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Tag Archives: raspberry wine

Hocking Hills Winery in Athens, Ohio

25 September 20212 March 2025

After making several trips to Athens to visit my sister, I decided to stop by Hocking Hills Winery in Logan on my way home to Columbus.  Beckoned by billboards along US-33, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to sample locally-produced wines and purchase a couple of bottles for myself.

Max and Loris Davidson owned the property and raised cattle on the farm until the land was passed down to their family by 2008.  Wanting to maintain the farm for agricultural use, it was their grandson, Blaine, who came up with the idea to plant a vineyard to produce wine as Hocking Valley Vineyards.  That same year, 2013, they planted their first 600 vines on just over one acre.  The grapevines included the hearty French-hybrid varietals that would thrive in the cold weather of Ohio to include the Chambourcin, Traminette and the Vidal Blanc.

The large room is a great meeting place with the tasting bar on the opposite side of the entrance.  I grabbed a seat and a menu and within minutes ordered their wine flight where I could sample eight of their sixteen varietals.

Their estate grown wines include:

  • Vidal Blanc, first harvested in 2013 from their estate grown grapes. It is a full bodied white which pairs with shellfish and chicken.
    • The Vidal Blanc grapes are also used to make the Lilly of the Valley wine
  • Sauvignon Blanc, first harvested in 2016 from the Lontue region of the Curico Valley of Chile, South America.  Pairs great with grilled chicken as well as Greek and Mexican cuisine.
  • Traminette, first harvested in 2017

Additional Wines:

  • Chardonnay aged in American Oak for 8 months
  • Pinot Grigio from grapes harvested from the Lontue region of the Curico Valley of Chile in South America. The cool wine region allows the grapes to flourish in the Andes Mountains providing a crisp, dry white.
  • Riesling from the Columbia Valley of Washington state in a cool climate resulting in semi-sweet wine which balances out rich, saucy dishes.  (This was one of my favorites!)
  • Moscato from Lodi, California
  • Sweet Chardonnay from California’s Central Valley
  • Malbec
  • Syrah
  • Zinfandel from Lodi, California is a region where much of the great Zinfandel is produced. Pair this wine with rich meats.
  • Hocking River Red, a sweet red wine blend
  • Rock House Rouge
  • Balanced Rock Port, a dessert wine
  • Peach Wine Slushy
  • Raspberry Wine Slushy

While the winery has been winning awards since 2015 and their wines have also been recognized by a number of organizations:

Awards and Recognition?

  • 2019: Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor!
  • 2019: Riesling awarded a Silver Medal at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition!
  • 2019: Chardonnay awarded a Bronze Medal at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition!
  • 2019: Hocking River Red awarded a Bronze Medal at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition!
  • 2018: Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor!
  • 2018: Petite Syrah awarded a Bronze Medal at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition!
  • 2018: Trillium awarded a Bronze Medal at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition!
  • 2017: Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor!
  • 2015: New Business of the Year Award by the Hocking Hills Chamber of Commerce!

Hocking Hills Winery offers a nice menu of appetizers ranging from $8 to $20 and visitors can also order food from local restaurants through UberEats, DoorDash or from the restaurant’s website as well.

What to See and What to Do:

Hocking Hills Winery
30402 Freeman Road
Logan, OH  43138
Telephone:  740 385 7117

  • Hours: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1PM to 8PM,  Friday from 1PM to 10PM and Saturday from 11AM to 10PM; Closed Tuesday
  • Tips for Visiting Hocking Hills Winery:  The winery caters to hikers, so make sure to stop by!  In addition to wine, the winery provides additional juices and water.  Children are permitted as well as dogs.  They do not accept reservations.  Their white wines are vegan but egg whites are used in their red wines to soften the tannins.  Outside food and beverages are not permitted but they have a menu which is also located on their website.
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Plum Run Winery Soon to Offer Craft Beer

26 March 201531 August 2024

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Plum Run Winery had just completed their renovations to provide its customers a larger space for sampling its award-winning wines and hard cider.  I was looking forward to visiting this Grove City winery, so I called my friend Karen to join me for the afternoon.

