Best of Cleveland 2014: Winemaking Club

Winemaking club

No one wants to drink alone, and you don't want to make wine alone either. Grape crushing and pressing, racking and bottling are more fun when they're social events. Besides, when you're choosing a grape, it helps to know connoisseurs with connections. That's the idea behind the North Coast Wine Club, which operates every fall out of its own winery in Solon. "We're using equipment a home winemaker could not afford to use by themselves," says co-founder Tom Radu. Think thousand-liter steel tanks and professional crushing and pressing machines. Club members pay $25 per year and buy into batches of grapes - at least enough to make two cases of wine. The cost comes out to about $7 a bottle to make a good table wine to about $17 for a "really high-end wine," Radu says. The club buys only premium grapes from California and Washington and has developed relationships with major grape growers. Members' wines have won several blue ribbons, including best in show, at the Geauga County Fair. They're eager to spread their knowledge: The club runs adult-ed winemaking classes in the Solon, Orange and Mayfield school districts. 30700 Bainbridge Road, Solon, northcoastwineclub.com