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Grand River Cellars owner Cindy Lindberg talks shop with Kent State University instructor Tony Carlucci during a wine seminar he recently conducted.
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With the exception of harvest season, the Northeast Ohio wine country is never more alive than during the summer when thousands of wine lovers take to the country roads and stop in at one or more of the 20- plus area establishments dedicated to the partaking of the grape.
My friends and I joined the throngs on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in June. We headed straight to Grand River Cellars in Madison Township, one of only two wineries in Lake County.
Not a soul was seated inside the winery, which is nicely decorated with ceramic tile floors, mural-painted stucco walls and plenty of seating, including a grouping of cozy couches near a gorgeous fireplace.
We found people outside, though. It was early so just a few tables were full of people enjoying the weather and sampling GRC’s selections. One of my companions said the patio could be the nicest in Lake County. She said she felt like she was at wine camp and wanted to know if we could go canoeing after lunch.
We were not rushed; we enjoyed a leisurely meal, a nice breeze keeping us cool and comfortable in the shade of the umbrella. Our friendly server stopped by often enough to keep us stocked up with food and wine.
We all agreed on dry reds so we started with the merlot, then tried Stonewood Red. The Stonewood, a semi-sweet blend of merlot, red zinfandel and shiraz, was a bit too sweet for our taste.
We went back to dry for our final bottle (if you’re counting, yes, we had three bottles) and chose Austin’s Red, a blend of merlot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon. GRC donates $1 from each bottle of Austin’s Red, and Susanna’s White, to Cure Autism Now/Autism Speaks. All wines are $15 or less except for the ice wine.
GRC’s Tipsy Grape Grille just may have the best food you can eat on a plastic plate. With no sewers north of I-90 in Madison, restaurants are scarce and have to adhere to strict health code requirements.
The plastic didn’t affect the taste of the food; it just enhanced the feeling of being at a picnic. One of my companions compared it to eating lobster off paper plates in Maine. Another didn’t even notice he was eating off plastic until I brought it up. That’s a guy for you.
Two of the appetizers – an antipasti plate and a cheese plate – we didn’t try that day, but I’ve tried them on other visits. All are good, made with fresh ingredients and piled with stuff that goes well with wine like pepperoni, olives, roasted red peppers and an assortment of cheese and crackers. The bruschetta is great too.
We tried the brie & pear app, warm brie and sliced pears covered with a choice of caramel glaze or a blackberry, walnut and lemon glaze, served with a warm French baguette. We went for the latter – we loved how the distinct flavors of sweet fruit and sharp cheese played off each other.
The artichoke and asiago cheese dip, served with tortilla chips, is a heart attack in a bread bowl. The hot, melted, garlicky concoction is so good you won’t stop until you’ve eaten the last morsel of the bowl itself – bread flavored with Romano and Swiss cheeses, and parsley.
We enjoyed our salads too. They come with a tangy Italian balsamic dressing, a variety of greens, and just the right amount of mozzarella cheese, roasted red peppers, black olives and pepperoncinis.
Most of my companions really enjoyed their food. Comments included “The pulled pork was just as it should be,” “The ribs are awesome—falling-off-the-bone tender,” and finally, “This place has a great chef. The servings are distinct. Everything has a different taste and is carefully crafted.”
Only one of my companions was disappointed, saying her salmon was dry and a hair overcooked and the veggie combo of green beans, yellow carrots and broccoli, was either frozen, overcooked or both. She wasn’t thrilled with her mashed potatoes either.
Another of my companions ordered the Italian veggie lover’s pizza, one of two flatbread pizzas. An olive lover, she said it was loaded with olives. The pizza also has tomatoes, artichoke hearts and onions, and plenty of feta cheese all on a thick crust brushed with hot pepper olive oil.
My personal favorites, besides the asiago cheese dip, are the Tipsy Pig pizza, the Tipsy Grape salad and the pulled pork sandwich. Although not made in-house, I love it and the coleslaw that comes with it. I like to put mine on my sandwich, a la North Carolina-style.
Whether it was to satisfy a craving for something sweet or to have an excuse to linger on the patio, we couldn’t leave without trying a dessert or three. We tried something called Lee’s Lemon Madness. No one knew quite how to describe it. Billed as a cake, it’s more like a light and fluffy pie. Whatever you call it, we enjoyed it immensely.
We also tried a couple cakes baked by GRC server/bartender/chef/baker Janie Sibell. These are not your grandma’s Bundt cakes. One was a chocolate Kahlua cake with a Ghirardelli chocolate/Kahlua glaze topped with whipped cream. The other, a Bacardi rum cake, infused with Bacardi dark rum, was drizzled with a rum/butter glaze. Yum!
Cindy and Jeff Lindberg are partners in Grand River Cellars along with three others who have a long history in the wine industry: Tony and Beth Debevc (Debonné Vineyards owners) and Tony Rego (in charge of sales for Debonné Vineyards for years). The Lindbergs still run the Grille at Debonné.
Cindy also is in charge of daily operations at the winery and is event coordinator for both wineries.
Cindy loves both the winery and her job.
“I think it provides such a wonderful cozy setting whether in the winter or the summer. The deck is so relaxing and the fireplace is so incredibly cozy in the winter,” she said. “It’s been a lot of fun. It’s a different experience from my previous job as a school psychologist.”
GRC was formerly the more raucous Claire’s Grand River Winery. Lindberg said the winery is planning more family-focused types of events. A pumpkin patch was planted for this fall and plans are to do a corn maze next year. Coming up are a comedy night with the Tortuga Twins Aug. 9, a winey-margarita party Aug. 24 and tethered hot air balloon rides Sept. 16.
Grand River Cellars, at 5750 S. Madison Road (Ohio 528), in Madison Township, is open Wednesdays and Thursdays noon to 8 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays noon to 11 p.m. and Sundays 1 to 8 p.m. Dinner reservations are recommended on weekends when fun local bands draw quite a crowd. Make them by calling 440-298-9838.
Laura Freeman is editor of the Lake County Business Journal.
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