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photo by Maggie Harris
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photo by Maggie Harris
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photo by Maggie Harris
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photo by Maggie Harris
For over a century, Meier’s Wine Cellars has been in business. It was established by John Michael Meier in the late 1800s as a small grape juice producer on property just north of Cincinnati. In the 1900s, Meier’s purchased land in Silverton, Ohio, which it used to produce sparkling Catawba grape juice during Prohibition. After the repeal of Prohibition, the company returned to making wine.
In 1941, the wine producer purchased property on North Bass Island in Lake Erie. Over the next 35 years, it refined its winemaking techniques and produced Ohio-based varietals from Catawba grapes, among others, vermouths and sherries and sparkling nonalcoholic grape juice. In 1976, the winery was purchased by Ohio-based Paramount Distillers and continues operations to this day as the oldest and largest winery in Ohio. Grapes are no longer grown at the North Bass Island location but rather sourced from other growers in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. Best known for its 44 Cream Sherry, a fortified wine, the winery is still located in Silverton in the Cincinnati area. Here are some standouts to uncork.
Red Seedling
Made entirely from Concord grapes native to the northeast, this wine ($9.99) is sweet and cranberry in color. It is excellent chilled on its own or enjoyed with barbecue fare or robust cheeses.
44 Cream Sherry
This award-winning wine ($12.99) crafted from Niagara and muscat grapes was said to have been a staple at the White House and a personal favorite of former President John F. Kennedy. Fortified with neutral spirits, it is then aged in large 50-gallon barrels for three years. The result is full in the nose and rich on the palate with a smooth nutty character. It can be enjoyed as an evening sipper.
Marsala
The fortified wine ($5.99) is made from white wine and unfermented grape juice and aged in oak barrels. This wine can be the main ingredient for chicken or veal Marsala. It can also be enjoyed chilled.
