Situated three miles south of Lake Erie in Conneaut, the location provides a moderate climate, glacial till, and platea silt loam soil-an ideal site for growing grapes. Arnie Esterer and the late Tim Hubbard planted the first vines in 1968 and built the winery in 1972. Known locally as the godfather of Ashtabula County winemaking, Esterer began his tutelage under the late Dr. Konstantin Frank, a well-known viticulturist and winery owner in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Under Frank's direction the winery became the first in Ohio to successfully grow European vinifera grapes.

Today, the winery has an annual capacity of 5,000 gallons and consists of 15 acres of Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet, and Pinot Noir grapes. “We believe wine is a food,” Esterer tells his patrons “It’s healthy and nutritious and should be consumed with food. It’s the beverage of moderation, not to be abused.”