Less than one hour from the Historic Medina Square lies Gervasi Vineyard, a premier vineyard and resort in Canton, Ohio. The village-like estate boasts nine buildings, including three restaurants, a boutique inn, villas, a vineyard and a craft cocktail house and distillery. It is best described as a Tuscan-inspired getaway right here in Northeast Ohio.
But the upscale destination for couples, wine connoisseurs and dining enthusiasts, has not always been this way. When Ted Swaldo purchased the land in 2009, it was an overgrown tree farm and a 55-acre estate in need of some major renovations.
His dream was to create a distinguished winery in Northeast Ohio, and most importantly, a legacy for his family. So after a year of renovations and landscaping, Ted opened Gervasi Vineyard, complete with a small winery and bistro that offered house-made Italian cuisine. A few months later he expanded the property to accommodate weddings and a beautiful outdoor pavilion was constructed as well as The Piazza, a casual, al fresco restaurant.
And he didn't stop there. In 2011 came the addition of the Gervasi Vineyard Villas, 24 luxury suites offering old-world charm and Tuscan-inspired décor. Each Villa has a spacious lobby with comfortable living and dining areas and access to a shared patio, as well as four upscale suites with cozy fireplaces, heated travertine floors, walk-in showers and more. The Villas received national recognition in 2016 and 2017 when they were named Best Wine Country Hotel by USA Today.
In 2013, the original winery received a major upgrade and moved to its current location called The Crush House, a state-of-the-art restaurant and wine bar. The contemporary, industrial-style eatery offers indoor and outdoor seating options, and expansive bar menu and wine list and a variety of appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, pastas and select entrées.
Most recently came the additions of The Still House, a distillery and craft cocktail lounge complete with a heated outdoor cigar lounge that opened in December 2018, and The Casa, a boutique hotel with upscale decor and luxury amenities that opened in May 2019.
The Casa has 24 luxury suites featuring king-sized beds, fireplaces, heated floors, private outdoor patio spaces, free Wi-Fi, access to the vineyard's walking/biking trail and more. Each suite’s private patio has a magnificent view of the Gervasi’s courtyard and pond.
You can also enhance your stay by adding floral designs, wine and chocolate packages, hand-crafted gift baskets and in-room massage services–the perfect way to curate a quintessential romantic getaway with your loved one.
Gervasi also offers ample activities to do throughout your stay at the vineyards. They have culinary classes, tastings and wine pairings, concerts, live music, yoga classes, and other special and seasonal events. They also offer winery and distillery tours that provide exclusive access to their state-of-the-art facilities and even a winery pairings tour–a more in-depth, intimate tour of the winery, enhanced by a tasting of popular Gervasi wines paired with small bites.
Complimentary public winery tours are offered every Saturday at noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. There are also winery pairings tours every Saturday at 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the cost of $22 per person. For a more intimate experience, Gervasi offers private winery tours that are ideal for groups of 24 or fewer people. The private winery tours can be enhanced with a bottle of Gervasi wine and several different tasting pairings.
Complimentary public distillery tours are offered on Sundays at noon and 1 p.m. Distillery tasting tours are offered every Sunday at 2:30 p.m. and cost $19 per person.
For more information about Gervasi Vineyard visit GervasiVineyard.Com or 330.497.1000. Visit their restaurants, winery, distillery, resort and vineyard at 1700 55th Street NE, Canton, OH 44721.
