Here in Northeast Ohio the Ice Wine Festival is a very special event spanning three Saturday’s in March. So special, that the local wineries cannot wait to get the celebration started. Before the Ice Wine festivities begin, several wineries of the Grand River Valley wine region will host the Winter Glow progressive wine and dinner event.

Winter Glow (Fridays, March 2, 9 & 16) begins at 6:30 p.m. at Grand River Cellars with delicious soup and salad. Then guests will proceed to Debonné Vineyards for a wonderful meal and finish the night with dessert at South River Vineyards . Wine makers at all three wineries will pair each of the courses with their wines. The professionally prepared menus will differ from week to week . (To preview the menus for each wine event click here)

Reservations are required and this event will fill up quickly. Reserve seats by calling Debonné Vineyards at 440-466-3485.

The 9th Annual Ice Wine Festival will be Saturdays March 3, 10 & 17 from noon to 5 p.m. Please check back Wednesday for a full blog post about the Ice Wine Festival.

Do you have a favorite recipe or meal you like to pair with local wines? We’d love to hear about it!

These two well-known artists will be featured in the next gallery exhibit at Willoughby Hills Community Center Art Gallery  that will surely stir the imagination of visitors. Sanzotta, a self-taught painter, and St.John, a life-long painter, will share their work with audiences March 9 – April 30. The public opening for the exhibit is March 9, from 7-9 p.m.

Learn more about this Lake County art exhibit (And get a sneak peek at some wonderful pieces from these featured artists!) on the gallery’s website.

Now all we need is a little extra snow to really make this a winter adventure!

There are four hikes, varying in length and terrain, from which hikers may choose:

• An interpretive hike about three miles long with a few stops along the way
• A shorter and easier hike for novice hikers
• Fast walkers who want to get some fresh air and enjoy the park
• A self-guided short trail option for families with young children or more limited mobility (Easy-to-follow trail maps are available in the Nature Center)

After adventuring all day you may want to relax and listen to live folk music while enjoying hot soup and beverages served inside the Nature Center. Outdoors, the warmth of a roaring campfire will be ready with s’mores for everyone. All participants will receive a Winter Hike patch and an add-on year patch.

Hiking boots are recommended as the trails maybe snow- and/or mud-covered. Remember to dress in warm, comfortable layers. Learn more about the Winter Hike and hiking safety tips from Lake Metroparks.

Registration Information:
Pre-registration is required for participation in the Winter Hike at Penitentiary Glen Reservation. Register online or call 440-358-7275 or 800-669-9226. The program fee is $8 per person, all ages welcome (under 18 with an adult, please).

A ‘Hike’ into the past - Gildersleeve Mountain, Halle Ravine and Gully Brook
Local residents of Lake County have always been familiar with the scenic and spectacular local natural areas that surround them.  Essays published by naturalist John Burroughs influenced a group of local area men to meet and form a Burroughs Nature Club in circa 1916. This club featured speakers and club explorations to places throughout Lake County.  These places included Gildersleeve Mountain (Chapin Forest), Halle Ravine (Penitentiary Glen Reservation), Mentor Headlands and Mentor Marsh as well as Gully Brook.

Gildersleeve Mountain:
Settled in 1808 by S.A. Gildersleeve, this Kirtland property is situated 1,163 feet above sea level and less than seven miles from the shores of Lake Erie.  It is also the start of the Allegheny Plateau.  While the landscape, foliage and diversity is impressive, it is the scenic vistas that make this area noteworthy. Gildersleeve Mountain is only 18 miles from downtown Cleveland and on a clear day it is possible to see Avon, Ohio (Western Cleveland) and beyond. Another fascinating part of the park is Quarry Creek Ravine near the Old South Church property. It was the site of the Stannard Quarry Company which provided the stones for the Kirtland Temple.  The State of Ohio acquired the property in 1949 and Frederick Chapin and others used the site for forestry research.  In 1966, the Lake County Metroparks assumed control of approximately 60 percent of the original holdings and today maintains the trails of what is now Chapin Forest Reservation.

