Southeastern Ohio's Wine Country

In southeastern Ohio wineries are growing in popularity as the numbers of grape aficionados, as well as the number of producers, are on the rise. The holiday season brings with it an opportunity for a different kind of shopping experience. Far from the retail worlds of catalog and Internet browsing, this trip involves leisurely drives down rustic trails to sip wine from porches that overlook fields of vines.

Shopping for wine in Ohio can be a sensational, social and artistic experience, much like the product itself. The working vineyards and wineries nested in the foothills of Appalachia all have their own unique scenery, personality, and flavor.

Ohio is one of the top ten producing wine states, according to the Ohio Wine Association, making more than 500,000 gallons each year.

Some people feel intimidated at the prospect of wine tasting, fearing that they don’t know enough about it. But, MaryJane Phillips, who owns Marietta Wine Cellars in Marietta along with her husband Allan, says people don’t have to be wine connoisseurs to appreciate a good wine.

“I’m not an expert, I just know what I like,” Phillips said. “Of course, when you visit the winery you get to taste different ones and decide for yourself.”

Marietta Wine Cellars is a boutique winery located in downtown Marietta and specializing in an array of white and red wines, mostly sweet and young, with names like Sternwheeler White and River Red.

It’s a ‘boutique winery’ because they don’t grow their own grapes, just their own brand of hospitality. The wine is made at their location on Front Street where samples are presented in glass tasters. MaryJane says paper or plastic cups just don’t provide the same experience. Guests can stand at the tasting bar or relax in an inviting sit-down tasting room.

Although dry wine is thought of as a traditional, sophisticated favorite, most people prefer sweet wines. Many Appalachian wineries specialize in different varieties. At the Raven’s Glenn Winery near West Lafayette, an award winning dessert wine called Chantilly Lace is the lightest, sweetest wine in the house.

Owner Robert Guilliams says sweet wines account for 80 percent of the wine sales at the Raven’s Glenn and other regional winemakers reported similar results.

The Raven’s Glenn Restaurant pairs Italian dishes with a suggested wine menu in a dining room with a scenic view of the Tuscawaras River and the manicured greens of a golf course beyond. With architecture reminiscent of a resort, it’s not surprising that the idea for the family business grew out of a skiing trip.

“We started to ski when we were about 48 years old. So, we went out to California to ski and went down to Napa and Sonoma and saw all the vines and the wineries down there and started visiting and thought, you know, this might be a neat thing to do as we get ready to look at our own retirement. We were never really thinking it would be something like this. But, the closer we got to doing it, the more we decided this might be good.”

The couple’s goal was a 2,500-gallon winery; at this rate the winery is producing and selling 15,000 gallons of wine a year. Raven’s Glenn serves about 20,000 tasters in their gift shop annually.

Many of these winemakers have several things in common. Many are boomers. For all of these couples, this is a second life, or retirement hobby. For many, it is also a family operation involving siblings, children, and friends who share in the work - and the harvest celebrations.

For Paul and Donna Roberts, owners of the Terra Cotta Vineyards near New Concord, it was a dream they planned for a long time. They searched for the perfect plot of land for more than three years.

“He made wine as a hobby right after we were married, that’s been almost 39 years ago, then we visited wineries for summer vacations,” Donna Roberts said. “We took some classes at Ohio State and then we decided we wanted to do it for retirement.”

The Roberts have two acres of grapes on 52 acres of land with plans to grow to five planted acres.

Like many small wineries, the Roberts rely heavily on word of mouth, and little other advertising, to get the message out about their business. Even so, they host cookouts that sell out every time. As with the others, they maintain a website to post events and accept orders.

The best selling wine at Terra Cotta Vineyards is the Concord Red, a sweet wine, even though the owners prefer their dryer varieties of Seyval, Country Ridge, and Chambourcin.

Since the rolling landscapes of some of the more rustic wineries, like Terra Cotta Vineyards, are located on winding roads off the beaten path it’s a good idea to bring a map and call ahead for hours and directions to insure the best possible shopping experience.

Elkins, W.Va. Develops Railyard Attraction

Developers, entertainers, and investors are setting the stage for the small mountain town of Elkins to become West Virginia's biggest travel destination. At the heart of their focus lies an abandoned train station and rail yard, which is undergoing a thorough transformation.

"We've been trying to make Elkins a destination for years," said Jen Giovannitti, director of the Randolph County Development Authority. "We recognized that we needed a new hotel and to generate more destination activities."

The county authority owns the railroad property and is spearheading the extensive redevelopment project. On the perimeter of the new town square, with the completion of a new Holiday Inn Express (bricked to match the historic motif), the relocation of the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad, and the start of construction on a new music theatre designed to feature nightly shows, the shared dream is well on its way. A railroad museum is in the works, too. And, all of the new attractions are within walking distance, united by their proximity to the restored depot.

"Still, there is space available in the yards," Giovannitti said.

The former site of a railroad turntable and maintenance shop covers acres of what is rapidly becoming prime visitor space. The comprehensive effort to re-create the space, including the talent, sweat, and funding, is nearly all being invested by residents of Elkins who share a common interest in seeing their hometown thrive.

"We've known about this sort of thing all our lives and we're just so excited to see it come home," said Susie Heckel, manager and producer of the American Mountain Theatre.

Currently in operation in a different location, the American Mountain Theatre is looking forward to the start of construction on the square. The Branson-style variety show will be moving up from a 200-seat makeshift venue to their own custom 525-seat theatre. Now in its second season, the family production has entertained 25 buses this year.

"We'll follow the train season from May to mid-November and then offer a Christmas Spectacular," Heckel said.
Everyone agrees the trains are the main attraction.

"People have a fascination with trains that I don't have an explanation for," said John Smith, president and chief engineer of the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. "People will come out of the woodwork to ride."

Smith and his wife Kathy are operating three unique trains on three different scenic excursions around the Cheat Mountain area from Durbin where they also keep a rail and trail store. However, with the availability of nine tracks and a renovated depot at the Elkins town square, the railroad company is looking to relocate and expand.

"It's coming along in Elkins," Smith said. "There's growth potential and it's highly scenic."

Heckel says people from all over the country are already taking the scenic drive through Elkins - mostly on their way to someplace else. Now there are many more reasons to stop.

"One longer term goal is to link Elkins to Snowshoe by train," Giovannitti said. "If that were to eventually come to play it would be a great way to get people into the region."

One travel expert says the reconstruction and centralization of the area's tourism efforts is exactly what the historic railroad town needs to attract and accomodate visitors and realize its potential as a premier d

estination.

"Elkins is the only place in America where visitors can experience a tour with three train rides in a single day," said Bob Cline of US Tours in Parkersburg.

Cline has already been successfully and nearly exclusively selling Elkins' assets and booking dozens of buses annually for the American Mountain Theatre and West Virginia's only scenic railroad. Last year 35,000 people experienced the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley line.