Behind the Scenes: Breitenbach Winery

Behind the Scenes: Breitenbach Winery

I have been to Breitenbach Winery three times and I remember my first visit like it was yesterday. It was 15 years ago, and it was not only my first visit to Breitenbach...but my first visit to any winery. I walked in and immediately felt intimidated. I didn't know anything about wine and I was sure they would sense my fear. I was too scared to approach the tasting area, so I cowered amidst the shelves for awhile acting like I was looking for something special. I prayed no one would approach me, because if they actually spoke with me I thought they would realize I didn't belong there. I finally picked a bottle of wine solely by name. Frost Fire sounded like something I would like to drink...so I paid for the bottle of wine I hadn't even sampled and left in a hurry.

In the summer of 2003, Gary and I paid a visit to Breitenbach on our wine travels. It was probably not the best time for a visit. It was July 4th weekend and the winery was packed. Breitenbach is located in a heavily traveled tourist area and they tend to be pretty busy most weekends...especially holiday weekends. We found it difficult to get a good idea of what this winery offered when we were there with so many people in the tasting room.

My latest visit to Breitenbach was much different than my first. This time, instead of slinking through the door trying to remain unnoticed, I walked in with my head held high. This time I had been personally invited to Breitenbach for a private tour and some wine tasting.

Just about everyone in Ohio has heard of Breitenbach Winery...and most have stopped by and tasted their wine while visiting the nearby Amish community that has become a huge tourist destination. Breitenbach, the second largest winery in Ohio, produces numerous award-winning grape and fruit wines. We were delighted when we were invited to re-visit Breitenbach for a behind the scenes look.

When we arrived at the winery, we were greeted by Duke Bixler, Breitenbach's winemaker. He immediately introduced us to Carol Matthus, who would guide us through a tasting. On our previous visit to Breitenbach, we only sampled one wine because of the crowd. We have since sampled other Breitenbach wines at various wine festivals, but we were very excited about spending some one-on-one time tasting with Carol. It was great opportunity to choose wines for sampling from the vast selection this winery offers and to be able to ask questions about the individual wines.

Carol was waiting for us with wine glasses and samples of Amish cheese. I started by sampling a couple of dry reds. The Sangiovese was absolutely delightful. I probably could have stopped right there, had them pour me a glass, and called it a day...but there were so many other wines waiting for us to try.

I skipped over a few of the grape wines that I had already sampled and purchased at wine festivals...First Crush, Frost Fire, and Roadhouse Red. There were so many others to try and I wanted to take it easy.

I went straight to some of their fruit wines, which are all made from natural fruit - not grape wine with fruit flavoring added. I quickly found two new favorites: Red Currant and Apricot. The Red Currant had a unique, deliciously sweet taste. Although sweet enough to be a dessert wine, I could easily see serving it with ham at dinner. The Apricot was absolutely luscious. It was very sweet and one glass would certainly be enough to satisfy anyone interested in a treat.

After the fruit wines, we sampled Breitenbach's Ice Wine. We both found their version of ice wine to be very nice. It is not as "syrupy" as others we have sampled, and it has a fresh, sweet flavor. It is certainly one of the best Ice Wines we have tasted.

When we had completed our wine tasting, Carol took us to meet up with Duke Bixler again. He offered us a tour of the wine cellar...which was a special treat for us. Breitenbach only opens their wine cellar one weekend a year - the first weekend in May during their annual Dandelion Festival. We were thrilled to get this opportunity that so few receive.

As we were walking to the wine cellar, he explained to us that since Breitenbach does not have a vineyard, they have to buy their grapes from other places. Breitenbach never purchases juice, but only whole fruit from which they will then start the winemaking process.

Upon entering the big, purple barn we found ourselves in Breitenbach's lab. We've been on several winery tours and this is the first time we have actually seen a lab on the winery property. Acidity, alcohol levels and pH levels need to be monitored to ensure that wines taste their best and meet state regulations.

We were then escorted to the climate controlled wine cellar. This is where the wines are stored in stainless steel tanks or oak barrels...depending on the grape. The wines are kept in the cellar for an average of six months before they are bottled in Breitenbach's state-of-the-art bottling room.

After the tour, we went back to the tasting room and purchased a glass of wine to enjoy before leaving. Gary ordered a glass of Frost Fire while I decided on a glass of Apricot. We also bought some cheese, crackers and summer sausage to go with it. It was very cold outside, so we sat in a small seating area in the rear of the tasting room...but Breitenbach does have much more outdoor seating available during the warmer months.

After this recent visit to Breitenbach Winery, I was totally impressed. The pride of the winemaker shows in the fine quality of wine they produce. They offer superb grape wines (the dry reds were my favorite) along with a selection of fruit wines that is unmatched in the area. They have also managed to grow into a major wine producer without losing their personal touch. Excellence and pride shine through in every bottle of Breitenbach wine.