Lake Erie Speedway – Wineries

A day at Lake Erie Speedway in Erie County, Pennsylvania, is bound to be full of high-octane excitement. With events like All Star Monster Truck Tour, Drift MatsErie, and the “redneck rodeo,” Crash-A-Rama, taking place there, how could it not be?

You’re probably going to need to cool down after all that fast and furious fun, though. Lucky for you, the area surrounding Lake Erie Speedway is home to lots of tranquil wineries, believe it or not. So if you’ve got an extra day or two to spend in Erie County and want to switch gears after visiting Lake Erie Speedway, consider checking out some of these nearby wineries.

South Shore Wine Company

The first winery on our list, the South Shore Wine Company, is also the one closest to Lake Erie Speedway. At only six and a half miles away, you could easily stop there before heading to the race track. It opens at 10 a.m. every day of the week except for Sundays, when it opens at 11, making it that much more convenient of an option.

The story of South Shore Wine Company begins more than 150 years ago when it was started by grape-growing pioneers William Griffith and Smith S. Hammond. It was the first commercial winery in Erie County, as well as one of the longest running wineries in Pennsylvania.

After Prohibition halted production in 1920, the winery closed down and the property was sold. The stone wine cellar fell into disrepair while the building upstairs was converted from a barn into a restaurant, inn, and banquet hall. That is, until Robert Mazza of Mazza Vineyards bought the place in 2007, fixed it up, and re-established the “South Shore Wine Company” name.

The highlight of the South Shore Wine Company is the aforementioned wine cellar, which has been restored to its former glory. There you can sample the South Shore Wine Company’s unique selection of wines in a space that truly transcends time.

Arundel Cellars & Brewing Co.

This theme of wineries with historical significance continues at Arundel Cellars & Brewing Co., a winery and brewery based out of a late 19th century barn. Like the South Shore Wine Company, it’s also only a short drive from Lake Erie Speedway. Getting there from the track should only take about 10 minutes.

The property where Arundel Cellars & Brewing Co. is located was once owned by a man named Frank Schultz, who purchased it in 1921. He had just returned from serving in World War I and brought back with him a vivid memory of a beautiful castle he had seen in England. That castle was called Arundel. Schultz decided to have the castle’s name painted onto the side of his newly acquired barn.

Arundel Cellars & Brewing Co. honors Shultz by keeping the Arundel name. They further honor him by making delicious wines, beers, and hard ciders from fruits grown on the vineyards and orchards that Schultz and his family tended to for three generations.

The warm, welcoming atmosphere of the renovated barn makes it the perfect place to sample some of Arundel Cellars & Brewing Co.’s offerings. If the weather’s nice, step outside onto the covered patio. There you can enjoy scenic views as you sip on a cool, crisp drink. Even though it’s only a few minutes from Lake Erie Speedway, Arundel Cellars & Brewing Co. feels like it’s a world away.

Courtyard Winery

Courtyard Winery was founded by Randy and Laura Graham, a couple who bonded over their mutual love of wine. Both are descendants of fruit farmers, so it makes perfect sense that they came together to start a vineyard farming operation.

Although they met in California, Randy and Laura decided to open their vineyard in the North East borough of Pennsylvania, where Randy’s grandparents used to pack baskets of fresh-picked grapes to be sent by railcar to New York City. The vineyard is about a 10-minute drive from Lake Erie Speedway.

It was in 2007 that Randy and Laura decided to add a winery to their 125-acre vineyard. Three years later, they began selling their wines. Now Courtyard Winery offers two distinct lines of wine: the more traditional La Courette and the uniquely eclectic Barjo Bons.

This duality is reflected by the tasting room at Courtyard Winery, which features two separate tasting areas; one for each of their lines. Try some wines from both to see which one you prefer. Once you’ve found a wine you like, bring a glass of it out onto their vineyard veranda for the full Courtyard Winery experience.

Lakeview Wine Cellars

From the moment you step inside, you’ll find that there’s a lot to like about Lakeview Wine Cellars. First off, there’s a good chance you’ll be greeted at the door by the winery’s mascot, a friendly Irish setter named Cabernet. Follow Cabernet inside and you’ll enter into a beautifully decorated, nautical-themed tasting room. Step out onto one of the covered patios for views of Lake Erie, a wine bottled-shaped pond, and the surrounding vineyards.

It only makes sense that the wines from Lakeview Wine Cellars are just as unique as the winery itself. All of their premium varieties are fermented in Pennsylvania white oak barrels made from wood that has been aged for three years, water bent, and toasted over an oak fire. This imparts the wines with flavor you won’t find anywhere else. Think smooth, clean, and woody without being bitter. There’s a real good chance you’ll be buying a bottle or two to bring back home with you.

As if all that wasn’t enough to set Lakeview Wine Cellars apart from most of the other wineries in Lake Erie Wine Country, they’re also seriously eco-friendly. That wine bottle-shaped pond we mentioned earlier? It’s not there just to look pretty. It’s actually a geothermal heat source that’s also used for storm water management, irrigation, and fire control.

Another one of Lakeview Wine Cellar’s eco-friendly practices is that they don’t use any harsh chemicals. They instead opt to clean their equipment with ozonated water, a natural alternative to chemicals like chlorine.

Like all of the other wineries on our list, Lakeview Wine Cellars is a short drive from Lake Erie Speedway. If you’re looking to stop by and sample some of their wines before or after a day at the track, the ride over shouldn’t take you more than 15 minutes.