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The winery, offering a wide selection of wines, includes a few of the sweeter wines most popular in the state of Ohio.  These varietals include dessert wines, sweet reds and roses as well as a lovely selection of fruit wines.  Here are the list of wines that we selected for our tasting:

  • Apple: The winery buys their apples from Hugo’s, a local orchard.  The color of the wine is yellow and a bit cloudy.  It has a delicious taste that ends with a bit of a bite. It is described as “a blend of Gold Rush, Winesap and Yellow Delicious Apples, Ohio Grown!” 5% RS, $15 bottle, $6 glass

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  • Niagara: Plum Run Winery’s classic “Ohio Sweet Wine”;  I really enjoyed this one and Karen did as well.  5% RS, $13 bottle, $6 glass
  • Scioto Red: The combination between the Niagara and Concord grapes, this wine is described as a “sweet red wine that is light, fruity and aromatic”;  Two sweet grapes that make the perfect combination that we enjoyed so much we picked up a couple of bottles.    4% RS; $13 bottle $6 glass
  • Cranberry: Described as “tart and sweet with the aromas of pure cranberry juice”, this wine also ranks high on my list; 8$ RS, $18 bottle $6 glass
  • Seyval Blanc: This would have been my second choice for wine as I really liked this one.  It had a butterscotch smell and a smooth flavor; The winery labels this one as a “semi-sweet wine with hints of apple and pear.” 4% RS; $14 bottle, $6 glass
  • Dessert Wine, Red Tail: This is such a fabulous wine, and sampling it with a piece of dark chocolate made it even more enjoyable.  A “port style wine made from the Rougeon and St. Vincent Grapes; bottled in 500 ml bottles [this is] a perfect wine in front of the fire”  9% RS and 19% ABV  $18 bottle, $8 glass
  • Our final sample was the raspberry wine which really does taste like raspberry jam and has a high acidity.

There were so many great choices of wine, and Plum Run will soon be offering Chilean Chardonnay and Chilean Malbec.  My favorite wine choice for this visit was the Red Tail Dessert Wine, so I stopped by the grocery store for some dark chocolate to pair with this smooth delicious port.

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Having opened in 2012, Plum Run Winery had recently added the rustic seating area to their tasting room.  With elegantly exposed brick walls, highlighted with thick wooden counters, the new stylish space adds a level of country sophistication to the wine tasting experience.  My favorite addition was the barnyard siding windows and added counter space.

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Dave Crosby and his wife Diane, are owners of Plum Run Winery and have been making delicious wines for over 30 years.  Dave is well-known in Grove City because he taught school before opening the winery.  In addition to wines, Dave has also created Dave’s Gold Apples, a hard apple cider which is delightfully refreshing.

The winery hosts a number of events over the summer, such as music on Fridays and Saturdays.  The second Tuesday, they host a Wine and Canvas event, while every third Saturday is Wine and Yoga.  There is plenty of space to bring your event to the winery should you choose to host a Pampered Chef, Tupperware Party, etc.  And to confirm such events, make sure you visit their Facebook Page, Grove City Brewing Company to confirm the dates and times.  You can also sign up for their monthly newsletter which lists the entertainment for the month and soon their website page will be up and running.

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There is plenty of seating to accommodate close to forty visitors indoors as well as forty outdoors on their patio, which is only open during the summer season.

Plum Run Winery is a vendor at the Grove City Wine and Arts Festival where fifteen to twenty wineries are represented.   The festivities take place over the weekend of Father’s Day with an entry fee of $20 to include a souvenir glass as well as a set number of tickets to purchase wine.  The Ohio Grape & Wine Conference, scheduled in winter is another venue that the winery attends.

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There is some exciting news from Plum Run Winery with their announcement to open Grove City Brewery scheduled for late June.  A former brew master from Buckeye Lake Brewery will be heading up the craft beer creations, so it is sure to be a success.

Have you sampled the wines at Plum Run Winery or have a favorite Ohio winery that you like to frequent?  I would love to hear about your experience if you would kindly leave a message in the in the comments below.  Cheers!

Disclosure:   Please refer to our blog disclaimer tab for more information.

