HENRIETTA TWP. — It’s a beautiful fall day and the smell of grapes fills the air at Vermilion Valley Vineyards, Lorain County’s newest winery.

David Benzing stirs up bubbling vats of deep purple Chambourcin grapes that have been de-stemmed, crushed and introduced to yeast.

Soon, the liquid will be strained and placed into jugs for the eventual transformation into something special: the first 25 to 30 gallons of wine from the fledgling winery.

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Walking outside, Benzing gently shovels loose soil against the tender base of the vines. He and his partners have already used special plows to shove earth up against both sides in hopes of protecting them against the upcoming winter months.

“If you want to make phenomenal wines you start out with premium varietals,” Benzing said. “These fancy varietals tend to be winter-sensitive.”

Beginning three years ago, Benzing and his partners, Jack and Fran Baumann of Oberlin and Larry and Mary Gibson of Westlake, planted 5,000 vines.

The winery will offer lambrusca varieties such as Concord, Niagara and Pink Catawba and local fruit vines, but the primary focus will be to eventually offer estate bottled wines.

The partners are proud of their grape selections: red varietals such as Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin, Dornfelder and Lemberger, and white varietals such as Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Muscat Ottonel, Pinot Gris, Reisling and Traminette.

Next year, the harvest will be up to 1,000 gallons from the 5,000 vines if the weather cooperates, according to Benzing.

In 2011, several thousand gallons of wine might be produced — once again, if the weather cooperates, Benzing said.

Despite the lack of local product, the winery has opened its doors 4 to 10 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays.

For the time being, it is selling wine purchased in bulk and bottled with the Vermilion Valley label, Benzing said.

Eventually, Vermilion Valley Vineyards could become one of the wine-making jewels of Ohio, said Donniella Winchell, executive director of the Ohio Wine Producers Association.

“It’s a gorgeous operation,” said Winchell, who led a tour of food and wine writers to Lorain County wineries over the summer.

During the past year, two other new wineries have cropped up — Paper Moon Vineyards in Vermilion Township and Quarry Hill Winery in Berlin Heights.

Oddly enough, the new wineries — and big capital investments — are a sign of the times, Winchell said.

While it might seem counterintuitive to see a rash of new wineries during a recession, it makes sense because it can take a decade or more to plan and begin a winery, she said.

“There’s a long lead time between thinking about opening a winery and opening the doors,” she said.

The investors now opening wineries started investing years ago, and only time will tell if they are successful.

Statewide, there were just 12 wineries in 1978 and now Ohio has 135 wineries, she said.

“It’s my guess we’re going to be at 150 in a year or two,” Winchell said.

After some $750,000 of investment — the partners won’t say exactly how much — the partners in Vermilion Valley Vineyards have only just begun.

They dream of a place where wine lovers can wander, and enjoy the rolling hills and the pond that was excavated when they installed a geothermal heating and cooling system.

The 23-acre site on Gore Orphanage Road just south of state Route 113 consists of six acres of grapes with room for an additional 10 acres.

Their 4,000-plus square-foot building designed by Elyria architect Joe Ferut costs just $100 a month to heat and cool, and there’s even room for an apartment in the structure for eventual rental.

They have a large terrace for 75 to 100 people overlooking the pond. Eventually, they plan to bring in swans and paddleboats.

Each has a special talent to bring to the operation.

Benzing is a retired biology professor from Oberlin College. About 80 of his writings have been published and his research has included field work in Latin America and Southeast Asia.

Benzing and his wife, Linda Grashoff, live a mile away from the vineyard, and spend winters in Sarasota, where Benzing is the holder of the Jessie B. Cox chair for Tropical Botany at the Marie Selby Gardens in Sarasota.

A former city councilman in Oberlin, Benzing also served as a trustee of the Oberlin Sustainable Agriculture Project and the Shansi Memorial Association to promote academic exchanges between Asian institutions and Oberlin College.

Linda Grashoff’s photography graces the walls of the winery tasting room.

The Baumanns, married for 47 years, have strong ties to the winery site where Jack Bauman’s father had a 175-acre farm. Their concern about sprawl helped them make the decision to keep a portion of the farm and use it in a sustainable way.

Jack Baumann taught government for 31 years in the Amherst Schools and Fran Baumann taught first and second grade for 28 years, 20 years in the Oberlin Schools.

Both of the Baumanns served many years on Oberlin City Council, and spending more time at the vineyard is the reason that Jack Baumann, now Council vice president, did not run for re-election.

Benzing and Jack Baumann said they are keeping in shape with hard work among the vines.

“Sometimes it seems like we bit off more than we can chew — I just wish we were 10 years younger,” Jack Baumann joked. “But all that good wine will keep our hearts healthy.”

The third couple, the Gibsons, will be primarily responsible for the financial and business operations of the vineyard and winery. They both grew up in Lorain County and Larry Gibson’s ancestors were among the first to settle in the area in the early 1830s.

Larry works in Development and University Relations at Case Western Reserve, while Mary works in financial services.
Everyone enjoys playing host or hostess in the tasting room, which features a granite bar and shining wooden floors with contrasting inlays.

All of the partners agree it is Benzing who will be the primary designer of the wines because he has grown grapes and made wine as a hobby for decades.

After more than 30 years, Benzing still vividly recalls his first venture making dandelion wine. His efforts were featured in a newspaper article and he received an impassioned letter from a reader who was eager to buy some of the quirky, fragrant dandelion wine she remembered from Europe.

Benzing wrote back that he was unable under the law to sell her any, but he was willing to give it to her.

“She wrote back, ‘It’s changed my life — some people view it as medicine,’ ” Benzing said.

Newest area wineries

• Vermilion Valley Vineyards, 11005 Gore Orphanage Road, Henrietta Township; call (440) 965-5201 or visit www.vermilionvalleyvineyards.com.
• Paper Moon Vineyards, 2008 state Route 60, Vermilion Township; call (440) 967-2500 or visit www.papermoonvineyards.com.
• Quarry Hill Winery, 8403 Mason Road, Berlin Heights; call (419) 706-8005.

Contact Cindy Leise at 329-7245 or cleise@chroniclet.com.