5 Maize Valley Wines to Uncork this Summer

Maize Valley Winery has been around since the ’60s. It also makes craft beer and features a market, a cafe with a patio and a 750-acre farm. With events like live music on Saturdays and classic car cruise-ins on Thursdays in summer and fall, it’s a great spot to spend an evening with family.

It makes wine from fresh, Ohio-grown ingredients. It focuses on growing grapes that can survive Northeast Ohio weather, primarily French-American hybrids that produce award-winning wines. With cute, quirky names, here are fun top-sellers and a new offering.

Redneck Red: Maize Valley’s first wine, which remains its bestseller, Redneck Red ($9.99) is made from Concord grapes, which were first grown in Concord, Massachusetts. The Lake Erie Concord Grape Belt is the oldest Concord grape-growing region in the world, with roughly 30,000 acres of vineyards. Upon the first sip, the sweet, fruity character pops, reminiscent of the Concord grape jelly you enjoyed as a kid.

Hanky Panky: With a label of two goats frolicking in a pasture, this sweet blush wine ($9.99) is loaded with flavors of Catawba grapes. That was the most widely planted grape variety in the country in the mid-19th century. Catawba grapes are grown on Maize Valley’s farm and throughout the Midwest. Taste it at your next barbecue or picnic.

Mad Cow: There’s a lot of history behind the name and label of the Mad Cow sweet white wine. In the early years, Maize Valley was in the dairy farming industry and owned many cows. The label is a picture of a cow, Edith, who produced over 100,000 gallons of milk during her time on the farm. Mad Cow ($9.99) is made from Niagara grapes, the backbone of white grape juice produced in the U.S. This light wine has natural grape flavors and a sweet finish.

Apple Pie: Made from 100 percent Ohio-grown apples — and no grapes — this wine ($9.99) is like grandma’s apple pie in a glass. The sweetness comes from real spices and no syrups or flavorings. Enjoy it at room temperature, slightly chilled or gently warmed on the stove. Either way, it’s good with soft cheeses like Brie and Camembert.

Sangria: Adding more fun to its portfolio, Maize Valley introduces sangria ($10.99). Made from Concord grapes at 10.5 percent alcohol by volume and 5 percent residual sugar, it is a sweet red wine with traditional flavors and aromas. Serve it to friends and family over ice, right out of the bottle or with fruit wedges for a refreshing drink.

Maize Valley wines are available at select Acme Fresh Market, Buehler’s Fresh Foods, Giant Eagle, Discount Drug Mart and Meijer locations.