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When I first saw the listing for Meier’s Wine Cellars in Cincinnati, I thought it was a listing for a wine store and almost crossed it off my list of wineries to visit. When I checked out the website, I realized I was thrown off by more than just the word “cellars” in their name.
It turns out, these are the people who make Meier’s sparkling grape juice. You know, the stuff you serve to the kids while the adults drink champagne. I never realized they made wine, too.
Meier’s Wine Cellar’s History
Not only does Meier’s make wine, they are the oldest and largest wine producer in Ohio. John C Meier founded the company in 1895 and made juice from grapes grown nearby. The vineyard was located in what is now Kenwood Towne Center.
Today it’s hard to imagine that area as farmland but it was at one time. Eventually, Meier’s moved to their current location in Silverton, just north of Cincinnati and purchased more lands for vineyards on one of the Lake Erie Islands.
Currently, they produce over 30 varieties of wines and 8 sparkling juices. They also do private labeled wines, spirits and malt liquor.
The tasting room contains a mini museum with photos and equipment from the past 120 years of winemaking at Meier’s.
Location and Hours: UPDATE-
The tasting room and wine store are temporarily closed for renovations.
The winery, tasting room and production facilities are located at 6955 Plainfield Road, Cincinnati.
Meier’s Wine List
Meier’s makes over 30 different wines, from classic dry whites to ports and sherries. They also make 11 different non-alcoholic juices.
They craft wines from grapes native to North America. These are some of the memorable wines on their list:
Walleye White is a gewurztraminer blend. It’s a semi-dry crisp wine with a citrusy taste.
Jakob Demmer Riesling is a medium dry wine and reminded me more of a sauvignon blanc.
Meier’s Pink Catawba is a sweet blush wine made from concord and catawba grapes. It has a slightly sour finish which mellows the sweetness a bit.
Red Seedling is their most popular wine. It’s made from 100% concord grapes and is smooth and very sweet.
American Ruby Red Port is an oak aged port made from vinifera grapes with a smooth and velvety mouth feel.
They don’t serve food other than cheese and crackers but several area restaurants will deliver or you are welcome to bring your own.
Wine tastings are $1.00 each. They also have wine slushies made from their sangria and blended with fruit and ice, not a slushy mix like most wineries.
The tasting room has tables and some alcoves where you can sit and enjoy your wine. The decor is pretty dated and looks to be leftover from the 70’s or early 80’s. It’s cozy though and the employees were friendly and helpful.
They have a large amount of comfy outdoor seating with a large grassy area. This is pleasantly surprising given their urban location. At Christmas, they build a wine barrel Christmas tree in the grassy area.
Special Events
Meier’s has a varied schedule of special events going on at the winery. Check their Facebook page, Meier’s Wine Cellars, Inc. for current events.
Retail Store
Meier’s has a large retail store area where you can purchase all of their products and wine related gift items. They also have custom made wine gift baskets and an area for craft events like wine and paint night.
The store also sells wine making equipment in case you want to try your hand at wine making at home.
If you like sweet wine or don’t like wine at all, Meier’s is worth a visit. There are mostly sweet wines to try and sparkling grape juice for a non-alcoholic option. Be sure to try the wine slushies and enjoy the outdoor spaces.
Read about another Cincinnati-area winery here.
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