New winery and taphouse opens in Ohio’s Grand River Valley
Published by: Cleveland.com
Written by: Paris Wolfe
Original Article found here
GENEVA, Ohio – A new winery and taphouse concept, Corkscrew Taphouse, is quietly opening in Geneva this week. An official grand opening is planned for early September after the business handles a few details including stocking wine for bottle sales.
The winery is unique in design, in use of technology and in taphouse concept.
To differentiate it from more than two dozen other wineries in the Grand River Valley appellation and honor its semi-urban location, co-owner Loretta Todd chose a vintage industrial feel for the space. She showed off her attention to detail and penchant to shop locally.
She chose heavy blast furnace-style doors above the double-sided fireplace. These were crafted for the taphouse by John Svoboda of Chardon Welding in Chardon. To continue the industrial theme, Edison bulbs glow from the light fixtures. An acid-washed concrete floor and a playful wash sink in the men’s room carry the vibe further.
Tables have reclaimed wood tops supported by American-made, cast aluminum legs from Bear Hollow Supply in Fredericksburg, Ohio.
“It’s hard to find a style no one is already doing in the region,” she said, of the other wineries. “I love this style; there are so many places for creativity.”
Speaking of creative details, not all are obvious. The open floor plan has an acoustic-glass divider and acoustic foam cleverly hidden under the furniture. These were installed to dampen crowd noise.
Perhaps the pièce de resistance is a four-panel, three-dimensional topographical map of the Grand River Valley, the natural feature that creates the microclimate of the grape-growing region. The laser-cut map, created by Matt Celek of MapCuts of Cuyahoga Falls, will soon include markers for all area wineries.
The taphouse and restaurant seats 159 people, including 22 seats at the bar.
Service here is technology driven. Customer service staff will scan a customer’s ID and credit card to start a tab. The guest then receives an RFID wristband to activate the self-pour tap wall with 31 self-pour taps in the back.
The taps dispense wine, beers and cider. During the opening, 13 of the 20 wines are Corkscrew Taphouse exclusives. The wall includes eight beers and two ciders. There’s even a tap for a “Lake Erie Highball” a.k.a. water.
iPourit technology tracks each consumer’s pours throughout the night. Simply touch the bracelet against the digital display, select the beverage and dispense the desired amount. Guests can trickle a sip or gush several ounces into a glass. They can even fill a bottle. Wine and beer glasses – including chilled options--are available for filling.
Each tap is priced by the ounce. The lowest prices are the ciders at $0.38 per ounce, while the highest priced is the espresso iced wine at $3 per ounce. Most wines are between $1.15 and $1.50 per ounce.
Among the Corkscrew exclusive wines are “Freezeling,” a Grand River Valley Riesling – made by winemaker Mike Koller – and sweetened with a hint of iced wine. Another of the newest additions is a sparkling rose of pinot noir from Grand River Cellars. The most popular during the first weekend was a tie between the limited-edition Cherry Riesling and the Corkscrew Pinot Grigio.
Todd says the taps will change as kegs run out. As more wineries gain the technology to keg their products, the tap wall will represent a broader selection from the region. For now, the featured wineries include Corkscrew, Cask 307, Debonne Vineyards, Grand River Cellars and South River Vineyards. All are from the area and all but South River Vineyards are part of the same ownership group.
“We hope to expand the number of wineries represented on the wall,” Todd said. “This is an opportunity to open the eyes of travelers that are new to the area so they can see how many incredible wineries are here. This is the gateway opportunity we were hoping for. We want to promote visiting other wineries in the area.”
The beauty of the tap wall goes beyond the convenience of variety, self-service and quantity control. It includes education as the digital display shows the wine’s flavor characteristics and residual sugar content (a technical measure of sweetness).
Guests who use the taps can customize tasting trays of up to eight wines. They can compare, for example, two different Chardonnays – baton and unoaked – side by side. Baton means fermented in barrel on the lees, while the unoaked is made in stainless steel tanks.
Guests can even create their own blends, if they feel daring. If the Syrah is too peppery, add a splash of cabernet franc to mellow it.
Once the taphouse staff is up to speed, wine-based cocktails will become part of the beverage menu. For the non-drinker, the establishment stocks Coke products including Mexican Coke, and they carry Six Street Sodas from Cleveland.
The food menu is under the direction of Chef Michael Patrick, who has worked kitchens in several area wineries. For now, it includes favorites like Reuben fritters, mahi fish tacos and stuffed mushrooms.
After the grand opening in mid-September, the full menu will roll out. In addition to two salads, entrees include red wine-braised short rib over onion-cheddar polenta cake, seared mahi-mahi with summer vegetable risotto and smoked BBQ pork chop with au gratin potatoes. Many of the entrees can be ordered gluten-free.