Above: Chambourcin grapes nearing maturity hang on the vine in Lake Erie Wine Country. Photo by Chris Maas.

On the south shores of Lake Erie, a massive body of water big enough for eleventh place on the planet’s list of lakes, another growing season has wrapped up. Winegrowers have harvested the fruit they’ve worked so tirelessly on and the alluring aromas of fermentation fill cellars spanning all three states—Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York—of the nearly 3,500-square-mile appellation. Another Lake Erie vintage is on its way, maturing in barrel and tank before landing gently in the bottle. And it’s arguably the most exciting time for this coming-of-age region.

Mazza Wines has been at it since 1972, a pioneering label founded by Robert Mazza. The second generation is firmly established, with son Mario Mazza operating as the general manager and vice president of the outfit. He brings more than 15 years of commercial winemaking experience to the enterprise. And based on the momentum the Mazza family of wines has created for the Lake Erie AVA at large, there’s a lot for the wine enthusiast to look forward to here.

History

Like so many relatively young American wine regions, the scene in Lake Erie started pretty differently. Thanks to Prohibition and the prevalence of the Concord grape, this was long Welch’s country. Commercial wine production was overshadowed by non-alcoholic grape juice production. But over the years, keen eyes have seen the potential in this distinctive stretch of the northeast, establishing serious roots with a number of grape varieties, from hybrid and indigenous to Vitis vinifera.

In a place where so many neat vineyard rows lead directly to a water-blue horizon, it’s no wonder there’s a lake effect. The uniqueness of this appellation predates early farming by a long shot. As Mazza says, the Great Lakes were created by vast geological forces over the last several million years, a glacial push and pull that created the current landscape. Today, it’s a place of varied soils, welcome winds that offer vineyard ventilation, and a buffering effect on behalf of Lake Erie. In other words, it’s a prime place to use the power of wine to tell the story of a diverse and unique area.

Harvest

Harvest is electric in every sense of the word. Wineries work pretty much around the clock, juggling a plurality of grape varieties that all have special needs. Growers get to see the fruit of their labor while winemaking crews get a first taste of the vintage. Meanwhile, the foliage lights up and the landscape becomes a patchwork of earthy colors. In the Lake Erie AVA, the stage was set for greatness.

“It was an ideal growing season,” says Mazza. Harvest began about a week early, with optimal picking weather after an early spring ripening period. Mazza says 2024 is only the second year on record they began harvesting in August. And the pristine picking weather translated to zero disease pressure and the ability to do what all great producers aspire to do, when Mother Nature is willing—patiently wait for the optimal balance, maturation, and phenolic ripeness in the fruit.

“Yields varied for my 24 varietals as they always do—none were bumper crops and none were low enough to take notice of,” says Michael Moorhead of Moorhead Farms, one of several growers Mazza works closely with. “The Vinifera reds came in nicely flavorful. Gruner Veltliner was particularly good.”

Mazza’s wines are crafted by Guillermo Lombardo. He worked for several labels in his native Argentina before coming stateside. Viticulture runs in his DNA, as he hails from a vintner mother and grape-growing father. After stints in Australia and Long Island, Lombardo joined Mazza. He brings a high winemaking IQ to the appellation, one that can help coax out all the intriguing potential.  “I would say the bedrock philosophy is letting the grapes and terroir express itself,” says Lombardo.

Time to Visit

The reasons to visit the Lake Erie AVA are many. Some two dozen labels occupy the area wine trail and seem to be hitting their collective stride. A combination of earned wisdom, older vines, and favorable recent growing seasons spells a lot of good wine down the road.

RELATED: Our Favorite Wineries to Visit in the Lake Erie AVA This Year

At Mazza, more than a half-century of farming in winemaking in the appellation is paying off. The winery recently earned an impressive 95-point score from Decanter for The Perfect Rosé, made with the medium-bodied French-American Chambourcin grape. “The score was a first for a Pennsylvania hybrid,” Mazza says. And that’s to say nothing of the label’s bright Gruner Veltliner, berry and spice-driven Cab Franc, or robust ice wine.

If you like variety and the excitement of a wine landscape that combines both experience and intrepid experimentalism, this one’s for you. There are riches around every corner, especially for those seeking balanced Riesling, elegant Cab Franc, and fun hybrids like Chambourcin.

While the AVA was officially formed in 1983, the identity of the place continues to take shape. Producers are honing in with laser-sharp focus on not only what wants to grow here, but what varietals truly speak to the terroir of the place. Couple that with the small town charm of nearby towns like Erie, Pennsylvania and Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio, and you’ve got a bonafide wine lover’s destination, during the harvest season and beyond.

“The appellation is about delicate reds and aromatic whites,” he says. “And sparkling wine has great potential,” Mazza says. He’s unwilling to hang his hat on one particular varietal as he believes, like so many in the appellation, that there are a number of outstanding options, with equally outstanding potential.

Pack your bags and ready your corkscrews, Lake Erie awaits.