As Gervasi Vineyard (GV) starts preparing vines for the next harvest of grapes, it is a perfect time to learn the story of GV’s three Family Reserve wines. All three wines are made from grapes grown on the five acres of vineyards on the 55-acre estate. These wines are produced in the state-of-the-art winery located in Canton, Ohio.
These impressive and award-winning group of wines are named after the founding values of the winery’s family owners –Ted and Linda, and their son, Scott Swaldo, General Manger and CEO. Each wine varietal truly represents each of their personalities and ideas associated with the destination winery resort.
“As a family-owned winery, we wanted to create a collection of wines that had a personal connection,” said Scott Swaldo. “As each varietal was created, we sought to connect it to a family member – to tell our story. The wines were aptly named Family Reserve wines.”
Family Reserve Wines
Gervasi Vineyard’s founder, Ted Swaldo, named the first of the special family wines – a white wine named Lascito, which means “Legacy” in Italian. Ted built Gervasi Vineyard as a legacy for his family, for future generations, and for the community. This light varietal is made from Frontenac Gris grapes, which is a bud mutation of the deep purple Frontenac, with all of its outstanding characteristics except the dark skin.
The story behind the wine is to ‘Live your Legacy’, and is best expressed by Ted Swaldo himself: “Each day, I am motivated by the challenge to live my best life. Within each day, I look forward to doing something that will create a memory and make a difference in someone’s life. Deep inside, we each have a purpose and a legacy to live and to leave behind.”
Lascito’s cultured expression of Frontenac Gris radiates from its alluring complexion and fragrances of rich pineapple, strawberry and tropical fruits. Its indulging sweetness bathes the palate with the lush fusion of its complex personality. The story of Ted’s legacy is told on the back label, but begins on the front, where the wine label features a watch to represent the passage of time and generations.
Linda Swaldo chose to name her wine Unita, which means “Unity” in Italian. The thought relates to the importance of family unity.
“My mother loves big, red wines” said Scott. We wanted to honor her love of red wine. It is difficult to produce a good, dry, red wine in Ohio, yet this wine is a really pleasant red, dry wine. And it will just keep getting better over time.”
The wine is made from the Marquette grapes grown on property. Marquette is set apart by its taste and versatility to appeal to many palates. It is fast becoming a favorite with wine growers and wine drinkers. Gervasi’s Unita wine is medium bodied, with aromas of cherries, blackcurrants and blackberries. The story of unity is told by Mrs. Swaldo on the back, with a tree representing unity featured on the front.
Scott named his wine Passione, which means “Passion” in Italian. It represents his philosophy of having passion in all you do – including working at GV! Made from the winter-hardy white Aromella grapes grown in the estate vineyard, this is a sweet white wine.
Scott said, “I believe that each of us has a passion, intense emotion, enthusiasm, desire or affinity for something. I found my passion as general manager of Gervasi Vineyard. I encourage everyone to live your passion today!”
The Aromella grape is somewhat new in the wine world. The Swaldos took a risk to grow the grape, but it has paid off with the production and popularity of Passione wine. Aromella grapes are white grapes that produces a rose-pink color wine. The front label on the bottle features hands releasing flames, representing passion.
Hand Tended Vineyards
In the hand-tended vineyard at Gervasi, the winemakers develop a very intimate relationship with the vines. GV’s vines have been nurtured since they were bare root twigs, tucked into seemingly unpromising Canton soil. They’ve survived two vortexes, the drought of 2012, the Memorial Day freeze of 2013, and all the winged and four-legged creatures who find grapes delicious.
Gervasi’s director of winemaking and distilling operations, Andy Codispoti, aspires to produce elegant wines of the highest quality that will complement gatherings of family and friends. Codispoti, an Italian immigrant, learned the art of old-world winemaking from his father and mother who owned several small vineyards in his birth town in southern Italy. He oversee all phases of making Gervasi wines from vineyard to bottling.
The Family Reserve wines are the result of the success of the winemakers, their care of the two vineyards (North and South) vineyards, and of the team of experts in the winemaking facility inside The Crush House Wine Bar & Eatery.
Award-Winning Wines at GV
Each of the award-winning Family Reserve wines are hugely popular, whether served in one of the restaurants on the estate, or you may purchase the wines from The Marketplace or The Crush House to take home to be enjoyed later.
“We are pleased with how well all of the Family Reserve wines have been received,” Scott said. “This special group of wines have been embraced by the public and generally tend to sell out!”
In addition, Gervasi offers an array of award-winning wines including bold reds, sweet and dry white wines, and an exclusive collection of Italian wine imported exclusively for GV. To review the Family Reserve wines and all varietals offered by Gervasi Vineyard, visit www.gervasivineyard.com.
Salute! Grande vino! Grande vita! (Cheers! Great wines! Great life!)
