If you’ve read our article about the top 15 wineries across the state of Ohio, you’d know that the state of Ohio ranks 9th in the nation for the best wineries. The rich soil and temperate climate make the state ideal for vineyards and maintaining the best growth of grapes possible. Live in or happen to be visiting somewhere in southern Ohio? Check out some of the best wineries you can find!

Sand Hollow Winery

This winery is relatively new, first opening its doors in May of 2012. The Sand Hollow Winery allows you to enjoy gorgeous scenery, while sipping on a wide variety of different wines. The winery classifies its wine into three different categories: White Wine (Light & Crisp), Red Wine (Smooth & Rich), and finally Sweet Wine (Sweet & Refreshing). The Sweet wine is the most popular among them all, check out the different flavors:

• Feeling Better? (Tropical Fruit): “Having one of those days need to be in a better place? Then take a trip to the beach with this refreshing and tropical tasting wine. Just two sips later you will be wiggling your toes in the sand & feeling better!” 
• Forgive Me For I have Zin’d (White Zinfandel): “If you have not Zin’d before, be the first to enjoy this delightful rose’. If you have Zin’d, this sweet wine’s light wild berry flavor will provide a path to forgiveness for all your past zins!”  
• Oh Yeah! (Raspberry): “Oh yeah! is the best way to describe this flavorful sweet wine made with all-natural juices and sweeteners (Call your dentist!). Enjoy with friends and dark chocolate BUT by yourself with dark chocolate is not bad either!” 

Sand Hollow Winery offers fun events throughout each season! This year the winery will be holding their Hollow’s Eve Festival on October 28th and 29th. The festival will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and you can bring your kids to the trick or treating activities and hayrides that will take place from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Later in the evening beginning at 5:00 p.m., live music will begin and a wine tasting trail will take place! That’s right, participants will walk through a wooded trail and stop at 4 different spots for wine tastings. 

Sand Hollow Winery Hours:

• Sunday & Monday: CLOSED
• Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday: 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Friday: 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Saturday: 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m

Pleasant Hill Vineyards

This next winery, Pleasant Hill Vineyards, comes with the perfect setting—a former horse farm with rolling pastures! In 2012, owners Ross & Sandy bought the property in 2012 and immediately began doing renovations to transform the property into a winery. The owners had wanted to open their own boutique winery ever since 2005, when they had visited a friend’s winery and were introduced to making wine hands-on.

This winery offers a great variety of wine, along with some delicious food options to enjoy alongside. Popular appetizers include:

• Fresh fruit
• Olive medley
• Baked artichoke dip
• Shrimp cocktail
• Hummus and vegetables 
• House salad

The winery is also open to hosting events of all sorts, including birthdays, bridal showers, and wedding receptions. 

Pleasant Hill Vineyards hours:

• Monday, Tuesday, & Sunday: CLOSED
• Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday: 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Saturday: 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Slate Run Vineyard

Originally opened in 1997, Slate Run Vineyard is another winery that is located on a small farm. The winery’s name actually originated from a nearby creek. The owners of this winery are Keith and Leslie Pritchard. Keith already had some wine making experience himself, as he began growing grapes in 1985, way too many than he actually had anticipated being grown! This led him to begin to sell grapes to other local wineries, however over time Keith wanted to create something for himself which led to the idea of a winery.

The winery produces over 58 different varieties of grapes, and they are all completely 100% Ohio fruit. The Objective of wine growing at Slate Run is to make wines that have complexity beyond simple “fruit character.”

Dry white wines are the most popular at this winery, check out the most popular options to choose from:

• Slate Blanc: Crisp dry white wine with slight oak, made from Vignoles grapes with a smooth lingering finish. Priced at $9.99. 
• Slate Blanc Reserve: Dry white Vignoles wine done in a classic Chardonnay style. Oak aging with secondary fermentation and a soft touch. Priced at $10.99.
• Premblanc: a French Burgundy styled dry white wine with balanced oak and with malolactic fermentation qualities. Priced at $11.99.

Slate Run Vineyard hours:

• Sunday: CLOSED
• Monday through Saturday: 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Shade Winery

Named after the Ohio Town of Shade, Shade Winery will satisfy all of your winery dreams! Enjoy the comfortable tasting rooms indoors, or check out the patio outdoors where you can enjoy some gorgeous views of the vineyards. This winery offers wine in three different types: White, Red, & Sweet.

Popular white wines:

• Sauvignon Blanc: glass for $9.00, bottle for $26.00.
• Dry Riesling:  glass for $9.00, bottle for $26.00

Popular red wines:

• Pinot Noir: glass for $9.00, bottle for $28.00
• Merlot: glass for $9.00, bottle for $28.00

Popular sweet wines:

• Ridge Red Chambourcin: glass for $8.00, bottle for $24.00
• Bobcat Blush Niagara: glass for $7.00, bottle for $20.00

If you’re looking to enjoy a meal alongside your winery visit, Shade Winery has got you covered! The winery offers a variety of delicious shareables, salads, burgers, sandwiches, and other entrees. 

