St Joseph Vineyards

Stop #2 on our Ohio ice wine festival trip. The Vidal Blanc ice wine we had here was one of my favorites, and it was also the most inexpensive bottle of ice wine I saw all day, at just $ 25.
I only sampled 2 of their other wines, a Gewürztraminer that tasted a little watered down, and their famed Pinot, which was too dry for my taste. I would have liked to have tried more so I could get a better idea of whether or not I like this winery, but it was pretty crowded and I was tired of standing in lines.
I don’t think this winery is equipped to serve food on the regular, it’s very small. But they had a little maple walnut cake provided for the festival, and that was nice. And I did see a cheese plate on their menu, so they can at least offer a little sustenance.
I’d like to come back to this area again NOT during a festival to see what all these wineries are actually like.

Just hit this place last weekend. The Pinot Noir Reserve, although pricey, is very good.
The Chardonnay Cuvee is also tasty. Steel not oak, a little buttery, but also a little hot. Not bad for Ohio wines though.
The location, and the place for that matter, is pretty rustic. The woods are close by in the back. The wine bar is small and can get quite crowded. Behind the wine bar are tables where you can enjoy a glass or bottle. I’ve been here three times and have had the same person at the wine bar each time. She’s very nice and tries very hard to help with the wines. I was trashing one of the other area wineries in discussing her wines, which I believe contributed to a 5% discount on 6 bottles (not a standard practice) and no sales tax. It probably didn’t hurt that I bought a couple of the Reserves. So on customer service alone, this place is a winner. As a bonus, they participate in the Ice Wine Festival every March (two weekends, usually the first two). They have very good Ice Wine, but it is a bit more expensive than South River Winery’s. Definitely want to include this place on the circuit through the Grand River Valley.