting her near Cleveland, we realized we were only a short drive from Ohio’s largest wine-growing region. Turning a birthday weekend into a wine adventure sounded like the perfect way to celebrate her.
And that decision led us to Laurentia Winery in Madison, Ohio.
A Warm Welcome in Ohio Wine Country
The moment we stepped out of the car, Laurentia Winery felt inviting.
We knew as soon as we arrived that it was going to be a great visit.
The winery sits quietly among its vineyards, with a lodge-style building designed to resemble a rustic hunting cabin. Warm reclaimed wood beams, dark accents, and a spacious deck overlooking cozy flagstone patios make it feel more like a mountain retreat than what many people picture when they think of an Ohio winery.
Inside, guests are welcomed by a beautiful dining room, a walk-up tasting bar, and then downstairs, a huge event space. And hidden just beyond that event space is one of Laurentia’s most unique experiences…the Library, where older vintages are carefully stored and where we settled in for their Red Collection tasting.
We were hosted by Nina and Shanen, whose enthusiasm for both the wines and the region quickly became one of the highlights of our visit (Thank you both, Nina and Shanen!)
Library tastings are by scheduled appointment only. Reach out to Laurentia directly to request your library tasting through their Wine Club. You do NOT have to be a wine club member to request it, but you’ll likely be a wine club member by the time you leave!
Discovering Grand River Valley
Before our first official wine of the tasting, we began with a special pour of the 2021 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon while we chatted a little about the region itself.
Produced from just the four best barrels of the vintage, it immediately set the tone for the tasting. Rich, polished, and beautifully balanced, the Reserve Cabernet immediately established the level of craftsmanship we’d experience throughout the afternoon.
The Grand River Valley AVA (established as an AVA in 1983) sits just a few miles south of Lake Erie, whose cooling influence plays a huge role in the area’s success. The lake helps protect vines from harsh winter temperatures while extending the growing season well into autumn, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and develop balanced acidity.
The soils tell another part of the story. Thousands of years ago, glaciers shaped this landscape, leaving behind gravel, shale, sandstone, and mineral-rich soils that provide excellent drainage for grapevines. In fact, Laurentia takes its name from the Laurentide Ice Sheet, the massive glacier that once covered much of this region.
Learning about the terroir before starting the official tasting made the wines even more fascinating. We weren’t simply drinking Ohio wines…we were tasting a place unlike any other we’d visited.
One of the things we’ve learned through our wine travels is that great wine doesn’t happen because a region is famous. A region becomes famous because people gradually discover the quality that’s been there all along.
Grand River Valley feels like it’s still writing the early chapters of that story, and learning about its history made us appreciate every glass even more.
Estate-Grown from Vineyard to Bottle
Laurentia Winery opened in 2015 as the vision of Gary Blackie and his late wife, Susan. He still owns (and is very involved in the day to day operations of) the vineyard along with members of his family.
Today, every bottle is produced from estate-grown fruit across approximately 40 acres of vineyards. The winery harvests roughly 100 tons of grapes each year, focusing on quality rather than large production. Family-owned. Estate-grown. Quality-focused. Those are exactly the kinds of wineries we’re always excited to experience.
And while you won’t find Laurentia wines lining grocery store shelves, you’ll see them on a growing number of restaurant wine lists throughout Ohio. They also offer a flexible wine club, giving folks like us an easy way to continue exploring one of America’s developing wine regions. Wineries like Laurentia are exactly why we enjoy exploring emerging wine regions – family-owned, estate-focused, and passionate about showcasing what their corner of the wine world can produce…and willing to ship to finicky states like Florida. Sometimes joining a wine club is what inspires the next trip rather than the other way around.
The Tasting Begins
Our first official tasting wine was the 2019 Cabernet Franc.
Cabernet Franc has been one of my favorite varietals since I was introduced to it on a work trip in Budapest around 2012. Because every wine region seems to express it differently, I still find it fascinating. Whether we’ve tasted it in South America, Virginia, California, or elsewhere, each region and each vineyard tell their own stories.
Grand River Valley added another new story.
The wine opened with aromas of licorice and subtle green pepper before revealing baking spice, minerality, and smooth, elegant fruit. It was another reminder that tasting the same grape across different wine regions is one of the joys of wine travel. The story that Laurentia in the Grand River Valley told offered an expression we hadn’t experienced before.
The Stories Behind the Wines
As we sipped, Nina and Shanen shared the stories that make Laurentia Winery special. (And we enjoyed one of the most delicious charcuterie boards that we’ve had in a very long time. SOOO good.)
Nina oversees the winery’s wine club and hosts the Library tastings, while Shanen leads tours and brings an impressive international background in viticulture. She studied grape growing before coming back home to northern Ohio – working harvests in Australia and New Zealand and other global wine regions. These experiences gave her a unique perspective on winemaking around the world and it was fun to hear about her experiences.
The Library at Laurentia Winery
Those conversations reminded us that great wineries aren’t just about the wine. They’re about passionate people who love sharing what they’ve learned.
