Little Bit of Wine in My Backyard
- landlodder63
- Aug 18, 2019
- 2 min read
It is easy to get caught up in the daily routine and visit the same, familiar wineries each week or month. Madam Ambassador guilted me into visiting 2 wineries within 10 miles of our Licking County home. One opened in 2018 and the other reopened last year but both are only open on Friday evenings and Saturdays.
Although we had met owners, Jonathan and Denise Nappier, at another local winery, we had never been to their retirement dream - Autumn Rush Vineyard in Johnstown, Ohio. The two had helped at several Central Ohio wineries over the years and made their own wine at home. When they retired they purchased the property at 5686 Dutch Lane Rd., planted a few vines, and settled in to make wine for themselves and friends.
That retirement dream morphed into the vision for Autumn Rush Vineyard. They remodeled the pole barn into the gorgeous tasting room that features art by Eric Mize (#ericmize) and a patio that looks out on the small farm pond. A firepit next to the pond is perfect for cool Ohio evenings.
Autumn Rush features a small catalogue of wines, some of which use the grapes grown on the estate - La Crescent, Frontenac Gris and Marquette - plus 4 hard ciders. The whites - Fieldstone, Pinot Gris, Vignoles, Rosaline, and La Crescent - range from dry to sweet. Madam tried the first 3 and found all to have pleasant noses and fruit forward tones. She declared any of them worthy of sharing on the patio.
I tried the 3 dry reds - Liberty, Marquette, and Baco Noir. A 4th, Frontenac, is a sweet wine and not my usual speed. The Liberty had a nice oak and berry nose that came through on the palate also. The Baco Noir, one of my favorite grapes, tasted dark and full of berries.
Our next stop that evening was just a few miles down the road - Otter Creek Vineyards - in Johnstown. This winery was a partnership that closed a few years ago but has reopened with one of the original owners - Jeff & Christie Chrisman.
The Chrismans grow Traminette, Corot Noir, Landot Noir and Marquette grapes, all of which they use in their wines. Madam and tried their five dry whites and reds.
The Chardonnay was light and fresh with a citrus nose and notes while the Traminette had a floral nose. The Vidal Blanc was semi-sweet with pear notes. The Cabernet Sauvignon had a dark berry nose and provided a full-bodied mouthful and plenty of jammy fruit on the back end. The nose on the Marquette was full of spice and berry and delivered a nice deep red that will perfectly pair with many foods. Summer Solstice is a sweet white wine and Red Handed sweet red.
Take a weekend and explore these 2 wineries just minutes away from Columbus!
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