NEO Napa

In June, the region took a big step in branding itself as a distinctive grape growing and wine making district with the opening of Pairings in Ashtabula County. The lovely new center, years in the making and meant to showcase Ohio vintners doing high quality, medal-winning Euro-style wines, features a tasting room for their products — most from the Grand River and Lake Erie viticulture appellations — as well as an outdoor patio where visitors can enjoy wines by the glass or the bottle, and a kitchen and dining room for culinary demos, hands-on classes and special dinners. The center, off Geneva's main drag at the end of a dirt driveway, is also a starting point and stop along the way for local winery tours.

A few grape vines edge an empty field in front of the building now. One day, there will be a complete winemaking operation there that will serve as an incubator for start-ups and a visitor education center. For now, farmers set up shop there on Saturdays. The place is open seven days a week. A chef grills food to go with selected wines every Thursday night from 5:30 to 7:30. A tapas dinner is scheduled for Aug. 30, with advance reservations required.

My inaugural visit to Pairings was all discovery and delight. The facility, a converted barn, is done up in weathered wood with garage doors that are opened in good weather. A copper-topped, U-shaped bar has stools on the two long sides for those who want to spend some serious time sampling flights of reds and whites. And I must say I was pleasantly surprised to find some good, nuanced dry wines being poured. I really enjoyed the 2012 Cab Franc and Cab Sauvignon from Valley Vineyards, located in the Ohio River Valley near Cincinnati. Cask 1013, a blend from Madison's Grand River Cellars, had an intriguing complexity that comes as much from the blending of both red vinifera and vintage years. The number on label meant that it was started in 2010, wine from the 2011 and 2012 harvests added and bottled in 2013. The result was impressive. I learned about how it was made from staff member Nancy Evans. Her presence really enriched the experience. A recent graduate of Kent State's fledgling enology program and winemaker herself, she talked us through our tasting, providing knowledgeable commentary, thoughtful insights, and insider tips. If you end up buying a bottle after a tasting, the retail price is discounted by $5.

Nancy also hooked me up with a really interesting local winemaker that I went to meet the following day. More on him and the amazing wines he's creating next week.

One Night [Farm] Stands

Over the past couple of years, the practice of dishing up fine meals out where the ingredients are grown and the animals graze has become a nationwide trend. The idea is to encourage people to eat locally by taking them to the source of their food and introducing them to the growers that live and work in their own backyards. Real chefs bring their professional expertise along with utensils, servers and place settings. Tables are arranged in meadows, barns or orchards. It’s restaurant dining without … the restaurant. The experience offers a new way to enjoy a dinner. It’s caught on in a big way here, and two area chefs are jumping on the hay wagon this month. They’re inviting guests to trek beyond the city limits for fun and feasting. The beautiful settings are provided by Mother Nature. Think of these events as fancy picnics where someone else does the work. All you have to do is show up, eat and watch the sun set.

The first of these forks in the field evenings happens on July 25 at Covered Bridge Gardens in Ashtabula County. Your hosts are The Prochko’s, Mick, Kay and their son Steve, who own the 160-acre farm, and Brian Doyle, a personal chef and caterer. Long an advocate for eating seasonally and locally, Doyle put a twist on his latest venture, Sowfood, an urban farm and CSA (community supported agriculture): He not only plants and harvests fresh produce for shareholders, he also cooks it. The dinner is a fundraiser for Autism Speaks, an organization that helps raise awareness of the prevalence of autism locally and around the nation. Cost is $95 per person and includes wine. The night starts with a tour of the farm. Freshly picked fruit, vegetables and herbs will inspire the night’s menu. 440-862-1682 for reservations.

Covered Bridge Gardens is also supplying produce for a July 28 shindig dubbed Dine with the Vines. It takes place right in the vineyard at Grand River Cellars, a winery in Madison, and owner/manager Cindy Lindberg will do a walk and talk through the rows of grapes and handle the wine pairings. Mick and Kay Prochko will be there to chat about what’s on your plate. Those plates, five courses worth, will be created by Jeremy Esterly, currently Executive Chef at Paragon, a bar and eatery in Euclid. The banquet style meal kicks off at 6 p.m. with Ohio artisinal cheeses and wines. $75 per person and reservations are required, 440-298-9838.

Seating is limited at both dinners. So don't dawdle. Get on the phone right this minute. But if there isn’t a place left for you, don’t be too upset. These folks are planning to do more dinners like this.