Vines, woods and the river in October
Wineries in fall color
Six stops chosen for what surrounds the glass in autumn: 175 acres of vines, a river trail, a wooded riverbank and a fireplace for the first cold evening.
- Stops
- 6
- Road preview
- 23.5 miles
- Driving only
- About 53 minutes
Begins at Silver Crest Cellars and ends at Benny Vino Winery. You can change either end on the map, or make it a round trip from Vincent William.
The stops, in order
Madison · Ohio
Silver Crest Cellars
Picnic tables among local vines, with the Riverview Park trail entrance 700 feet down Bates Road.
Read the winery guide
Madison · Ohio
Debonné Vineyards
More than 175 acres of vines, per the winery, and an ice wine festival in its review topics.
Read the winery guide
Geneva · Ohio
Kosicek Vineyards
Vines farmed by one family since 1929; estate wines and ice wine.
Read the winery guide
Geneva · Ohio
Harpersfield Vineyard
Shaded grounds and vineyard views that give way to a wood-burning fireplace.
Read the winery guide
Geneva · Ohio
South River Vineyard
Walk through the vines around a relocated church, or bring a picnic to the pavilions.
Read the winery guide
Geneva · Ohio
Benny Vino Winery
End on a wooded patio above the Grand River as the light goes.
Read the winery guide
Why this route
How we chose these stops.
Lake Erie keeps the valley's autumn mild and long. We chose stops whose grounds are the point: vineyards you can walk, a park trail a few hundred feet away, a wooded patio over the Grand River, and ice-wine producers whose season begins as the leaves turn.
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 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.
See the day trip