Firelands Winery
Firelands Winery is open year round but keeps slightly different hours depending on the season. From November to May, they are open Monday through Saturday, 9 am to 5pm and closed on Sundays. From June through October, their hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 am to 5 pm, Friday and Saturday, 9 am to 6 pm, and Sunday, 12pm to 5 pm (Firelands Winery, 2017-b).
To reach Firelands, take Rt. 2 to the Rt. 6 exit, then turn east to Bardshar Road, then turn right and follow to Firelands Winery on your right, where you will see “three tremendous tanks” (Atticks, 2000, p.126).
Firelands boasts a large tasting room, and on the tour you will learn about both the wines as well as the history of the winery and the area (Taller, 2011).
History
Firelands Winery is owned by Lonz, Inc., which owns several other wine lines local to Ohio. According to Firelands, the winery was named for the area in Ohio to which Connecticut citizens resettled after the British burnt their homes during the American Revolution (Taller, 2011). These settlers brought with them winemaking traditions, and Firelands values this historic Ohio heritage (Firelands Winery, 2017-c).
The current site of the winery’s Sandusky facility has also incorporated the original wine cellar built by the Mantey family in 1880, and maintains its offices in the Mantey family farmhouse (Taller, 2011). Bob Gottesman, owner of Paramount Distillers, purchased Mantey Winery in 1979, and Firelands was officially founded in 1980 (Atticks, 2000). Firelands wines have become award-winning since the addition of Claudio Salvador as winemaker, who in 2002 purchased Lonz, Inc. alongside John Kronberg. Firelands Winery has since become the largest winery in Ohio (Firelands Winery, 2017-c). Salvador also produces Dover, Mantey, Lonz, and Mon Ami wines, and so Firelands distributes wine to a larger audience than most of the wineries in the Lake Erie region (Taller, 2011).
References:
Atticks, K.M. (2000) Discovering Lake Erie Wineries. Baltimore, MD: Resonant Publishing
Firelands Winery. (2017-a). Contact us. Retrieved from http://www.firelandswinery.com/contact.php
Firelands Winery. (2017-b). Tours of the winery. Retrieved from http://www.firelandswinery.com/tours.php
Firelands Winery. (2017-c). History of the winery. Retrieved from: http://www.firelandswinery.com/history.php
Firelands Winery. (2017-d). Wine list. Retrieved from http://www.firelandswinery.com/winelist
Firelands Winery. (2017-e). Our process. Retrieved from http://www.firelandswinery.com/process.php.
Firelands Winery. (2012, April 5). Firelands sign [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/FirelandsWinery/photos
Firelands Winery. (2017, April 8). Wine and appetizer [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/FirelandsWinery/photos
Firelands Winery. (n.d.). Wine barrel display [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.firelandswinery.com/newstemp.php
Firelands Winery. (2015, October 2). Wine cork display [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/FirelandsWinery/photos
Google. (n.d.). [Firelands Winery, Bardshar Road, Sandusky, OH.] Retrieved September 19, 2017 from https://goo.gl/maps/xgzov6NJ94t
Ohio’s Lake Erie Shores & Islands. (n.d.-a) Firelands winery [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.shoresandislands.com/dining/winery
Ohio’s Lake Erie Shores & Islands. (n.d.-b) Firelands winery [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.shoresandislands.com/things-to-do/firelands-winery?id=10210
T., Julie. (2011, August 6). Firelands winery [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/firelands-winery-sandusky
Taller, C.J. (2011) Images of America: Ohio’s Lake Erie Wineries. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing
WBGU Public Television [WBGUTV]. (2013, August 28). Scenic Stops: Firelands Winery [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g6bfF3e2EQ
Wines and Food Pairings
Firelands offers largely traditional red and white wines, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Pinot Noir (Taller, 2011). However, they also also feature native Ohio wines and other specialty wines, such as Raspberry Riesling Champagne, and Ohio ice wine--which is a highlight (Firelands Winery, 2017-d). These include Dolcetto grapes, which create a “medium-bodied, fruit-forward wine,” are planted on the mainland because of its early ripening and ability to sustain cold weather (Taller, 2011, p. 70). Meanwhile, the Niagara, Delaware, Pink Catawba, Haute Sauterne, and Concord are grown alongside the Vitis vinifera vines on North Bass Island, continuing the Mantey Native American wines from labrusca grapes (Taller, 2011).
Most of these wines are aged in modern steel casks, but certain varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, are still aged in traditional wooden casks to add to their flavor profiles (Firelands Winery, 2017-e). All of Firelands’ wines are of the “Lake Erie Appellation of Origin,” meaning the viticultural area from the islands around the Toledo, OH area to New York’s Erie shore (Firelands Winery, 2017-e).
WBGU TV Scenic Stops series featured Firelands Winery in this short video providing a fascinating look into Ohio Wine history and wine making technology.
Another wine display showing a large wine glass filled with Firelands corks, surrounded by wine bottles (Firelands Winery, 2015).
Image of appetizer with bottles of wine, which from left to right, include dolcetto, gewurtztraminer, and cabernet sauvignon (Firelands Winery, 2017, April 8).
 Interior view of bar in the tasting area of the Firelands retail space. (Ohio’s Lake Erie Shores & Islands, n.d-b). |  Alternate view of interior retail space showing several wine racks and part of the wine tasting bar (Ohio’s Lake Erie Shores & Islands, n.d-a). |
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 Inside the winery’s retail space; two large round wine racks in the center of the room, with shelves of wine bottles along the back wall (Julie T., 2011). |  Image of Firelands Winery business sign, with view of the winery building in the background (Firelands Winery, 2012). |
 Wine display at Firelands Winery, showing wine bottles, glasses, and baskets on top of barrels (Firelands Winery, n.d.). |