Halle Ravine:
Settlers founded this area of Lake County in the 1880’s and discovered deep gorges divided the property in two. Samuel and Blache Halle, of the Halle Brothers Company in Cleveland, established a summer estate and working farm in the gorge area in 1912. The Burnett family was hired as the caretakers of the farm and  Maude Dolittle, a Massachusetts teacher served as the summer naturalist for the Halle children. Today the original horse barn is all that remains of their estate and is used today as the Penitentiary Glen Reservation nature center by Lake Metroparks, which assumed control of the 424 acres in 1974. Halle Farm artifacts and photo albums are on display inside the center as well as gorge related nature experiences.  Over 7.5 miles of trails are open to the public for hiking or snowshoeing.

Gully Brook:
Gully Brook was well known as early as 1916 when local Willoughby residents/naturalists set about to conserve the area. By 1925 a public call for a natural woods preserve was mentioned and as the construction of I-90 in the 1950’s diverted many streams and altered the landscape and watersheds in the Gully Brook property, attention again was focused on the issue. The tributaries, hemlock ravines and carpeted wildflower landscapes of Gully Brook Park are now preserved for future generations as the early calls for a wooded nature preserve were finally answered last year. Gully Brook Park opened in 2011 as a Lake Metroparks site for visitors to enjoy.

The New Year has just begun where resolutions and pledges are soon broken. A resolution that can easily be kept is this:  Take a hike (Or a winter snow shoe adventure) at each of the mentioned properties and reconnect or rediscover the natural history that a group of citizens helped preserve for you and the generations to follow.

-Dan Maxson – Curator/President, Fairport Harbor Historical Society

Creating winning wines is something Ferrante Winery and Ristorante has been doing for quite some time

Ferrante Winery and Ristorante, located along the shores of Lake Erie in Northeastern Ohio is most certainly something to talk about these days. The family owned winery has been producing award winning wines since 1937. The continuation of producing quality wines has been key to their success.

Ferrante’s winemaker, Nicholas Ferrante entered his wines at the 2012 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition is currently the largest competition of American fine wines in the world. For the past nine years this competition has held the record for most entrants of American wines and has continued to grow. This year a new record was recorded as the competition reached an astonishing 5,500 entries.

This year, Ferrante’s 2010 Grand River Valley Cabernet Franc Ice Wine, 2010 Grand River Valley Vidal Blanc Ice Wine, 2010 Grand River Valley Golden Bunches Dry Riesling, and Cranberry Blanc all stole gold medals at the competition. The Cabernet Franc Ice Wine received the prestigious award of “Best of Class” for its rich sweet flavors of raspberry and cherry with a slight spiciness. Nicholas Ferrante is extremely pleased with the results, as this competition hosts the best wines in the country.

Grand River Valley Cabernet Franc Ice Wine & Grand River Valley Vidal Blanc Ice Wine are unique with flavors to please every palate. Both Ice Wines are dessert wines produced from Ferrante’s select estate-grown grapes which are frozen on the vine. Vidal Blanc Ice Wine has rich aromas of apricot and orange blossoms with flavors of honey and ripe melon. The 2010 Grand River Valley Golden Bunches Riesling is an off-dry wine containing aromas and flavors of apples and lime. Followed by flavors of citrus fruits and peach, lending to an off-dry crisp finish. This Riesling is one of three outstanding Rieslings produced by Ferrante.

The Cranberry Blanc is the newest addition to Ferrante’s extensive array of wines. This wine is the perfect blend of Vidal Blanc and cranberry concentrate. The rich apricot characteristics of the Vidal Blanc grape marry nicely with the fresh aromatics of cranberries, lending to a slight tartness in finish. The cranberry concentrate is 100 percent naturally produced from locally grown fruits.

Join the wineries of the Grand River Valley for their annual Ice Wine Festival March 3, 10 and 17 from noon to 5 p.m. Enjoy luxurious Ice Wines and appetizers at each of the participating wineries. Call 440-466-8466 for more information or visit Ferrante Winery and Ristorante online.