A Rare Blend and a Rare Surprise
Our next wine was the 2020 Stratum, a blend led by Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller amounts of Merlot and Petit Verdot.
Dark blackberry fruit, black pepper, oak, and leather created a bold yet balanced wine that lingered long after each sip.
Only ten cases were produced, and every bottle is hand-dipped in wax. During our conversation, we also learned that Laurentia owns its own bottling line—something surprisingly uncommon among smaller wineries, many of which rely on mobile bottling services.
It was yet another detail that reinforced the care and investment Laurentia Winery puts into every bottle.
The Wine That Brought Us Here
Our final wine was the one we’d been anticipating all afternoon: the Petit Verdot. During our visit, we had the opportunity to taste the 2020 vintage.
In fact, it’s the reason Laurentia first landed on our radar.
Months earlier, my Partner in Wine stopped into a wine bar in Mentor, Ohio, and noticed something unexpected on the wine list – an Ohio Petit Verdot.
Curious, he ordered it. And then texted me the next morning.
“You wouldn’t believe this Ohio Petit Verdot.”
When we visited Mentor together a few months later, trying the Laurentia Petit Verdot immediately became one of our goals, so we ventured back to the wine bar where he’d originally had it. And the wine definitely delivered – again. (And this is how Laurentia landed on our radar and was first on our list when we decided to celebrate my mother-in-law’s big day with a wine tasting.)
So as we sipped the 2020 Petit Verdot, nestled into the Library downstairs at Laurentia, leather, baking spices, dark cherry, and a long, lingering finish made it one of the most memorable Petit Verdots we’ve tasted. More importantly, it reminded us why we enjoy experiencing wine regions that don’t always receive national attention. Some of the most memorable bottles we’ve discovered have come from places we simply hadn’t experienced yet.
A Few More Sips
Although our Red Collection tasting had officially concluded, Nina graciously poured several additional wines for us to enjoy, including Laurentia’s Sweet Riesling, Dry Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. The birthday girl prefers sweeter, white wines, so Nina poured the 2025 Clone 49 Riesling- the sweet white that was a perfect birthday sip. While it was a bit sweet for my taste, I could appreciate a perfectly chilled glass while relaxing in a beach chair at the Service Club beach, and my Partner in Wine could envision drinking a crisp, chilled glass with a spicy Asian entree, or some seared scallops.
My Partner in Wine also had the opportunity to sip the 2022 Stolz Cabernet. 2016 was the very first vintage and it’s made from one small block in their Stolz Road Vineyard. It’s aged in French Oak (30-50% new), and as their flagship wine, it was a great expression of Cab. This is a wine that, if you’re a cab lover, you should absolutely add to your must-try list.
We also enjoyed sips of the 2024 Unoaked Chardonnay (So many tropical fruits!), the 2024 Estate Riesling (a really impressive dry Riesling!), and the 2023 Reserve Pinot Noir (definitely on my wines-to-try-again list, and I don’t even care for Pinot Noir as a rule!).
Being able to share our love of learning about and tasting wines while celebrating my mother-in-law made the afternoon even more memorable. It was a wonderful way to toast her 84th birthday.
One More Wine Club…
Before this trip, we’d made ourselves a promise.
No more wine clubs.
Laurentia had other ideas.
By the end of the afternoon, we’d happily broken our own rule. And instead of keeping the first shipment for ourselves, we surprised my Partner in Wine’s mother with wines from the summer shipment as part of her birthday gift so she could continue enjoying the wines long after the celebration ended. We hope she can share the experience with her friends over a bottle of Clone 49 and remember how celebrated she is while sipping a glass on her patio.
We’ll be looking forward to our own first shipment arriving in Florida this fall, where we can’t wait to introduce a few Southwest Florida friends to Grand River Valley wines.
Final Thoughts on our Visit to Laurentia Winery
One of the things we love most about wine travel is experiencing places that aren’t necessarily on everyone’s radar—at least not yet.
The Grand River Valley isn’t trying to be Napa Valley or Sonoma, and that’s part of what makes it special. Its cool climate, Lake Erie influence, and passionate winemakers have created a wine region with an identity all its own. And Laurentia gave us a wonderful introduction to that story.
Between the thoughtful wines, the warm hospitality from Nina and Shanen, and the opportunity to learn firsthand about this fascinating AVA and Laurentia wines, we left with a much deeper appreciation for what northeastern Ohio has to offer wine lovers.
If you’re planning a visit to (or near) Cleveland, thinking about exploring Ohio wine country, or you simply enjoy discovering wine regions before they become household names, we encourage you to spend an afternoon at Laurentia (or at least purchase some of their wines to try!).
We came to celebrate an 84th birthday. We left already looking forward to our first wine club shipment to arrive and our next visit to the Grand River Valley.
Thank you, Nina! We had a great visit! 🍷
So Salud, wine friends. This is why we travel…for the wines, certainly, but even more for the stories behind them and the experiences around them. 🥂