Hillside Winery is located in the centre of the village of Gilboa, Ohio. It's a quiet village next to the Blanchard River. The winery is located in a brick building, which was partially destroyed by the "great fire" of 1926 that devastated much of the town. Hillside Winery was founded in 2007. I visited with a friend, and we selected a flight of wines to drink. Not all of the wines sold here are Hillside's, so we were told which ones were and could select four to try.
We entered the building, which had the bar in front of us with many bottles of wine and other alcohol for sale to the right and a room on the left for tastings. We were told that we could also sit outside.
We decided to sit outside and were amazed that there was a hidden garden instead of just a small patio bit. Behind the building is a large garden with the river and an old steel bridge.
There were plenty of tables, and we were the first ones outside. We were soon joined by others, and a couple of people came to the little gazebo bit to warm up their singing and musical instruments for live music later. It was a very pleasant evening with sunshine and not too hot, and it would have been nice to stay a bit longer.
The first patio bit that we saw is below, but this led down some stairs to the back of the building.
Now, for the wines. I selected the Sauvignon Blanc, Hunky Dory, Viognier, and Traminette. The Hunky Dory is described as an organic blend of Gruner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gras, Chardonnay, and Reisling grapes. I did not have a favourite of the wines.
After the wines, we decided to have a quick walk as I noticed an ice cream shop and a war memorial a few doors down. We went in, and I enjoyed some ice cream, and we went to sit in the little war memorial and eat.
On the drive out of Gilboa, we came across this huge bull decoration. The Gilboa Bull, as it is called, has been sited here since the 1970s on State Route 224. The bull has become a symbol of the village, and it has survived cow-tipping in its earlier days; it is now cemented into place so that people cannot tip it over.
Although I did not care much for the wine that I had, I found Hillside Winery to be a pleasant venue to enjoy live music and a lovely garden. There's also other options instead of wine, so that is a plus for those who dislike wine.
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