~Guest Blogger — Alyssa Sekerak, Marketing Director – Ferrante Winery and Ristorante

	Spas in Lake County Jack Arra’s, Ladies and Gentlemen and Bella Donna are just some of the spas Lake County has to offer. Soothe your winter blues with a relaxing and revitalizing treat. FEBRUARY 10 THROUGH MARCH 21 Lake Metroparks Farmpark: Keeping warm with Quilts 2012 As Ohioans, we all get a little cabin fever this time of year – even with the weather as mild as it was early this season. So to brighten up a wintry day, we suggest taking a look around Lake Metroparks Farmpark’s temporary exhibit and competitive show – Quilts 2012. SECOND WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH The Civil War and lunch It’s not every day that history invades your lunch hour. But throughout 2012, the James A. Garfield National Historic Site and the Mentor Public Library will host a Civil War lunchtime speaker series that will do just that. FEBRUARY Lakeland Community College takes to the stage The stage at Lakeland Community College is heating up this February with the musical “Anyone Can Whistle” and the 40th Annual Lakeland Jazz Festival is set to amaze audiences with special headline guest The Yellowjackets. • Alice in Wonderland: A fantastical adventure at the Fine Arts Association MARCH 3, 10 & 17 The sweetest part of NE Ohio winters is the Ice Wine Every Northeast Ohio winter there is high anticipation for the first good freeze. That’s when the most precious of all grapes can be picked – Ice Wine Grapes. This March 3, 10 & 17 you are invited to celebrate this harvest at the Ice Wine Festival. • A spotlight on Maple Ridge Vineyard • Franky and Pauly’s: Mentor’s Historic Sawyer House to be new home to popular restaurant MARCH 10 & 11 Maple sugaring time is almost here The annual Maple Sugaring Weekend at Lake Metroparks Farmpark is something children love and parents…well, not so much. It’s sticky. But it’s a lot of fun and learning for the whole family too! • Snowshoeing, ice caves and birding activities to keep busy at Holden FEBRUARY 11 Rail Fanning Day at the Painesville Depot The Painesville Depot functions as a living history dedication to the days of the railroad and visitors are welcome on Rail Fanning Day, February 11, to enjoy a day full of trains! • Bocce… at a bowling alley? Subscribe to our Newsletter… Join us on Facebook…
The Great Big Home & Garden Show is February 4-12 at the IX Center. The LCVB will be there and we want you to be there too. Click the link above and enter the promo code for $4 off tickets then stop and see us at booth 813!

Spas Chase Winter Blahs

Chase the winter blues away and escape to one of Lake County’s three premiere salon and spas.

At Jack Arra’s salon and spa in Concord, Ohio, near Quail Hollow Resort, relax in the casual yet elegant open lounges with a glass of wine or beverage before or after your choice of over 100 services. Unique treatments include migraine massage, permanent makeup applications (eyeliner), spray on tanning, oncology massages and gentlemen’s treatments. Jack Arra’s also offers salon manicures, pedicures, cuts and styling and more.

In Mentor, Ohio, the center of Lake County, consider Ladies & Gentlemen Salon and Day Spa. Ladies & Gentlemen is a full service salon and spa offering hair care, skin care, massages and also specializing in bridal services.

And finally in Painesville, Ohio, Bella Donna Salon and Spa can offer a carefree afternoon. Guests at the spa and salon can expect the latest trends in hair styling, color and spa treatments and all spa packages include a complimentary glass of wine.

Although the winter landscape is beautiful in Lake County this time of year, sometimes it’s just nicer to be inside. And what better way to spend a day than treating yourself to a relaxing day at a spa? We hope to see you soon!

