Visiting Gardens – Tour of Laurentia Vineyard and Winery

Fourteen of us had the pleasure of being greeted by Jeff Hunsaker, Marketing Director for the winery. He recently moved his family from the Napa Valley in California to Beachwood as he undertook his new position.

He was very knowledgeable about the vineyard’s terroir, and was able to compare grape planting in California to Ohio. For instance, while freezing is usually not a problem in California, the earth in Ohio is plowed up and shaped into low hills to protect the grape vines from the cold. Laurentia also uses strong stock from native fruits which can sustain cold, and new ones are grafted onto vines if needed. Wind mills are used to push the warm air down.

The vineyard manager, a young woman, came to us while we were in the field, and shared some of the last of the delicious cabernet grapes after the harvest. The harvest was completed just the day before our visit.

After many questions and answers, we returned to the beautiful lodge and visited the wine cellar. We were generously treated to three different Laurentia wines, a Beton Chardonnay, a Riesling, and a Pinot Noir.

We left with more knowledge about Ohio’s grape growing and certainly a tad happier after our tasting!

Gale Clarry

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