Riesling, Chardonnay and Grüner
For the white wine lover
Riesling grown by the creek, Chardonnay and Grüner Veltliner from a 1979 estate, Sémillon in a church, and a finish at the vineyard that proved European grapes could grow beside Lake Erie.
- Stops
- 5
- Road preview
- 43.7 miles
- Driving only
- About 76 minutes
Begins at Fossil Creek Winery and ends at Markko Vineyard. You can change either end on the map, or make it a round trip from Vincent William.
The stops, in order
Madison · Ohio
Fossil Creek Winery
Three acres of Riesling and several expressions of it, tasted on a creekside deck.
Read the winery guide
Geneva · Ohio
Laurello Vineyards
Off-dry Riesling and Pinot Grigio, with a habanero ice wine if you want a detour.
Read the winery guide
Geneva · Ohio
Harpersfield Vineyard
Chardonnay and Grüner Veltliner from estate vines; 'chardonnay' is a named review topic.
Read the winery guideGeneva · Ohio
South River Vineyard
A relocated century-old church; Sémillon is mentioned in seven Google reviews.
Read the winery guide
Conneaut · Ohio
Markko Vineyard
Founded 1968 with guidance from Konstantin Frank; Chardonnay and Riesling are still the story. Follow the winery's own driveway directions.
Read the winery guide
Why this route
How we chose these stops.
Lake Erie's cool climate suits aromatic whites, and the evidence is in the vineyards: three acres of Riesling at Fossil Creek, Chardonnay and Grüner at Harpersfield, Sémillon mentioned in South River's reviews, and Markko's Chardonnay and Riesling since 1968.
Road estimate from OpenStreetMap routing on 2026-09-16; it excludes visits and live traffic. Ratings are Google snapshots from 2026-09-09. Check opening days before travelling.
More day trips
Other ways through the valley
Vincent William guest favorites
The six valley wineries we send our own guests to. Start at Vincent William Wine in Madison and come back to the lake for dinner or the night.
See the day trip
For the red wine lover
Five Madison and Geneva wineries whose own words and reviews point to Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and red blends rather than sweet wines.
See the day tripFor the ambiance
A horse barn, a wooded riverbank, a ranch house by a pond, a wood-burning fireplace and a relocated church: five settings that reviewers talk about as much as the wine.
See the day trip