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Caesar Creek Vineyards is a remote country winery in southwest Ohio. It is named after Caesar, but not that Caesar. There’s no reason to beware the Ides of March here. The Rosé is completely free of conspiracies and betrayals, too. What you will find at Caesar Creek Vineyards is handcrafted wines and ciders in a relaxed, rural setting.
Location and Hours
Caesar Creek Vineyards is in Xenia, Ohio and is just a few miles off of Interstate 71. It’s a quick drive from Cincinnati or Dayton.
The address is 962 Long Road, Xenia Ohio. You can contact them by phone at 937-952-9388.
Hours: Currently they are only open Friday through Sunday. Hours may change based on the season though so be sure to call or check the winery’s Facebook page before visiting.
- Fridays: 4:00pm to 9:00pm
- Saturdays: 2:00pm to 9:00pm
- Sundays: 1:00pm to 5:00pm
Caesar Creek is one of 13 wineries on the Ohio River Valley Wine Trail that runs through southern Ohio. Nearby Valley Vineyards is also on the trail as well as Vinoklet Winery.
Caesar Creek Vineyards Winery
Caesar Creek Vineyards planted their first vines in 2005. The vineyard is located on a 200 acre farm where corn and beans are raised. The creek that runs through the property is named after a former slave who was adopted into the Shawnee tribe and fought with them in battles against the white settlers.
The creek forms a small lake on the property, which creates a lovely setting for drinking wine with friends. The original farmhouse still stands on the property and the owners hope to one day use it as the tasting room. It was built in the early 1800’s from stone and clay bricks from the area.
More vines are added each year and today the vineyard grows 9 varieties of grapes and has over 4500 vines. The varietals grown on the property are hybrids that can withstand the cold Ohio winters. They grow Cayuga White, Chardonel, Marechal Foch, Seyval, Noiret and Traminette, among others.
Caesar Creek Vineyards- The Wine List
When I visited in April, they had 10 varieties on wine available and two hard ciders. 5 were red wines and 5 were white. Their best-selling dry red is a Pinot Noir. It is a nice dry red with slight tannins and tobacco notes on the nose, with stone fruit and vanilla flavors.
They also make a Cabernet Sauvignon with Washington state grapes. It is more tannic with spice notes and berry flavors.
I tried their Chardonnay Reserve, which was a lovely, light and smooth chardonnay. It is barrel and sur lie aged (a process that is used in white and sparkling wines to enhance flavors) in oak.
They also have a stainless steel aged Chardonnay that’s more acidic than the reserve.
Another best-seller is Caesar Creek’s Riesling. This semi-dry white had hints of mango and peach. I thought the wine had an odd taste on the finish which ruined it for me. I’m having a hard time describing the flavor but it was almost a green pepper taste.
Their Headwaters sweet white is also very popular. Made from estate grown Chardonel and Frontenac Gris, this amber colored wine tastes like sweet pineapple with a little citrus thrown in.
Sunset Red is a sweet red blend with black raspberry and dark cherry notes. It had a heavy mouth feel and wasn’t as sweet as I expected it to be.
Miss Petunia Pie might be their best selling wine. It’s a sweet white made from estate grown traminette and frontenac gris. It has strong honey and citrus flavors and would pair well with rich desserts.
Caesar Creek also makes hard cider. The standard offering is a barrel aged cider grown from local apples and aged in wine barrels. They also have an “experimental” cider which varies in flavor depending when you visit.
See the current Wines and Flights offering at Caesar Creek Vineyard
Tasting Room, Patio and Grounds
The tasting room is in the same building as the winery. The building resembles a barn and the tasting room side has lots of galvanized metal and rustic decor. There is a covered patio off the tasting room with tables and chairs. There are picnic tables in a gravel area off the patio for more outdoor seating.
Since the winery is part of a real life farm, there are crops grown in the fields off the patio. It looks like they grew corn last season in this field which means the corn stalks will likely obscure some of the views from the patio.
There is plenty of open space with lush green lawn and beautiful views to spread a blanket and enjoy some wine.
Events
Caesar Creek frequently has live music on the weekends. They also host an occasional comedy night and frequent wine and paint events. There is an annual Mercedes Benz Car show, as well as 5K races for several different organizations.
As 2021 progresses and we leave Covid 19 behind us, it will be exciting to see what events and changes Caesar Creek has planned. This winery does an excellent job of merging history, beautiful scenery and modern, unique wines to create an inviting atmosphere. The next time you’re driving on I-71, go a few miles out of the way to the winery and spend an hour or two; you’ll be glad you did.