Chalet Debonne:
In the Family since 1916

By
Sandy Mitchell

         Tony Debevc is an energetic and enthusiastic man. As president and winemaker of his family’s Chalet Debonne winery near Madison Ohio in the Ashtabula County wine district, he has to be. With over 110 acres, Chalet Debonne, located about 40 minutes east of downtown Cleveland, is Ohio’s largest estate winery. They grow approximately 90 to 95 percent of the fruit used in their wines right on the property. Chalet Debonne is also one of the region’s oldest wineries. Tony Debevc’s grandfather, Anton, established the vineyard in 1916. After several transformations, Tony and his father established the present winery in 1971.

          These are exciting times for Ohio wine growers and Chalet Debonne in particular. The award-winning vineyard has just opened a sister winery, Grand River Winery, just down the street from Chalet Debonne. This lovely winery has a large tasting room with a huge stone wood-burning fireplace and textured Tuscan-style walls and serves a selection of vinifera wines as well as appetizers, grilled sandwiches, and light entrees. Business is growing and there is an expectation in the Ohio wine community that neighboring Pennsylvania will soon replicate the recent Ohio court ruling that allows for out-of-state wines to be shipped directly to consumers, thus increasing Chalet Debonne’s market.

         Chalet Debonne produces about 20,000 cases of wine per year from twenty-six grape varietals. The winery is best known for its Riesling, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc grapes. They also produce a hybrid Chambourcin, which was recently written about in Wine Spectator Magazine as well as a Vidal Blanc Icewine, an excellent and delicate sweet wine with peach and melon overtones that favors the climate of the Great Lakes region. Icewine is generally regarded as the best product of Ohio Lake region wineries and Chalet Debonne’s Grand River Icewine is consistently ranked among the best.

         The wines produced by Chalet Debonne are frequent medal winners at the annual Ohio Wine Competition and the winery’s Chambourcin, a medium-bodied, somewhat fruity red wine, has been rated an 82 by Wine Spectator Magazine. Asked whether he worries about the increased competition brought about from allowing out-of-state wineries to ship directly to Ohio consumers, Debevc replied, “We have to stand on the quality of our own products.” He seems confident.

           That Chalet Debonne is first of all a family business is evident in the way the winery harvests its grapes. Practically all of the grapes are still picked by hand, a practice that Debevc says helps ensure a high quality wine. Not all of the workers are Debonne employees. Each day of the harvest, usually the first week of October, he sees about thirty enthusiastic customers arriving at the vineyard to help with the picking. “We let them work, then feed them well for their efforts,” says Debevc. Truly hearty wine lovers are also welcome in December to pick grapes that make the Icewine. They get fewer volunteers, however, for the Icewine grapes are picked during the frigid early winter mornings, before dawn.

         Chalet Debonne is more than just a vineyard. The winery’s complex includes a gift shop that features wine related clothing and novelty wines, a spacious outdoor patio, a restaurant, and a concert stage. They feature live entertainment each Friday and Saturdays, during the spring, summer, and fall months. The winery also runs the Grapevine Inn, a delightful hostelry in Geneva Ohio, just down the road. This affordable Inn is open year round and sits adjacent to a 30-acre lake, ideal for summer fishing or winter ice-skating. Most rooms offer sweeping views of the lake and the neighboring vineyards. Plus, it makes a great base for exploring the Ashtabula County wine district.

           Fall is a particularly exciting time to visit Chalet Debonne. Not only is it grape harvest time, but there’s a crisp chill in the air, the sun is low over the horizon, and the Ashtabula County countryside erupts in shades of rust, amber, cerise, and gold. Groups visiting the area can arrange a tour of the winery and enjoy a catered lunch. Chalet Debonne gauges the interest of the group and tailors the tour accordingly. “It’s a really personalized tour,” says Debevc.

           Tony Debevc isn’t all work. With his wife, Beth, and two children, he’s active in the community and can often be found soaring above the Ashtabula County countryside in his restored 1943 Stearman bi-plane. He doesn’t have to go far. His hangar is nestled among the grape vineyards. Debevc, a licensed pilot since his Ohio State University days, loves the thrill of flying. “The freedom of flying is always there.”

           Chalet Debonne wines and Grand River Cellars wines are available online at www.chaletdebonne.com or www.myohiowine.com , or at wine retailers in Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. Expect to pay between $8 and $15 per 750ml bottle for all except for the Icewine, which runs about $30 per a 375 ml bottle.

Chalet Debonne
7743 Doty Rd.
Madison, OH 44057
440 4663485

Grand River Cellars
5750 Madison Rd. (Rte 5228)
Madison, OH 44057
440 298-9838

Grapevine Inn
6790 S River Rd.
Geneva, OH 44041
216 466-7300