There aren’t many things that surprised me on our cross country rv trip except that you could find good red wine made in Ohio and North Dakota. We found just that at two Harvest Hosts that we visited along the way. The first was Chateau Winery and Vineyard in Helena, Ohio. It was off the beaten path but looked to be not only a local’s favorite but also Harvest Host favorite. When we stayed there on that particular Saturday evening there were five other campers settling in for the night. One of the host’s good tips was to get there early if you wanted a great spot. We were the first ones there at 4:30 pm so we got the shady spot right beside the vineyard.
Not only was the wine great, but they also had a small restaurant. We ordered a panini and a charcuterie plate that was delicious. We were not expecting there to be a crowd since this vineyard is off the beaten path, but it was a pretty hopping place. Also, on that Saturday evening they had live music, which was very relaxing after a long day of driving up to Ohio from our last Harvest Host stay in Virginia.
Our spot for the night was private and shady and we were thankful since it was Memorial Day weekend when we stayed there. Dry camping with no A/C and two dogs can get steamy in the summer. We loved watching the bunnies hop up and down the side road near the vineyard much more than our dogs. They were wanting to go rabbit hunting and were extremely interested in watching them from the windows of our Airstream, LJ.
The owners of the winery worked at the venue and you could see them stopping and enjoying great conversations with their customers. We really enjoyed a chat with the husband, Bill, half of the very friendly Hollister couple.
We had a bottle of their Cabernet Franc, which was bold and delicious. Again, I was surprised to be enjoying Ohio Wine and truly was embarrassed by my previous low expectations. If you have the opportunity to stay at their winery, you will enjoy their hospitality, the beautiful tasting room, lovely outdoor seating and scenic spots for your overnight boondocking. When traveling through Ohio make sure to add Chateau Winery and Vineyard to your overnight itinerary.