Herb and Wine Trail: Ohio Winery Tastings with Take-Home Herbs

The Herb and Wine Trail in Geneva, Ohio, is a monthlong invitation to explore eastern Ohio’s small wineries while bringing home something that will keep on giving: an herb you can plant. From June 1 through June 30, 2026, this self-paced tasting route connects tasting rooms and vineyard views across towns that have quietly built wine scenes of their own. Sponsored by the Ohio Wine Producers Association, 1 South Broadway, Geneva, 44041, the event lets you visit participating wineries during their normal hours to sample paired sips and collect a plant element for your herb garden. For $40 a single ticket or $50 a couples ticket, each stop provides a measured taste of local varietals, two wine samples and one light bite per person depending on ticket level, plus a take-home herb element at every participating winery. The trail’s roster includes Headley Inn Winery & Vineyard (Zanesville), Hocking Hills Winery (Logan), Manchester Hill Winery (Circleville), National Road Winery (Thornville), Revolution Rockbridge Wine Co (Rockbridge), Three Oaks Vineyard (Granville), and Valley View Hills Winery (Sugar Grove). Call 440-466-4417 for specifics and hours. What makes this route special is its blend of agriculture, flavor education, and hands-on gardening. Many stops operate out of converted farm buildings or modest tasting rooms that open onto rows of vines and summer herbs. You’ll encounter small-lot reds, crisp local whites and experimental blends that reflect Ohio’s temperate summer climate and glacially influenced soils. At each tasting, staff will often explain a suggested herb pairing — basil with unoaked whites, rosemary to stand up to fuller-bodied reds, mint alongside fruit-forward rosés — so your plant choice reinforces what you sip. The Herb and Wine Trail suits travelers who enjoy casual driving loops, food-and-drink learning, and slow afternoons with friends. Because visits are tied to each winery’s public hours, you can plan a six-hour afternoon hop or spread tastings over a weekend of small-town exploration. The trail also helps small producers showcase sustainable practices and local agriculture; many participating properties emphasize low-input viticulture and produce-forward pairings. There’s a historical thread too: Ohio’s grape and wine culture stretches back to the nineteenth century, and today’s wineries build on that regional legacy while experimenting with new plantings and tasting formats. Whether you’re a novice hoping to start an herb garden or a returning taster mapping new wineries, the Herb and Wine Trail translates short pours into a living souvenir — plants that will recall an afternoon of cool cellars, sunny patios and conversations with growers across eastern Ohio. Pack a reusable tote for plants, bring water, and leave room in your car: these living souvenirs travel best upright and shaded during warm June drives between towns, and avoid midday heat.