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But, when we here at akronlife think of a delicious meal accompanied by a lovely glass of wine (or two), we think of The 330’s amazing wineries, right in our backyard.
We took a road trip to these wineries and asked their owners, chefs and winemakers to pair one of their seasonal menu items with a glass of the good stuff.
Some of the food selections are bite-sized, while others are gourmet meals, and we’re featuring wines that range from fruity to dry. But all of them will leave you with a better appreciation of the land on which we live and the people who harvest its treasures.
Gervasi Vineyard
Scott Swaldo, general manager of Gervasi Vineyard, says the mission of his business is “to provide the total wine and food experience,” and I believe him.
I’ve taken more than 30 trips to Napa in Sonoma County, Calif., and Gervasi Vineyards should be very proud of what they’ve accomplished at the state-of-the-art Crush House on their property. It’s just as nice as anything I’ve seen in California, but on a smaller scale.
Walking the grounds with Swaldo, he explained that the vineyards started in 2009 when his father, Ted, purchased 55 acres of overgrown land. With a nod to their Italian heritage, the Swaldos have developed the property into the Villas, the Conference Center, the Marketplace gift shop, the Bistro restaurant and the Crush House. Gervasi is a venue where guests can feel as if they were transported to Italy.
Gervasi’s Executive Chef Jerry Risner recommends guests try a highlight of the restaurant’s fall menu: an applewood bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin with sage croquettes, butternut squash puree, sautéed kale and pear mostarda. Andrew Codispoti, Gervasi’s winemaker, suggests pairing that entrée with Gervasi’s Piove Riesling, which is similar to a German off-dry Riesling.
“The peach and apricot innuendos of Piove link with the rosemary seasoning and the flavor tendencies in the roasted pork,” Codispoti says. “Piove’s light sweetness interweaves with the butternut squash and enjoins the luscious pear mostarda flavors – while balancing the personality of the sautéed kale.
“Piove’s natural acidity and citrus attributes combine for a cleaning sensation and a refreshing conclusion to this exquisite presentation.”
In addition to dining and sipping wine at Gervasi, guests are welcome to stay in the Villas, host events in the Conference Center or take wine or culinary classes. The vineyard also offers live music and ballet, wine dinners, a seasonal farmers market, winery tours, yoga and dance classes, as well as the Festa Gervasi! Annual Grape Harvest Festival in September and the Bellissimo: Annual Fine Arts & Craft Show in July.
1700 55th St. NE
Canton
330-497-1000
www.gervasivineyard.com
Closed Monday.
Here's a list of local wine sellers:
Maize Valley Farm Market, Winery and Brewery
Maize Valley Farm Market, Winery and Brewery began in the 1800s as a family-owned and -operated business. Today, Kay Vaughan still farms their 700 acres, and his wife, Donna, makes the fudge sold in the market. Their daughter, Michelle Bakan, and her husband, Bill, run the business with her brother, Todd. Maize Valley uses 10 acres of grapes to make its award-winning wines. Last month, the family also launched Stark County’s first craft brewery, which produces six varieties of beer.
In 2000, the family moved the business to its current barn location which, at one time, was home to horses, pigs, cows and chickens. A remodeling project turned the barn into a business with a wonderful blend of rustic charm and modern convenience.
When you visit Maize Valley’s Tasting Room for a bite to eat, Bakan recommends the Tuscan Chicken sandwich: a grilled chicken breast topped with bruschetta and melted provolone cheese and served on a warm ciabatta roll. The bruschetta is homemade using tomatoes and basil grown on the farm.
“Maize Valley doesn’t just use local ingredients; Maize Valley grows local ingredients,” Bakan says. “Every bite of this sandwich is bursting with fresh tomato and basil flavors, and it’s available daily at the winery.”
Bakan recommends two Maize Valley wines that would pair well with this sandwich: Vignoles and 2012 Reserve Blanc. These wines have won the prestigious Ohio Quality Award, and their grapes were grown on the property.
“These two wines have wonderful fruity characteristics that balance well with the acidity of the tomatoes. Their subtle aromas and flavors compliment the freshness of the homegrown bruschetta topping of the sandwich, making for a delicious and pleasing combination,” she says.
If you like a dry white wine, try the 2012 Reserve Blanc, made with the Traminette grape, which Bakan calls the “Princess Diana” of the grape world – quiet on the outside and fiery on the inside. For those who prefer a slightly sweeter wine, Bakan suggests the Vignoles, one of the French-American hybrids that Bakan calls the “polar bear” of the grape world because it can thrive in Hartville’s harsh winter climate.
If you’re heading to Maize Valley this fall, check out Oktoberfest, a visit from Megasaurus and a Pink Pumpkins Weekend to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Don’t forget to ask about the Pumpkin Cannon!
