The Perfect Winery to Visit This Winter

Typically when I think of heading to a winery I envision summertime, putting on a cute sundress and sitting outside on the patio sipping on my glass of wine while staring out at the vineyards that span miles.

However, my love of wine does not disintegrate in the cold months, so what are we supposed to do when it’s freezing out, there’s snow on the ground and you’re in the mood for a flight of wine?

Lucky for us Clevelanders, we have our very own urban destination: CLE Urban Winery. That’s right, this is a fully functioning winery located in the heart of Cleveland Heights at 2180B Lee Road, right across the street from the Cedar-Lee Theater.

If I ever envisioned what an urban winery would look like, it’s exactly like this space. It’s open and industrial-looking with modern decor sprinkled throughout. They even have local artists work for sale which I love!

Now, onto the good stuff: the wine. CLE Urban Winery has over 10 of their own wines available to try – this was great for me because I love a good variety! My favorite thing to do at a winery (and breweries alike) is to get a flight so I can try a bunch and determine what I want a glass of, and what bottle I plan to take home and enjoy later. While they typically do offer flights, unfortunately the night we were there they were unable to as they were setting up for an event. However, I still did get to try two delicious reds! I’m mostly a red wine lover, so first up I tried their Cabernet Sauvignon.

This cab was a little sweeter than I’m used to (and I’m not a huge fan of sweet wine), but I actually really liked the flavor of this. It was different than your typical cab and the sweetness wasn’t too overpowering. Cab is usually my go-to dinner wine.

Next up, we tried the Mighty Cuyahoga Merlot.

I’ve honestly only found a few Merlots that I thoroughly enjoy – and I’m happy to say this is one of them. It was the right combination of dry/bitterness for me.

Next time I’m there I will definitely be getting myself a flight so I can try even more of the wines they have to offer. I’m also dying to try the wine slushi they offer, which gives me a great excuse to head back there soon!  If you’re like me and love to try multiple types of wine, they have two offerings on their menu for tastings:

Wine Tasting $9.00

Guided tasting of five 1oz tasting pours of the wines of your choice – additional 1oz pours for $1.50 each.

Wine Tasting Flights $18.00

Self-guided tasting of five 2oz tasting pours of the wines of your choice; served in individual carafes with tasting and pairing notes. Additional 2oz pours for $3.00 each.

So, next time you find yourself craving a winery visit this winter, make CLE Urban Winery your destination! If you’re not in the Cleveland area – don’t fret – Ohio has 300+ wineries and miles of wine trails for you to visit throughout the state.

What’s your favorite Ohio winery to visit?

A special thanks to the Ohio Grape Industries Committee and Hello, LLC for sponsoring this post.  All opinions are my own.