ASHTABULA COUNTY, Ohio –– Were you hoping to escape to the shore this year but your wallet is coasting on empty?

Look no farther than nearby Ashtabula County, Ohio –- home of lighthouses and spectacular Lake Erie sunsets, bunches of wineries and well-maintained covered bridges linking it all together. Who needs Napa? We’re next to the so-called “Napa of the East.”

I visited the region in June with my good friend Doug, who found some cool things online when he was looking for bicycling events.

I was open-minded but my enthusiasm was curbed. The last time I ventured to Lake Erie in Ohio was when my 2002 Chevy Cavalier was shiny new and I drove my friend Doreen to Geneva-on-the-Lake for Fourth of July festivities.

First-timers, we were disappointed to see garbage, glass and dead fish on the beach. We also weren’t impressed with the pervy carny/adult arcade atmosphere on the strip. The winery samples in town were like rotgut -- though the grape juice was tasty.

I haven’t been back but I hear things have improved.

A previous road trip in that direction was with my family to Debonne Vineyards in Madison, Ohio, for hot air balloons and jazz. We had a great time at the chalet winery.

So with one pro and one con for the region, I didn’t know what to expect.

But Ashtabula County turned out to be one of my favorite summer destinations.

We left Sharon on a perfect June morning and found our way quickly to Tarsitano Winery & Cafe in the middle of Conneaut, Ohio, countryside (four miles from Lake Erie and four miles from Pennsylvania), thanks to online directions.

We had reservations at Tarsitano for a belated birthday dinner so we wanted to locate it early. Check their Web site for a fascinating history of land and family. Ken Tarsitano is owner, winemaker and chef and credits other area winemakers with helping him press the first grapes in 2000.

A modern barn holds an open kitchen, a wine bar and an eclectic collection of tables and items. Joining other wine tasters at the bar, we sipped a couple of selections (warning –- they charge $1 per sample, even if you purchase wine or food). I liked the Riesling ’06 and the Isabella ’06, named after the owners’ adorable baby daughter, who was in the room. They describe it as a sweet and fruity apple Riesling blend -- a perfect pairing from a mother who comes from apple growers and a grape-growing father.

I was starving so I bought a sampling of cheese and a mini loaf of their fresh-baked bread to take with us.

There are 17 covered bridges in Ashtabula County, including the longest in the U.S. We planned to track down its northeast corner’s three covered bridges and three other wineries before dinner. Note: Be sure to grab a Conneaut, Ohio map of attractions from the display of brochures at Tarsitano.

From the winery, we found State Road Covered Bridge nearby. It offers a beautiful vista. Unfortunately, the rain began to fall as soon as I broke open the bread/cheese box. We snacked under cover, and then drove north to Buccia Vineyards, which does double duty as a bed and breakfast.

It was still sprinkling but Buccia Vineyard -- established in 1975 by Fred and Joanna Bucci –– features several large tables under an arbor, as well as an indoor tasting room and gift shop. Note the M.A.S.H.-style sign of various vineyard destinations on the front lawn.

They didn’t charge for samples; instead, they had lined up half a dozen or so bottles at a self-service table under the arbor. Prices ranged from $8 to $14 a bottle.

They have monthly summer events and invite about 50 customers/friends to a harvest/

picnic in September.

We had time for one more winery and breezed through Markko Vineyard, opened in 1968. The pillars at the entrance reminded me of the entrance to Dracula’s castle but the winery, at the end of a long drive, looks more like a cottage in the woods. A friendly and large black and white sheepdog-esque pup greeted us then began chewing on an old wine box. Bottles were listed at between $9 to $42.

We backtracked to Tarsitano to eat, not quite making it inside before a downpour of rain. But it was cozy inside, with candles flickering in the wind via screened windows and doors.

I noted an antique Singer sewer machine base held up our table before I was distracted by the scents wafting out of the kitchen about 15 feet away. Amazing. Mouth-watering. Homemade pasta. Spices. Herbs. Steak.

The menu includes starters like Grandma T’s Bruschetta with Fontinella cheese and Stuffed, Roasted Red Pepper with Prosciutto and Gorgonzola; salads; and main courses such as Grilled Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Spicy Chilpotle Ravioli and Overstuffed Steak.

I ordered the steak and pasta dish with “special Moroccan spices sauteed with veggies then topped on a sirloin tip steak alongside a bed of homemade pasta in a saffron cream sauce.” Doug decided on the Riesling Rosemary Ravioli “stuffed with artichoke and special cheeses in a garlic olive oil sauce, served wit grilled chicken or steak.”

The descriptions didn’t disappoint. Nor did Kelly’s Homemade Double Chocolate Cheesecake for dessert.

The rain had stopped by the time we finished licking the plates (kidding) so we drove north again to the city of Conneaut and its coast. Ashtabula County is home to 30 miles of coastline with two lighthouses but we had time just for one -- the black and white Conneaut Lighthouse, attached to land by a long stone pier.

Dozens of gulls lined up on the sand like infantrymen and a great blue heron landed in a pond behind us as fishermen, kayakers and families made good use of the water. We were just in time to see the setting sun drape a golden veil over the horizon before exploding into a blaze of pinks and purples.

As we drove from the water’s edge past the small park on the lip of the cottage-lined bluff above, we noticed residents and weekenders gathering to watch the sky show.

It deserved a raised glass and maybe a final forkful of double chocolate cheesecake.





If you go:

Conneaut (Ohio) Board of Touism: 223 Main St., 440-593-5949; www.conneautohio.com

Buccia Vineyard, 518 Gore Road: 440-593-5976; www.bucciavineyard.com

Lake Erie’s Vines and Wines Trail: 800-227-6972; www.ohiowines.org

Markko Vineyard, 4500 S. Ridge Road, 800-252-3197; www.markko.com

Tarsitano Winery & Cafe, 4888 Hatches Corners Road: 440-224-2444; www.tarsitanowinery.com



Covered bridge fest set

JEFFERSON, Ohio –– The Ashtabula County Covered Bridge Festival is held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily Oct. 11-12 at the Ashtabula County Fairgrounds. The fest includes crafts, entertainment, historic vehicles and engines, a farmers market, a quilt show, draft horses, contests, a parade and great food.

The festival office, in the basement of the old courthouse at 25 W. Jefferson St. in Jefferson, provides souvenirs, tour maps and tour group step-on guide service all year.

Info: www.coveredbridge\festival.org or 440-576-3769

For other events, go to www.visitashtabulacounty.com