What Others Have Said
About The Harmony Hill Experience
November 2008 The Yorkshire Review Blog
A turtle moves slowly across the tall grass. A snake slithers around the neck of the handler.
Across the pasture a donkey sticks its head through the fence staring at the onlookers. A large black Labrador receiver walks between the tables and takes a rest underneath the canopy. A man wearing a cowboy hat sits on a stool while he strums an acoustic guitar. Four friends laugh around the table as they sip their white wine.
In Perfect Harmony, Art, nature and science come together. 2,390 miles from Napa, in a quaint Ohio Village, Award winning wines are produced. Bethel Ohio is the home of Harmony Hill Vineyards & Estate Winery. This Boutique Winery is perfectly situated in a relaxed country setting in the middle of a seventy acre Nationally Certified Wildlife Refuge Farm.
With our busy lives and hectic schedules, it’s nice sometimes to just slow down. Take a drive to the country; put the cell phone on quiet. And uncork the joys and beauty of nature.
Established in 2003 by the owners Bill and Patti Skvarla, The Winery opened its barn doors to the public and never looked back. The Skvarlas’ are the perfect host. Everyone feels like a friend as Bill and Patty proudly explain their award winning wines and make their unique property available for the public. After one visit to Harmony Hill Vineyards you will be telling people you have friends who own a winery.
Harmony Hill supports the arts by having local musicians providing the entertainment for the complex. While enjoying the fine wines you may be hearing the next big hit song. The Nashville songwriters in the round try out their creative original songs on the crowd. The rotating cast of entertainers plays everything from originals to your favorite cover music. There are no wine snobs here. Real down to earth people having a great time enjoying good friendship and great wine.
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September 2008 Wine Blog Wine Is Life
i had the chance to spend an afternoon with the comely brunette and "blondie" at a local ohio winery, harmony hill vineyards recently. located in the city of bethel, ohio. most wine folks are so enamored with the wines of napa, france, or some other famed location that they forget about the little guy crafting boutique wines. and when some people think of ohio, the last thing they think about is wine. especially really high quality wine. i've written about some of the ohio wines already and there are definitely some very interesting wines being crafted in the state. bill and patti skvarla have quite a following at harmony hill and deservedly so. some very nice wines which i will be blogging about over the course of the next few weeks. they also bring in local music talent to entertain the folks who come to taste their wines and sit outside on a friday night or saturday afternoon. relaxing, warm, friendly people and excellent wine. a beautiful combination.
July 2008 My Wine Education: http://www.wine-girl.net A Visit to Harmony Hill
If you're looking for something to do on a Friday night or Saturday afternoon, I recommend a visit to Harmony Hill Winery in Bethel. Bethel sounds far away, but really, it's only about 15 miles outside of Anderson, and not that far off of Beechmont Avenue.
I've written about Harmony Hill before, and it's only gotten better. They've upgraded their tasting room. It's so much fun to bring your friends, buy a bottle of wine, and grab an umbrella'd table, and just sit and listen to whatever acoustic band might be playing. It's a perfect way to relax on a Saturday afternoon.
Of course, while you're there, you really need to try their wines as well. At .50/taste, you can't go wrong with trying whatever they have available. My favorite white is the Ovation, which is a Vidal Blanc blend, but our friends really enjoyed the Traminette Concerto. We also got to try, straight out of the tanks, two reds that will be bottled soon - the Rhapsody and the Rubato.
A visit to Harmony Hill is a great way to learn more about more domestic and French-American hybrid grapes. Bill and Patti, winemakers and owners, are more than willing to share their knowledge. I truly believe that Ohio wines are under-rated and intend on shipping a case out to California this fall for my Wine Bloggers Conference. That case will definitely include some Harmony Hill.
One of the great things about Harmony Hill is that it's both kid and dog friendly. Our friends brought both with them, and it was no problem at all. I recommend packing a picnic lunch and grabbing a nice chilled bottle of wine at the tasting counter, sitting back, and just enjoying life.
Harmony Hill Winery 2534 Swings Corner / Point Isabel Road Bethel, OH 45106 (513) 734-3548
Open all Summer: Fridays, 5-9 pm, Satudays, noon - 6 pm
Mark Fisher, Wine Writer, Dayton Daily News
BETHEL, OH —
A certain playfulness permeates Harmony Hill Vineyards in Bethel, about 30 miles east of Cincinnati. That’s apparent by the directional sign on the winery’s grounds that shows one arrow pointing west: “Napa — 2,390 miles” — and one pointing east: “Bethel, 2 miles.” “It’s not so much about the wine as it is the experience,” says Bill Skvarla, who co-owns Harmony Hill with his wife Patti. “We just want people to enjoy the country.” Wellllll, sometimes it is about the wine. After all, Harmony Hill produces several bottlings from grapes grown around the winery, including a tasty, off-dry Vidal Blanc called Concerto ($9.95). They sell the bottles from the tasting room, and on weekends, folks bring picnic baskets (Harmony Hill doesn’t serve food) to enjoy with the local wines while listening to live entertainment.
My Wine Education: http://www.wine-girl.net
Ohio Wines & Vines: Harmony Hill
Kevin & I ended our Saturday afternoon drive at Harmony Hill Winery in Bethel, Ohio. