Winter Wine Weekend Escape in Columbus, OH!

Who knew Ohio had 370+ wineries? I didn't until I was invited by Ohio Wines for a Winter Wine Weekend Escape! https://ohiowinesgrownhere.findohiowines.com/

Me and my friend Cynthia packed up the car and took a roadtrip to Columbus, Ohio. We checked in at the Graduate Columbus, which is a fun OSU themed hotel and headed to their Homage Bar and had Buckeye shot to get the weekend started! https://graduatehotels.com/columbus/?gad_source=1

After that we headed to Plum Run Winery for our dinner and wine tasting. We shared a meat and cheese board for an appetizer and we each had a flight of wine. For dinner we enjoyed BBQ pork grilled cheese and a chicken club sandwich. I highly recommend the meat and cheese board and the Pinot Grigio or 3946. https://www.plumrunwinery.com/

Before heading back to the hotel we stopped at the Alibi Bourbon and Cocktail Lounge located in the historical Short North area in downtown Columbus. It's a stylish, dark inimate spot that serves prohibition style craft cocktails. https://alibicolumbus.com/

The next day Cork and Tap Excursions picked us up for a winery tour. Mike, our driver, was so nice and a lot of fun. He drove us to three different wineries and was so knowledgable about the different wineries and the area. https://corkandtapohio.com/

First stop was Mirabelle Vineyards. We each had a flight of wine and an awesome cheese board. Our favorite wines were Roots, Estate Blaufrankisch and Fairy Queen Riesling. I want to note that the flights look like they are floating as they are served on a magical display. https://www.mirabellewines.com/

The second stop on the Cork and Tap Excursion was Rockside Winery and Vineyards. There we enjoyed flights of wine and Jack Frost wine slushies which were available in two flavors. I would highly recommend Serene Raspberry Merlot while sitting outside enjoying the view of the vineyard. https://www.rocksidewinery.com/

The last stop on the tour was the Valley View Hills Winery which overlooks a beautiful pond. We each enjoyed a flight of wine and had caprese salad, meatballs and pizzas from the brick oven for dinner. My favorites were the soppressata pizza and Cabernet Sauvignon. For dessert we had the White Christmas and Apple Cinnamon Sangrias it was the perfect way to end the tour. https://www.valleyviewhillswinery.com/

After Mike dropped us off we went to go explore Columbus' most popular holiday stop, Easton Town Center, which features a giant musical Christmas tree. We walked around enjoying the pretty lights and did some holiday shopping. https://eastontowncenter.com/

All the Ohio wine and shopping made us hungry so we stopped at Mikey's Late Night Slice for pizza. We had a Thicc Ass Pepperoni pizza. Pro tip: be sure to order the Unicorn and Garlic sauce, you'll thank me later. https://www.latenightslice.com/order-options

Afterwards we headed downstair to the Sacred Palm Speakeasy for a nightcap and went back to the hotel. https://www.sacred-palm.com/

Before heading home to Chicago, we stopped at the Buckeye Lake Winery where we enjoyed flights of wine, Christmas wine slushies and brunch. The winery is located on a pretty lake where you can sit outside and enjoy picturesque view. I highly recommend the prime rib hash and Petite Sirah. https://buckeyelakewinery.com/

We had a fabulous time in Columbus and can't wait to come back to taste more Ohio wines!  https://ohiowinesgrownhere.findohiowines.com/