Grand River Cellars, Debonne Vineyards partner on Harvest Crush Tour & Tasting
Sep. 13—The 2023 grape harvest is poised to begin next week in a year that brought almost every kind of weather imaginable, topped off by an earthquake.
The monthlong harvest in eastern Lake County and much of Ashtabula County is done largely by machine and is happening somewhat later than usual.
But wine aficionados will have an opportunity to taste both the juices from freshly crushed grapes and the wines they create in the Harvest Crush Tour & Tasting set from 1 to 3 p.m. on five successive Wednesdays beginning Sept. 20. The tasting, which will include four wines and two fresh juices from both Grand River Cellars and Debonne Vineyards, begins with a light lunch of four small plates at Grand River and concludes with a tour of the grape-pressing process and juice house at Debonne. Reservations are needed.
"We'll be pairing the dishes we serve with the juice and wine, so we won't determine the food until we know what juices they give us," explained Kathleen Trebets, general manager at Grand River.
Harvest will begin the week of Sept. 18 and continue until the Oct. 16 week. Grapes for white wine are pressed first, with red wine grapes pressed later.
Here's what the grape growers say about the conditions affecting this year's harvest:
"Our weather has been a surprise," said Gene Sigel, vineyard manager for Debonne. "Although it was the world's hottest summer on record, we have had a cooler-than-normal summer here in Northeast Ohio, where we also had one of the wettest summers on record."
A late-spring frost, in mid-May, was followed by an early-summer drought and then lots of rain in late summer.
"The (May) frost damaged our low-lying vineyards," said Tony Debevec, owner of Debonne Vineyards, Ohio's largest estate winery. "But that was only a small percentage of our vines."
Both men expect the cool summer to favor the flavors of this year's white wines. They both would have preferred a wet spring and a dry late summer but are hopeful for warm and dry weeks between now and mid-October.
Although the earthquake's epicenter was between Debonne and Sigel's South River Vineyard in Madison, it had little to no effect on the grapes.
"Grapes from this year's harvest will be good-sized and well-flavored," said Debevc. "The unoaked Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Riesling will be excellent."
Judging by what's been paired with local wines in the past, Trebets says Crush tasters may expect some of these pairings:
Tortellini with Tomato, Basil and Garlic Salad with Riesling; Spinach Artichoke Mashed Potato with Chardonnay Reserve; Pastrami Crostini with Horseradish Sauce with CASK 1023; Decadent Chocolate Cake with Cabernet Franc; Snap Pea Spread with Lemon and Chives on Edible Oregano Spoon with Pinot Grigio; Black Sesame Asian Chicken Lettuce Cup with Pinot Grigio; Grilled Crostini with Summer Tomato Bruschetta, Herb de Provence Olive Oil and Fresh Shaved Parmesan with Riesling; Roasted Red Pepper Mashed Potatoes with White Fox (sweet Niagara); Cherry Covered in Dark Chocolate on Graham Cracker Bite with Concord Port; Limoncello Cake with Unoaked Chardonnay.
Harvest Crush Tour & Tasting
When: Between 1 and 3 p.m. on Sept. 20 and 27 and Oct. 4, 11 and 18.
Where: Starting at Grand River Cellars, 5750 S. Madison Road (Route 528). and concluding at Debonne Vineyards, 7840 Doty Road, both in Madison Township.
Tickets (limited): $40.
Reservations: 440-298-9838 (Grand River) or 440-466-3485 (Debonne).