Bob Ulas, Lake County Visitors Bureau Executive Director

FEBRUARY 10 THROUGH MARCH 21    
Lake Metroparks Farmpark: Keeping warm with Quilts 2012

As Ohioans, we all get a little cabin fever this time of year – even with the weather as mild as it was early this season. So to brighten up a wintry day, we suggest taking a look around Lake Metroparks Farmpark’s temporary exhibit and competitive show – Quilts 2012.

February 10 through March 21 visitors of all ages can gaze at the beauty of hand-made quilts at one of Ohio’s finest quilt shows, with more than 200 quilted works on display. The show will include featured artist workshops, an official judged contest and people’s choice best of show awards. Also part of this year’s event will be the Quilt Vendor Event, March 2 – 4. Here visitors can enjoy demonstrations and shopping at quilt vendor booths.

For more information on how to expel the winter blues for a day, call Lake Metroparks Farmpark
at 440-256-2122.

**Photo from Lake Metroparks – “Iris Beckoning” by Joen Wolfrom

Second Wednesday of each month
The Civil War and lunch

It’s not every day that history invades your lunch hour. But throughout 2012, the James A. Garfield National Historic Site and the Mentor Public Library will host a Civil War lunchtime speaker series that will do just that.

These monthly events (held the second Wednesday of each month) will focus on the major battles of the Civil War and exploring the details of the time period. Subjects will include the battles of Forts Henry and Donelson (February 8), Hampton Roads (March 14), Shiloh (April 11) and more as the year progresses. The programs will begin at 12 p.m. at the library’s main branch (8215 Mentor Avenue).

Also coming up in February is Presidents Day and the James A. Garfield National Historic Site will be open to the public with free admission on Monday, February 20. Activities will include ranger talks, presidential trivia, games just for kids and more!

For more information on the lunch series or any events hosted by the Garfield National Historic Site please call 440-255-8722.

***Photo from www.nps.gov/jaga

February
Lakeland Community College takes to the stage

The stage at Lakeland Community College is heating up this February with the musical “Anyone Can Whistle” and the 40th Annual Lakeland Jazz Festival is set to amaze audiences with special headline guest The Yellowjackets.

Anyone Can Whistle – February 3-19
7:30 p.m.

“Anyone Can Whistle” is a musical about political corruption and the difference between sanity and conformity. First produced in 1964, this will be the first professional production of “Anyone Can Whistle” since it was done in the early seventies at Cain Park.

The 40th Annual Lakeland Jazz Festival – February 24, 25 & 26
8 p.m. (Friday and Saturday), 4 p.m. (Sunday)

On Friday, February 24, renowned bass player, composer and Professor of Music at Youngstown State University, Dave Morgan presents his composition “The Way of the Sly Man.”

Saturday’s show will feature two-time Grammy-winning group the Yellowjackets as they make their first appearance in Northeast Ohio in many years. The group is currently nominated for two Grammys.

And finally on February 26, The Big Band Matinee featuring the Dave Banks Big Band and the Lakeland Civic Jazz Orchestra will highlight “Adventures in Db, the Music of Count Basie” and classics such as “One O’Clock Jump,” “April in Paris” and “Li’l Darlin.”

For show or ticket information call 440-525-7526.

*** Photo from Lakeland.edu

Other Arts & Culture Activities

• Alice in Wonderland: A fantastical adventure at the Fine Arts Association

March 3, 10 & 17
The sweetest part of NE Ohio winters is the Ice Wine

Every Northeast Ohio winter there is high anticipation for the first good freeze. That’s when the most precious of all grapes can be picked – Ice Wine Grapes. This March 3, 10 & 17 you are invited to celebrate this harvest at the Ice Wine Festival.

It’s cold outside and there is nothing better than getting inside a warm winery with friends to enjoy the sweetest wine Mother Nature produces. Join Debonné Vineyards, Ferrante Winery, Grand River Cellars Winery & Restaurant, Laurello Vineyards & St. Joseph Vineyards for Ohio’s 9th Annual Ice Wine Festival. This progressive tasting event, where wine enthusiasts taste Ice Wine produced in the Grand River Valley, runs from noon to 5 p.m. each scheduled day. Each winery provides a sample of their ice wines along with a complimentary appetizer and hosts a featured event at each establishment.