6193 Edison St. NE
Hartville
330-877-8344
www.maizevalley.com
Closed on Sundays, except during the Fall Harvest (now through the end of October).
Sarah’s Vineyard
Located across from Blossom Music Center is Sarah’s Vineyard, which was established in 2001 by Mike and Margaret Lytz. The couple planted their first vines in 2003 with the help of friends and volunteers as part of the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Initiative, a program to bring small, sustainable agriculture back to the Cuyahoga Valley. The vineyard is named after Margaret’s late daughter who died in a tragic auto accident in 1998.
I met with Sarah Altieri, the vineyard’s manager, and tasted a few of the wines. The vineyard currently grows nine varietals of grapes, and the staff is committed to quality winemaking and sound viticulture practices.
For the entrée, Altieri suggests that guests order Ruthie’s Homemade Meatballs, which were created for the menu by Margaret Lytz. The meatballs are served with a marinara made from tomato sauce that’s imported from Italy. “The meatballs can be ordered naked, in a bowl with sauce or on a locally baked bun from Ideal Bakery,” Altieri says.
The bold flavors of the meatballs pair nicely with the vineyard’s rich and mellow Tuscan blend called Miserabile. Altieri says the wine is named after their resident “miserable” bartender Joe Lutz.
“This wine is a blend of California Merlot, Sangiovese, Rubiana and estate-grown grapes called baco noir,” Altieri says. “They pair perfectly together as a small taste of Italy in Cuyahoga Falls.”
Every Wednesday and Thursday evening, while the weather is mild, the vineyard offers pizzas made fresh and baked in a wood-fired oven, and on Wednesdays the vineyard provides live music from 7-10 p.m.
When you’re visiting, don’t forget to take a look at the art gallery. The pieces, which are for sale, include blown glass, pottery, jewelry, purses, pen-and-ink watercolors, collages and photography from local and national artists.
Guests can enjoy their wine by the glass, half carafe, full carafe or bottle, and Altieri says the vineyard’s new pavilion seats 120 and is the perfect place to watch Cleveland Browns games every Sunday. The vineyard also hosts several murder mystery events each year; the next one, “Who Murdered Motown?” will be Oct. 27 from 6-10 p.m. And, keep in mind, Sarah’s Vineyard welcomes summer every June with its Annual Summer Solstice Festival, a weekend of wine, art and live music.
1204 W. Steels Corners Road
Cuyahoga Falls
330-929-8057
sarahsvineyardwinery.com
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
The Winery at Wolf Creek
The Winery at Wolf Creek was established in 1980 by Andrew and Melvin Wineberg, and their first harvest was in 1983. Around the same time, 10-year-old Andy Troutman began growing grapes as a 4-H Club project and became interested in making wine as he grew older.
In 1996, Troutman started working at The Winery at Wolf Creek as a vineyard manager, and after four years, he and his wife, Deanna, bought the winery. A year later, they started Troutman Vineyards in Wooster. Today, the Troutmans have grown these vineyards into a thriving business with their children, Asa and Sophia, and seven full-time and 20 part-time employees.
The Winery at Wolf Creek produces 10,000 cases of wine every year, and the Troutmans grow eight different varietals of grapes on the 35-acre farm, of which 12 are used for the vineyards.
The Winery at Wolf Creek doesn’t have a full-service kitchen so Troutman encourages guests to bring in their own food, or they are welcome to order a cheese and cracker tray in the tasting room. The winery serves a delicate goat cheese, or chèvre, from Lucky Penny Creamery, based in Kent.
The cheese’s tangy flavor is a pleasing foil to The Winery at Wolf Creek’s Blind Faith, a wine with the Ohio Quality Wine Certification. “The wine is made from Seyval Blanc grapes, grown in Ohio,” Troutman says. “It’s very similar to a Sauvignon Blanc, with lots of grapefruit and orange peel aroma and a nice acid to complement the locally produced all-natural cheese.”
Although the winery’s event calendar is packed all year long with live music performances, Troutman says his favorite activity is sitting on the deck and checking out the beautiful fall foliage. For the last three years, guests have attended the Annual Goat Derby in May; goats race across the lawn toward the coveted bucket of grain, and donation ‘bets’ are matched by the winery to support animal nonprofit groups.
The winery also offers Cooking with Wine classes, Yappy Hours with guests and their pets, as well as Vino & Vinyasa for yoga enthusiasts and special holiday events.
2637 S. Cleveland-Massillon Road
Norton
800-436-0426
www.wineryatwolfcreek.com
Open seven days a week.
> Once you've mastered the wines of the 330, take a road trip up north to explore Firelands Winery and Ferrante Winery & Ristorante.
