A little piece of Wine Country in my hometown? I like it!
I first came here a little over 2 years ago to meet up with some high school friends who were back in town for the holidays. One of the girls we were meeting up with was "Sarah", so I was pretty confused when I was told the meeting place was "Sarah's Vineyard." I had no idea there was a vineyard anywhere in Summit County.
Over the past couple years I have come back several times to meet up with friends and kick back with some wine. It seems the winery has caught on with my group of friends so most have been and enjoy it as much as I do. When I was in Napa I loved the charm the wineries I visited had - friendly people, rustic buildings, beautiful art, and a great atmosphere. Sarah's Vineyard has all of these qualities and great wines to boot. I can speak for the Blue Heron Blush and the Sarah's Secret - both were excellent, and with all of their wines averaging about $16 a carafe, fairly priced. You would pay double that at a nice restaurant.
Another great thing about Sarah's Vineyard is that they have gone green! They deliver wine to you straight from a tap to save on packaging costs and unnecessary waste. Who wouldn't love wine from the tap?!!!! The accountant in me loves this because they had found a way to save costs AND the environment at the same time. They still do bottle wine for you (by request) if you do want a bottle of wine for the road. Time to let Kermit the Frog know that sometimes it is easy and does pay to be green!
The one negative about the vineyard is the driveway. Steels Corners Road is not very well-lit once you get past Akron-Peninsula and, because of the location of the vineyard by Blossom, it is difficult to see the driveway at night. With the 45MPH speed limit on the road, you may find yourself stopping very quickly to make a left turn before you pass it altogether. I would like to see their entrance modified in some way to make it easier to locate after daylight hours.
Lastly, when I was there most recently I noticed that the vineyard was dedicated to a member of the family (or close friend) who passed away in a tragic accident in 1998. It was said that her spirit lives on and watches over the vineyard as it blossoms and grows. It's a beautiful story and I have no doubt Sarah's Vineyard will continue to be wonderful.