Natural Areas Wine Tours 2012 | Wine tastings with a wild side!
Co-sponsored by The Cleveland Museum of Natural History and Ohio Wine Producers Association.
Explore Northern Ohio's wild beauty and its local wineries on this one-of-a-kind wine tour. Each date offers a naturalist-led hike through a spectacular Museum preserve followed by a wine-tasting opportunity at a local winery. Bring your enthusiasm for the great outdoors, good wine and good company too!
Leaders: Judy Semroc and Larry Rosche
Spend a spring morning hiking the birding trails at our Mentor Marsh. Beautifully colorful warblers should be traveling through at this time. After our hike, enjoy lunch and the exceptional wines of Harpersfield Vineyard.
May 19, 2012 | North Kingsville Sand Barrens/Markko Vineyard (Conneaut)
Leaders: Jim Bissell and Stanley Stine
Join us for an easy hike at the North Kingsville Sand Barrens. In late May, the beautiful native lupine will be in full bloom. A late West Virginia White butterfly may still be flying, and several migratory birds should be moving through the barrens and forests. After our search for wildflowers and other natural delights, enjoy lunch and a wine tasting at Markko Vineyard in Conneaut.
August 11, 2012 | Burkholder Preserve/St. Joseph Vineyard (Thompson)
Leaders: Jim Bissell and David Kriska
Take a peaceful walk along the bluff of the Grand River Gorge through two outstanding forest communities at the Burkholder Preserve. The Beech Maple Forest and Red Oak-White Pine-Hemlock Forest here are likely home to Dark-eyed Junco, Wood Thrush and Scarlet Tanager. Following the hike, taste wine and enjoy lunch at St. Joseph Vineyard in Thompson.
August 25, 2012 | Cox Preserve/Sarah's Vineyard (Cuyahoga Falls)
Leaders: Stanley Stine and Garrett Ormiston
Located in Medina County, Cox Preserve is home to a rich, upland forest-perfect for taking a late August stroll in the woods. After the hike, we'll travel to Sarah's Vineyard in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The winery is part of the reestablishment of agriculture in the Valley.
September 29, 2012 | Groves Woods/Laleure Winery (Parkman)
Leaders: Judy Semroc and Larry Rosche
Join naturalists on a stroll through the Beech Maple Forest at Groves Woods. Garden Creek runs through the preserve. Plan to turn river stones in search of salamanders, crayfish and fishes. After the hike, travel to Laleure Winery in Parkman. Laleure is a boutique winery dedicated to producing high-quality wines made primarily from vinifera grapes grown on the property.
About the Natural Areas Wine Tour
Trips will be limited to 30 participants. Hikes start at 10 am and end around noon. Participants will then travel to the designated winery for a light lunch and wine tasting. Group leaders will recap the morning's events and answer questions about the natural areas visited. Each trip is $35 per person.
About the Natural Areas Program at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History
For more than 50 years, the Museum's Natural Areas Program has acquired and managed natural areas that represent the broad spectrum of biological diversity found within Northern Ohio. The Museum's preserves encompass more than 5,000 acres of rare and diverse ecosystems from the Lake Erie islands to the Pennsylvania border. They serve as outstanding educational and scientific resources.
For questions regarding registration for a Wine Tour, contact Lauren Kelly at at (216) 231-1177 or lkelly@cmnh.org. For all other questions about this program, contact Renee Boronka at 216-231-4600 ext. 3505 or rboronka@cmnh.org.