For information on this or any other Grand River Valley Wine Region events call Debonné Vineyards at 440-466-3485.

**Photo by Carl A. Stimac

More Food & Wine Events

• A spotlight on Maple Ridge Vineyard
• Franky and Pauly’s: Mentor’s Historic Sawyer House to be new home to popular restaurant

March 10 and 11
Maple sugaring time is almost here

The annual Maple Sugaring Weekend at Lake Metroparks Farmpark is something children love and parents…well, not so much. It’s sticky. But it’s a lot of fun and learning for the whole family too!

March 10 and 11 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. visitors will discover how trees are tapped and see the network of tubing that connects the 1,000 taps that provide sap for the Farmpark’s maple syrup production. The curious of all ages witness the entire maple process as sap is collected, boiled and turned into maple syrup and other products.

Other family activities planned for the weekend include making maple-oriented crafts and sampling maple syrup and candy. Farmpark’s own maple syrup and other maple items will be available for sale.

To find out more about this event or the pancake breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday mornings, visit Lake Metroparks online or call 440-256-2122 or toll free from outside of Lake County at 800-366-3276.

More Outdoors Events

• Snowshoeing, ice caves and birding activities to keep busy at Holden

FEBRUARY 11
Rail Fanning Day at the Painesville Depot

The Depot opened in 1893 for the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Line. Today the Painesville Depot functions as a living history dedication to the days of the railroad. Visitors are welcome on Rail Fanning Day, February 11, to enjoy a day of watching trains and touring the depot’s artifacts from the glory days of railroading.

Why not pack up the kids for a day of learning and exploring the world of trains!

More information about this event or others at the Painesville Depot can be found online or by calling 216-470-5780.

**Photo from Western Reverse Railroad Association Facebook Page

More Activities

• Bocce… at a bowling alley?

If you’ve seen our Facebook page or any of our Tweets in the last few days you know that we are trying like crazy to win a badge from foursquare for Lake County Ohio to help promote area tourism in a nifty new way and it’s really important that we get support of our loyal readers and followers. So if you have a minute, would you help us out?

Here’s the quick gist of what’s going on…foursquare is like a game that’s played using your smartphone. You “Check In” using the foursquare app and your phone’s GPS to businesses/points-of-interest you visit in order to win the bragging rights of becoming mayor or to win a badge because you have completed a task worthy of showing permanent coolness. The best part is when you get coupons or specials for checking in. Folks leave tips about the business or location to help the next explorer – it’s just a great tool. Recently foursquare started granting cities badges to help promote exploration in their cities. This is a really cool feature for cities that promote tourism and are looking for ways to get people interested. Here’s what foursquare had to say…

“As part of President Obama’s announcement to boost tourism in the U.S., the White House called on folks around the country to share what makes their city or town a great place to visit. Well, we want to know too! Inspired by the #visitUS initiative, we’re putting out a call for foursquare lists with all the best spots in your city.  We’ll pick the three most amazing ones and creating foursquare city badges for them!”

We created the list and now we need your help to win!

Please follow our foursquare list of cool Lake County places to explore.

You can also share our Facebook post with your friends to spread the word.

But if you only have one spare minute, would you Tweet your followers and ask them to take a peek at our list?
Here’s a sample Tweet to copy:  @lakecountyoh wants to win a #4sq badge. Follow their list: http://ow.ly/8J23q There’s more to explore! #visitUs

Thanks for your help! We’ll let you know how we do!

~Madison, Lake County Visitors Bureau – Social Media Specialist

These are the days I spend dreaming of spring and summer (currently there is a mix of slush and ice and just plain ickiness on the streets so it’s not hard to wonder why). So how does one spend a day thinking of spring when the weather is not inspiring such positive thoughts? Well, I’ll be visiting The Great Big Home & Garden Expo at Cleveland’s IX Center. I will be exploring the exhibits and dreaming of new home improvement trends, gardening ideas, delicious meals (I’ll never be able to make on my own) and keeping my eyes open for celebrity guests.

