The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Winery owners invite community to farm
Just one part of Vermilion Valley Vineyards’ four-fold mission
Joe Juniper wants you to visit his farm even if you don’t drink wine.
Juniper and his wife, Kristi, took over Vermilion Valley Vineyards, 11005 Gore Orphanage Road, in 2013 with a four-fold mission: to produce world-class wine; to provide a warm, inviting gathering place; to promote sustainable practices; and to support the community philanthropically.
“We’ve been blessed, fortunate, lucky,” Juniper said. “Any success that a small business has in a community, they owe directly to that community.”
At 120 acres, Vermilion Valley Vineyards is Ohio’s second largest operation sitting in a “unique pocket” of the state.
Juniper’s land is at the southern end of Lake Erie and shielded from the harshest effects of the lake’s climate.
Wine producers on the east side of Cleveland have a much cooler climate to contend with, he noted.
“We lean into the bold reds that can be a challenge in Ohio,” Juniper said, listing familiar grapes such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot and pinot grigio among the 35 varieties he grows, some just for blending.
“My wife has a phenomenal palate, whereas I have more of a technical background.”
All producers blend to a certain degree, he added.
In order to label a wine a cabernet sauvignon, it must consist of at least 75% of that varietal of grape.
Blending allows winemakers to soften flavors or add aromatics that make wines more enjoyable.
“We don’t usually blend beyond what’s allowed for labeling as a single varietal,” Juniper added.
“We grow many different varieties, so we have the tools to create a balance.”
Blending also can help with Ohio’s wide vintage variation.
The year on a wine label is significant, Juniper said.
Weather conditions including hot, cold, wet and dry can vary as much as 35 percent from year to year in Ohio.
In other well-known wine producing areas, such as the Napa and Willamette valleys, the vintage variation typically is 5 to 8 percent.
“All of that plays a big factor in the wines we produce,” Juniper said. “The chemistry in a grape is manifold.
“It’s literally impossible to get a consistent product year in and year out. That’s not a bad thing, you really want to play into the vintage — not just what the grape was like, but the year.”
Homegrown grapes
Every grape in the Junipers’ wines is grown by them.
Many wine producers blend out-of-state grapes into what they create, he said.
As president of the Ohio Wine Producers Association, he monitors trends and the laws that impact the industry.
Ohio is home to 950 acres of wine grapes and 415 wine manufacturers.
Most manufacturers grow very little or not at all.
Juniper works to keep his farm self-sufficient and sustainable.
He’s open-minded about how to best farm to keep the land and environment
healthy and he believes strongly in Newton’s Third Law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
“If I take this action today, what’s going to be the reaction?” he asks himself daily about a range of tasks including the use of fungicides.
Juniper said he was the first in North America to use a French technology that allows him to spray fungicide on his vines — a necessary step in any wine growing operation — but capture and recycle most of the overspray.
This keeps unnecessary chemicals out of the environment and dramatically reduces costs, he said.
Pride in his operation and community make Juniper eager to welcome guests to his farm with a wide variety of events.
The tasting room and farm are open Thursday through Sunday.
Live musicians usually
visit on Saturdays, and food trucks frequently are found on the property.
Visitors are welcome to wander, glass in hand, throughout the property.
“Wine may not be your thing,” Juniper notes. “But wine is not the only reason for you to walk onto my farm.”
Upcoming events include a Mothers’ Day partnership with Fifth Acre Farms including a sold-out tulip bouquet making workshop, live music and food.
Petals and Pinot workshops will take place in June and vendors already are signing up for the Aug. 3 Vibin’ in the Vines.
“At the end of the day, wine is food; that’s really how we look at things,” Juniper said. “Getting people out on the farm and connecting people with that farm is how you’re going to make an impact on people.”
The Junipers also operate The Winerie at 6413 Hayes Ave. in Sandusky.