Shade Winery hours:

• Monday & Tuesday: CLOSED
• Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday: 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Saturday: 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Sunday: 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Three Oaks Vineyard

In 2006, owners Pete and Diana Hooverman began starting a vineyard to grow grapes in Granville. They were approved as a Ohio winery in 2012, and have grown to have over 800 vineyards with 10 different varieties. An apple orchard was even added in 2009! Three Oaks Vineyard offers more of a casual and laid back atmosphere, with an outdoor patio, covered patio, and pavilion that was built by Pete.

Three Oaks adds events to their calendar frequently, with lots of fun things coming up here towards the end of October/beginning of November:

• Mary Miller's Music at the Slushie Happy Hour (Fri Oct 28th 4:00pm - 7:00pm): Get a happy hour slushie for $4 between 4 pm and 7 pm. Enjoy wine, wine slushies, Kirwin's antipasto platters, and Whit's Frozen Custard. Starting at 5 pm, you can listen to live music until 7 pm. Mary Miller will be the host, and genres include Country, Americana, Gospel, Old Standards and popular songs from the 50's, 60's and 70's. Miller is a pro at the acoustic guitar to say the least! 
• “Fall is for Wine with Englishman John” (Sat Oct 29th 6:00pm - 8:00pm): Join Three Oaks for a fun evening of music in the pavilion with a warm fire and wine! This fall they will have a number of excellent musicians and entertainers playing.
• Word at the Winery (Tue Nov 1st 6:30pm - 7:30pm): Pastor Bob Long will take a visit to Three Oaks and offer an exposition of a chosen scripture. 

 Three Oaks Vineyard hours:

• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Sunday: CLOSED
• Wednesday: 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Friday: 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Vinoklet Winery

This next place, Vinoklet Winery, is currently the only working winery located in Hamilton county. The winery was established in 1986, when founder Kreso Mikulic planted the very first vines. There are currently over 12,000 vines now, across 30 acres of rolling hills and ponds.

Vinoklet Winery are known for their exquisite wine tastings:

• Each afternoon during Vinoklet’s normal operating hours, you get to try an entire flight of award winning wines that will only cost you $12.99.
• Every weekend during dinner, you are offered a free taste of 5 wines that you can enjoy before the entree, as well as when your meal actually comes. 

This winery was also featured in our blog on the top 15 wineries in Ohio, because currently they are home to 12 award winning wines which include Red, White, and Fruit wine:

Red wine options

• Brother Joe
• Cincinnatus
• Inspiration
• La Dolce Vita
• Sunset blush

White wine options

• Traminette
• Tears of Joy
• Dreamer
• In Vino Veritas

Fruit wine options

• Passion
• Strawberry wine
• Sweet Jackie

Vinoklet Winery hours:

• Monday: CLOSED
• Tuesday & Thursday: 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Wednesday: 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Saturday: 12:00 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Sunday: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Woodstone Creek Winery

Convenient to the downtown area, this final winery has it all and was originally created as a bank in the early 1930s! As a true artisan winery and boutique distillery, the Woodstone Creek Winery in Cincinnati produces 100-200 cases of wine, along with mead and spirits every year. The options change seasonally, ranging from dry to sweet. Woodstone offers a vast and somewhat unusual range of wines from dry to sweet and fortified dessert wines. Woodstone's pot still produces brandy, honey liqueur, five grain bourbon, single malt whisky rum, gin, bierschnaps, and vodka.  The winemaker at Woodstone Creek is a certified brewmaster, mead mazer, and master distiller all in one. 

Woodstone Creek makes about three barrels each year. They have no extensive production lines, automated equipment, computers, bottling line, or employees. Woodstone Creek is true single barrel spirit! Everything is produced on a 238 gallon pot still designed by the distiller. Woodstone Creek spirits are made much the same way they were around the time of the Industrial Revolution! 

Awards/Accolades:

• The Ohio Bourbon and Cincinnati Vodka are rated "Recommended" by the prestigious Beverage Testing Institute's international panel of judges.
• Woodstone Creek’s single cask, peated, single malt whisky was sampled at the American Distiller Institute's competition in 2008. Judge Jim Murray, author of "The Whisky Bible," gave it a great review. 
• In a blind taste test reported by CityBeat, Woodstone Creek’s vodka wins over 10 nationally known brands! 

Woodstone Creek Winery hours:

Woodstone Creek is currently open one day a week on Saturday, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Where Will You Venture to Next?

Do you live nearby the southern Ohio area? Love visiting wineries? Let us know in the comments and which one of these wineries sounds most interesting to you. Happy tasting!