Finding Great Wine in Ohio's Amish Country

When I decided to take a three day long trip to Amish Country, I certainly expected to do a lot of eating-cheeses, pies, home-baked breads. The Amish are well known for their food and woodworking skill, but I did not expect to find such a wonderful spread of wineries in the heart of this area as well. Located in Dover, Ohio, I taste-tested the offerings of three different wineries, and decided to share my findings with you lovely readers. If you ever decide to take a trip out there (and I definitely suggest you do), be sure to visit these fantastic places.

Breitenbach Wine Cellars

Breitenbach Wine Cellars was assuredly my favorite winery visited, and for a couple different reasons. For starts, they had a huge selection of wine-in every variety you could think of. I sampled quite a few, including the Dandelion Wine (which was rather fabulous), a whole spread of fruit-flavored wines, and a few drier whites. I left with two bottles, one Blackberry and one Apricot, and neither above $12 for the bottle. I also left with a few different varieties of cheese and a jar of garlic-stuffed olives that were to die for. The deli was most definitely a determining factor in my love for this winery, and it was incredibly quality.

Silver Moon Winery

The second stop on our Amish Country wine tour, Silver Moon Winery also lived up to expectations. Though a bit of a smaller establishment, it still bustled with customers wanting to sample different varieties. Their list was a bit intriguing, with of course many different fruit-flavored wines to choose from. One interesting yet unorthodox flavor I sampled was a Kiwi Melon Wine-which turned out to be a rather delicious (and perhaps dangerous) fruity white. I left carrying the "Starry Night White," a sweeter white with a strong hint of peach. The winery does not have a deli, but does offer some baked goods and gifts. The prices here were also incredibly reasonable-ranging from approximately $10-20 for a bottle.

Swiss Heritage Winery

One half of the Broadrun Cheese House, Swiss Heritage Winery is an interesting stop, if not a bit of a culture shock. The cheese house/winery duo is busy both in traffic and décor, but holds a very quaint place in every patron's heart. I was offered a taste of a delicious sangria upon arrival, made with the house Peach wine. I have to say that the Peach wine alone was a bit syrupy for my taste-but every wine I sampled henceforth was delicious. Picking one bottle was incredibly difficult, but I decided to let my partner in crime (read: boyfriend) pick one, and he decided on the Blueberry. Bottles here also ran around $10, and the cheese selection was fabulous (there was some fantastic dip to sample as well).

If you are used to drinking $70 bottles of cabernets, this may not be the place for you, but if you enjoy sweeter or fruity wine, Amish Country Wineries cannot be beat. Cheers!