Located in a small shopping plaza in one of Akron’s industrial districts is the hidden gem, Grape & Granary. Drawn to the opportunity of making my own wine, I had no idea what to expect. The thought seemed interesting and I was looked forward to learning more about the process. With a long list of wines available for purchase and production, I was a little overwhelmed, but decided to sample a few wines while reading over the instructions and information for making my own.
Selecting a table, I quickly learned that I was seated near a wedding party, They were deciding which wine to make for their reception and choosing their labels for the wine.
In front of me was a selection of several wine glasses as well as spices for dipping oils and a basket of bread. With a small fee of 50 cents per wine sample, I wanted to try a few flavors before making my purchase. I was offered a long list of wines as well as specialty blends that I had never tried before. Here is the list of wines that I sampled:
- Strawberry White Merlot – delicious, great strawberry taste
- Kiwi Pear – LOVE this one…it was like eating fresh pears
- Sangria Zinfindel Blush – has a wonderful, fruity aftertaste
- Raspberry Dragon Fruit – sweet and tastes like kool aid
- Cranberry Chianti – not too tart
- Strawberry Riesling – a sweet, full strawberry taste
- Summer Surprise is a watermelon Jalapeno wine; the watermelon flavor breaks the heat, but I thought it was too sweet
- Jalapeno Ice Wine – AMAZING! WOW! I had to buy a couple of bottles of this one! So unique!
I learned that the Peach Apricot Wine is their best seller, but they were sold out during the time of my visit.
Grape & Granary is also a distillery, so I had a list of options such as Grappa, Whisky, Brandy, Gin, Caffe Liquor or Limoncello. Since the limoncello was a dollar per sample, I simply couldn’t resist.
One of the advantages of visiting Grape & Granary is that they also provide bread and dipping oils to sample. The Herbes de Garlic Sea Salt was one of my favorite blends so I purchased a small jar for home.
During my visit, I was able to witness an engaged couple bottling wine for their upcoming wedding. They had already selected their wine from a list of prepared wine juices. Choosing the Luna Rossa, they met with the winemaker to incorporate the yeast into the juice and waited 7 weeks until it was ready to bottle. The cork is then added and later a label would be placed on the bottle after printing.
The couple selected their label which would be ready in a couple of weeks and then the process would be completed. For the particular wine they chose, the cost would be $165 which would include 28 – 30 750 ml bottles. The cost for labels was 30 cents and the bottles an additional charge.
I was so thankful for the opportunity to watch the wine making process and found it to be a fun, educational experience. The Grape & Granary sells a wide variety of wine making kits and offers orders from their online store and catalog. I decided to purchase a wine kit in hopes that I would have some success and then start a winery in Napa.
Have you had the opportunity to make your own wine at Grape & Granary or at another wine making venue? I would love to hear about your experience if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below! Many thanks for reading my post and I wish you many Happy Travels!
What to See and What to Do:
The Grape & Granary
915 Home Avenue
Akron, OH 44310
Telephone: 330 633 7223
Where to Stay:
Country Inn & Suites
1420 Main Street
Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221
Telephone: 330 926 1233
Where to Eat:
Beau’s on the River
1989 Front Street
Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221
Telephone: 330 920 7530
I was so excited to find this amazing restaurant with a fabulous view along the Cuyahoga River. I ordered a Wedge Salad and the Caprese Flatbread for my main entrée.