This will be just what I need on a cold winter day! But I don’t want to rub it in…I bet you want to go too. I can definitely help with that – I have three pairs of tickets to giveaway to lucky winners! So that means three winners will be able to grab a friend and escape the reality of winter in Northeast Ohio any day the show is open, February 4 – 12. It’s simple to enter. Check out the rules below and get started. The contest is only open until January 31 at 4 p.m. so get to it!

Parking is $8 per vehicle (sorry I couldn’t help you there!) and regular ticket prices at the door will be $14 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for children. And don’t worry, if you don’t win the tickets you can still get a discount by using our promo code to buy tickets online. Visit our Facebook page for the code.  

Good luck and hope to see you at the expo!

~Madison Bender, Lake County Visitors Bureau Social Media Specialist

Here’s how you enter:

1. Follow this blog, Lake Erie East Uncovered, and leave a comment on this post telling us you want to win a pair of tickets to the Cleveland Great Big Home & Garden Expo. 

2. Follow the Lake County Visitors Bureau on Twitter and send a tweet to your followers to be entered: “I want to win tickets to the Great Big Home & Garden Expo from @lakecountyoh http://bit.ly/z3zMXa”
(Copy it exactly like this so your entry can be tracked!)

3. Visit our Facebook page and let us know you want to win! 

* One entry per method, per person, per day; winners will be chosen using PickAtRandom.com; rules are those of the Lake County Visitors Bureau; winners will be announced Tuesday, January 31 at 4 p.m. Winners will be contacted via the method of entry and will need to respond within 24 hours with a mailing address or a new winner will be chosen. 

Photo from LakeMetroparks.com

Spend a cozy winter afternoon at Penitentiary Glen Nature Center learning all about winter birds at the Winter Bird Open House on Sunday, January 29, in Kirtland, Ohio.

Relax with a hot drink, watch the birds at the feeders in the award-winning Window on Wildlife and ask a naturalist all your bird and bird feeding questions. Chat with guides about the different styles of bird feeders, the ins and outs of binoculars and identifying the top ten birds in your backyard this winter.

Activities include:

· Short presentations on common winter birds

· Lessons about binoculars, feeders and bird field guides

· Bird scavenger hunts and quizzes

· Help us count the birds at our feeders for Project Feeder Watch

· Drawings for FREE bird-related items

· Displays of bird-related merchandise by local vendors

Other regular Nature Center activities include the sights and sounds of wildlife at the interactive Nature Calls exhibit. Guests can also visit indoor and outdoor native Ohio wildlife ambassadors at the Wildlife Center, take a hike on more than seven miles of trails (open year-round) or sign-out a kids X-Plorer Pack filled with hands-on activities that help you discover nature in the park. Snowshoes are also available for rent (weather permitting). Admission is free for all ages. No registration required.

For more information, visit lakemetroparks.com or call 440-256-1404.

Spring will be here faster than we know it (despite the fact that this warm winter already feels like spring most days!) and that means baseball season will be here soon too.  The Lake County Captains are ready for the season to start on April 5, are you?

Ticket packages for the Lake County Captains 2012 season are available now and the promotions schedule is up too. So whether it is dog night, buck night or a fireworks game at the ballpark, this season is sure to be a fun one. The home opening weekend will kick off April 12 at Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio and the regular season will run through Labor Day weekend.

As far as ticket options go, we love the Mini Plans. These packages of 35, 20 or 12 games will let you choose the best Captains games to fill your spring and summer with fun and keep you in your budget! Another great option is the family four-pack. For only $44 you can get four box seat tickets, four food vouchers, four Captains baseballs and four Kids Zone vouchers. These tickets are only good on Sundays, but what a great way to spend a day with the family.

For more information about the 2012 season give the Lake County Captains a call at 440-954-WINS (9467).