Page 11 - Leisure Living Magazine: August 2020 Edition

Crooked Tree Vineyard - Handcrafted Wines On Kelleys Island
By vintners’ definition, “hand- crafted wine” means wine that is produced by passionate individu- als who make it a hands-on, fami- ly and friends’ affair. From caring for the vineyard, to harvesting grapes, to making the wine, to conducting tastings, to participat- ing in constant experimentation, it’s an ardent team effort. If you are a handcrafted wine lover, you don’t have far to go in order to treat your palate to a tasting at a working vineyard. Set course for the southeast shore of beautiful Kelleys Island, home to Crooked Tree Vineyard.
Labels were thoughtfully designed by the Wermuths’ cousin, Clevelander Jason Soditch.
By Sherri Roth, Feature Writer
Owners Janet and Steve
Wermuth explain their “spur of the
moment” decision in 2010 to estab-
lish a vineyard on the island. “We were looking to purchase a vacation home on Kelleys Island. We were shown this 5-acre parcel and told the history of vineyards on the island, and we decid- ed in that moment to give it a go! Initially, we were just going to grow grapes, but the venture grew from there into our winery and tasting room,” explains Janet.
Crooked Tree Vineyard focuses on creating pleasantly drinkable reds produced from its Cabernet Franc and Chambourcin vines. With the help of a dedicated group of folks who are kindred spirits when it comes to handcraft- ed wine, it has become the first commercial vineyard on Kelleys in over 20 years. “Friends, family, and actual strangers have been beside us throughout this endeavor. We had people help- ing us clear the land, planting the vines; and now, folks help with the annual pruning, the harvest, and bottling. Crooked Tree would not be possi- ble without the ongoing support of our family and friends,” Steve emphasizes.
The Cabernet Franc grape has an herbaceous nature that presents a drier wine experience. It also has a shorter growing season, and as a graphed vine can be more winter-hardy, mak-
www.LeisureLivingMagazine.com
ing it a good choice for growing on the island. Crooked Tree Vineyard’s two dry red wines produced with this grape are its Cabernet Franc and Raccoon Red. Steve and Janet proudly introduced the Cabernet Franc in 2017 in honor of friends and family who worked very hard to help establish the vineyard. They dedicate their other dry varietal blend, Raccoon Red, to the pesky raccoons that have developed a taste for the Cabernet Franc grape. Explains Janet, “Raccoon Red is named after the darn raccoons that ate what was to be our first one-ton harvest in 2016! Over a five day period they consumed every grape in the vineyard...we knew about the dam- age deer and birds could do when we started... now we know about raccoons!”
A visit to the Crooked Tree tasting room offers not only the dry red experience, but also the opportunity to savor a semi-sweet rosé (Island Rosé), a crisp dry white (Whitecaps), a sweeter white (Wildflower White) and a sweeter red (Four Sisters Red). Steve shares insight into the name and label of Four Sisters Red: “Four Sisters is a wine made for Janet and her sisters. The sisters do not like dry wine, and wanted to know if we would ever make a wine they could drink.
Continued on page 14
August 2020 LeisureLiving | 11