The winery was first established in 1976 as the Grand River Wine Company. Initially the focus was on wine production and grape growing. The winery opened to the public in 1978.
We enjoyed the view as we drove down the long drive past row after row of vines. The scenery of gently rolling hills and farmland on the ride in chased away the tensions of the work week and put us in the mood for some nice wine.
At each participating winery an appetizer and two wine tastings were offered, along with a Christmas ornament. These ornaments are not to be confused with handcrafted German glass keepsakes, but they do look nice on the small tree.
Our friendly server was Beth and we selected a sunny table in the tasting room and settled in. The appetizer was toasted pita chips with an herbed cream cheese dip that went nicely with our wine. My wife started with the Pinot Grigio, which had the Grand River Valley appellation. This had flavors of pear and citrus. It was pleasant but simple.
My first was the Grand River Valley Riesling. This tasty glass had a nose of green apple and peach and citrus flavor notes.
Moving to reds, Green Dragon savored a glass of Reserve Merlot. This wine had some tannins that provided a bit of a bite. Black cherry and tobacco were evident in this standout. Priced at $18.99, this is a nice buy.The final taste was the American Red Zinfandel. The color was a deep garnet color with flavors of red raspberries and strawberry. This had a round and smooth finish and we rated it as our best.
As we would notice with other wineries on the Tannenbaum Trail, Grand River Cellars has a great tasting room, suitable for dinner or special events. The menu includes appetizers, a sandwich called the Funky Chicken and it tops out with a Twin Lobster Tail entree. There are many other selections to choose from as well.
The grounds and patio look like they would be inviting sites for enjoying a glass (or bottle) during a return visit in warmer weather.
Photos: Top – Rachael and Beth serve it up at Grand River Cellars.
Below – Wine aplenty in the gift shop.
4 comments:
Thanks for visiting us. Beth really enjoyed you and we are glad you enjoyed your stay. Hope to see you back soon and I liked reading your blog.
Cindy
Cindy -- Thanks for your comment. You have a nice operation and some tasty wine. We look forward to a return visit during sunny weather -- or maybe sooner!
Cheers!
Awesome that you got to visit the area and GRC! I miss it there. I've got some great wine friends in Toledo - I'll be sure to pass your blog along. Cheers!
Thanks for spreading the word about the blog!
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