To me this vineyard represents the American spirit of winemaking, and I consider myself truly fortunate to have discovered it.
I first met the former owner, Arnie Esterer, on a late winter day in 2019. After talking to him for just a few minutes I realized something: Arnie had a lifelong passion and deep knowledge of wine, and could easily stand amongst the top handful of people in the industry. He was a true trailblazer, and his book Magic in a Bottle is certainly worth your time. If Robert Mondavi is the father of Napa, then Arnie could easily be considered the father of Ohio wine. I hold you in the highest regards Arnie, you are a true legend. If you can get your hands on one of his bottles at Markko Vineyards in its original form, I highly (highly!) recommend it.
Arnie started his winery back in 1968 and there’s simply too much history for me to cover here… instead I’ll share some of my favorite memories:
I happened to come across Markko Vineyards after several industry friends mentioned it. I dare say that Markko vineyards may be considered well known in the Ohio wine industry, but definitely not well known to the average consumer. I’ve visited a few times, and have at most only seen four other people there on tastings. It’s a bit off the beaten path down a dirty unpaved road, and when you turn onto the property, you’ll come across an aged stone pillar with “Markko Vineyards 1968” engraved. Eventually you’ll pull up to a small house, where the kitchen serves as a tasting room and the rest of the structure as a cellar; the first greeter you’re likely to come across is one of the friendly vineyard dogs.
I do want to mention this because it’s important to what I’m trying to convey here: Due to over a century’s worth of advertising, misconception, and misunderstanding, wine is believed to be juice for the wealthy, the high-class, and the well-to-do. Don’t believe me? Ask anyone of your friends to rate beer, spirits, and wine, by their associated class and wealth (equally revealing is to rank by price tag).
The men and women at Markko Vineyards are farmers, and know their trade exceptionally well. Some could be considered salt of the earth; they’re modest in presentation and yet make astonishingly fantastic wine. Simply stated, they know their shit. Does this not embody the American entrepreneurial spirit?
The bottles and nicknacks throughout the tasting room bring a museum-like quality to the observant wine fan. During my visit, Arnie invited me into the “kitchen area,” and I came across a bottle of 1964 Chateau Latour which was adorning his shelf. Some people use the expression “if these walls could talk” I like to say “If these bottles could sing”. To this day, that remains the most valuable opened bottle of wine I’ve ever held. Arnie gave me a tour of his cellar which I will always remember. I am not going to give too much away, but man the funk that is down there needs to be experienced.
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve visited Markko three times, and each offered different vintages and experiences to love! The menu changed with every visit; I mostly enjoyed 2015 and 16 vintages, but I also tasted 12’s, 09’s, and 13’s! They focus on Resiling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon, and all are the best in the state. Markko gets high marks across the board and if you’re lucky enough on your visit, they’ll offer a few different vintages so you can experience the subtle differences. I will cede that the price points are especially high for the area, averaging anywhere from $10-15 more than what I’d expect when comparing to comparable tastings outside the region, BUT this has remained the only vineyard I’ve found which sells its library vintages at similar prices to its non-library offerings. For those readers who don’t know what a library wine is, it’s an older vintage that the winemaker preferred, selected, and kept for a period of time – then re-released at a later date for a premium price (you are paying for the storage and aging). I picked up a 1988 bottle of Chardonnay for the same price as their 2016 vintage. This sort of thing doesn’t just happen… and I suspect if widely known this would drive the wine fans there in herds.
Markko Vineyards proves that with enough TLC and time, great wine can be made anywhere in the United States. Consider this David versus Goliath or Rocky versus Apollo; but like all things great which end in their due course, Arnie sadly passed away on 28th October 2020. Though new visitors may not get to experience this vineyard with him at the helm, I plead with you to visit as soon as you can, see the cellar, and taste his wine before it all passes into the history of the American wine making story.