What to See and What to Do:

Plum Run Winery
3946 Broadway
Grove City, OH   43123
Telephone:  614 991 0338

  • Hours: The winery is open from 11 AM to 10 PM on Tuesday – Thursday, 11 AM to 12AM on Friday and Saturday and from 11 AM to 6 PM on Sunday.  Hours are seasonal and are subject to change. Please refer to the winery’s website for any updates to its hours of operation and for a list of entertainment.
  • Amenities:  Weekend entertainment, dining, wine tastings, patio seating, Grove City Brewing Company, wine, beer
  • Tips for Your Visit:  During the nights when the winery provides entertainment, wine tastings are not available.  As always, please drink responsibly.

Where to Stay:

Drury Inn & Suites Columbus Grove City
4109 Parkway Centre Drive
Grove City, OH  43123
Telephone:  614 875 7000

Where to Eat:

Michael’s Hibachi
3985 Broadway
Grove City, OH  43123
Telephone:  614 317 7828

I had not visited a hibachi in such a long time that I was super excited to order some Japanese cuisine.  I started out with the Spider Roll and then ordered the Steak and Shrimp hibachi with a glass of wine.

Here are more of my favorite Columbus Classics:

  • Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream:  Known for her unique flavor combinations, Jeni Britton Bauer has made ice cream famous in C-Bus!
  • North Market:  A one-stop shop for universal cuisine, Columbus’ North Market is worth a stop in the Short North District of the city.
  • The Thurman Cafe:  The Thurmanator is the burger of all burgers at this longtime local cafe in German Village.  There may be a wait all burgers are made to order.
  • Schmidt’s Sausage Haus and Restaurant:  While the sausage at Schmidt’s is the official food of Columbus, it’s the amazing Cream Puffs that have the locals lining up at the door.

What to Read: 

  • Columbus: The Story of a City, by Ed Lentz
  • Columbus, Ohio: A Photographic Portrait, by Randall L Schieber and Robin Smith
  • Ohio in Photographs: A Portrait of the Buckeye State, by Ian Adams
  • Secret Columbus, by Anietra Hamper

Photo Guide for Columbus: 

  • Coffman Park: small ponds, bridges, white barn, pavilion, landscaping, public art
  • Columbus Museum of Art:  the grounds, inside artwork and special exhibits
  • Everal Barn and Homestead:  landscaping, white barn, beautiful lake
  • Frank Fetch Park:  gardens, brick paths, beautiful trees and landscaping
  • Franklin Park Conservatory:  beautiful gardens, artwork, flowers and special exhibits
  • Gantz Park:  barn, beautiful trees,
  • German Village:  brick streets, landscaping, parks, charming architecture, Old World charm, historical buildings
  • Grove City:  brick roads, small town, shopping area
  • Hayden Falls:  wooden walking path, waterfall
  • Historical Village of Hilliard:  a small village to include a schoolhouse, train car, chapel, log cabin, covered bridge, gazebo and granary
  • Homestead Park in Hilliard: walking path, covered bridge, barns, trains, tractor, pond and pet park
  • Inniswood Metro Gardens:  gardens, lily pond, herb garden, play area for children, secret garden
  • Ohio State House: rotunda and landscaping (photo permit required)
  • Ohio State University:  campus, landscaping, Mirror Lake, Ohio Stadium (you can pay a small fee to take photos inside)
  • Park of Roses in Clintonville:  various types of rose gardens
  • Riverfront Park:  city view, Scioto River, landscapes, fountains, walking paths
  • Schiller Park:  gardens, walking paths, stone columns, wooden bridge, small lake
  • Scioto Mile:  city views, Scioto River, landscapes, fountains, walking paths
  • Scioto Park in Dublin:  statue of Chief Leatherlips, river views, landscaping, and paths
  • Short North:  restaurants, italian village, shops, city views, murals
  • Topiary Park:  depiction of George Seurat’s 1884 painting, landscape, fountains, small pond, gazebo

Disclosure:   Please refer to our blog disclaimer tab for more information.

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I have had a passion to travel for as long as I can remember and landed my dream job at the age of 19 on a cruise ship. The Suite Life of Travel is about those experiences as well as my future endeavor to explore this amazing world!

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