MADISON TOWNSHIP — When Kathy Crowley stepped outside to make a difficult phone call to let her family know her sister had passed, she wasn’t expecting to see anything remarkable.
Her sister had been battling lung cancer for a long time, and Crowley was there to give her sister’s husband and daughter some time away while she sat with her. She stepped outside to make phone calls to family members. While talking, something began buzzing around her head.
It was a butterfly.
For Crowley, the moment became a reminder that even during the hardest of times, there can be unexpected moments of beauty.
“That’s the first time I’ve told that story without crying,” she said.
A butterfly is now the symbol of Emerita Winery, a vineyard and winery Crowley co-founded with lifelong friend Ann Moore at 5631 Ledge Road in Madison Township.
The business partners have known each other since their time at Lake Catholic High School, where they played softball together. Their friendship eventually led them into a shared venture in wine.
The name Emerita comes from Crowley’s grandmother, Emerita Kelly, who married a Crowley.
Crowley had already developed an interest in growing something when she began pursuing the idea of a vineyard. She completed coursework at Kent State University at Ashtabula focused on running a vineyard and winery, while continuing to work full-time as an IT specialist with Ohio Savings Bank.
She also volunteered with Cindy Lindberg, co-owner of Grand River Cellars, which helped Crowley make a connection with Markko Vineyards owner and winemaker Arnie Esterer. Crowley subsequently worked as an intern with Esterer.
“I knew I wanted to grow something,” Crowley said.
The 105-acre property was initially considered as a possible apple orchard. When Crowley and Moore purchased it, they found a Concord grape block that had been grown for Welch’s.
They began developing the property as a vineyard, starting with an acre of Riesling that required some replanting. The property was purchased in 2015, with the first harvest under the Emerita name taking place in 2018.
The vineyard’s Bordeaux block, containing Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, was planted in 2017.
Emerita has also brought fruit from other local wineries and from Washington state. Its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay come from the neighboring property.
“We can usually harvest through late October or early November, depending on the rain…or snow,” Crowley only half-joked.
Emerita’s wines include Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and a rosé among its whites, along with Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Zinfandel among its reds.
The winery also has two wines with decidedly personal names.
SHEA Nanigans is a sweet white, a Moscato-Riesling blend named after Sheamus, their Australian cattle dog. QUINN Tessential is a Cabernet made from fruit from the Bordeaux block and named after Quinn, their black Labrador Retriever.
A nephew even contributed drawings for the labels.
Wine flights offer two-ounce pours, with two wines for $6 or three for $8. Customers can choose their selections or ask for recommendations. Five-ounce glasses are $8, and bottles are $25.
Food options are intentionally light, including peanut butter pretzel nibs, chips and salsa, bread with dipping oil and a cheese tray.
Moore said the partners want Emerita to have a welcoming atmosphere.
“We’re trying to make it more Irish, a nice Irish pub, but a little brighter,” she said.
The Irish influence fits naturally with the Crowley name and the partners’ vision for a place where customers can linger rather than simply buy a bottle and leave.
The partners also want to spend time getting to know their customers. Their goal is to have staff behind the bar, so Crowley and Moore can talk with visitors.
Emerita held its grand opening on Aug. 8 following some soft openings, when the winery participated in the Tannenbaum Trail and the Wine and Bloom Trail.
The winery is open Thursday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. The partners may shorten the schedule during winter as they gauge customer demand and staffing needs.
Getting the winery open was a long process. Crowley and Moore moved to the property from western Lake County and renovated a ranch home into the winery. COVID-19 delayed construction when contractors faced restrictions and struggled to obtain materials.
“We did what we could as we had money to do it,” Moore said.
The wines have already begun receiving recognition.
Last year, Emerita entered five wines in the Ohio Wine Competition, which drew more than 500 entries. Four of Emerita’s wines received bronze medals.
This year, the winery entered three wines. Two received medals: one bronze and one silver.
For Crowley and Moore, Emerita is the product of a lifelong friendship, a family name, years of learning and a piece of land well suited to growing grapes.
For more information, visit emeritawinery.com or visit the winery’s Facebook page.
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