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Hidden Vines by WILLIAM S. STEPHENS
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Rated "PG" by the Author.
Harmony Hills Vineyards and Estate
Tucked away thirty some miles east of Cincinnati, Harmony awaits. Harmony Hills Vineyard. Just outside of the small town of Bethel Ohio. Napa Valley comes to the Buckeye State. If your not careful you’ll pass by this property that looks like any other home from the road.
I had tasted the wines this year at the Taste of Westchester which Harmony Hill was part of. The owners Bill and Patti Skvarla was there hosting the wine tasting and answering questions about their Winery. Living so close I kept promising to go and never made it until the final weekend of operations for the summer.
The sign out front gives way to the paved driveway that takes you back to the winery. I wish I had gone sooner. I arrived to a pleasant wine excursion as I passed the gazebo with the Nashville song writers playing their original songs for the crowd. My wife and I noticed the animals that roamed the fenced in farmlands. Guests ranged in age from the twenties till the sixties or seventy’s.
I walked through the spotless wine production area as the owner Bill was sharing his knowledge with the guests. He welcomed us in to look around. The atmosphere was very comfortable and casual, Bill and Patti make all of their guests feel welcome with their hospitality.
After the self guided tour of the winery the anticipation was about to end. On to the wine tasting. The reason one goes to a winery right? The staff hosting the tasting was extremely friendly and very knowledgeable about the wines. With the increasing popularity of Harmony Hill wines the selection was slim due to the high demand for the wines. It was the end of the season and a lot of the inventory had been sold out.
After tasting a couple of wines I chose the Harmony Hill Serenade Red table wine. The Serenade is a Chambourcin-Foch blend and Bronze medal winner in the Indy International wine festival. My wife and I purchased a bottle and sat on the covered patio listening to the songwriters sing their original music. The patio was full with other wine enthusiasts enjoying the great wine and their picnic lunch.
After a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon I left the winery with a feeling that I had been missing out on something great all summer. The winery is in full production mode now but will reopen for business again on memorial day weekend 2008. For a list of activities and wines visit their website at hhwines.com.
Take the drive to the country and enjoy some great wine with some great people. I will see you there next summer.
Tucked away thirty some miles east of Cincinnati, Harmony awaits. Harmony Hills Vineyard. Just outside of the small town of Bethel Ohio. Napa Valley comes to the Buckeye State. If your not careful you’ll pass by this property that looks like any other home from the road.
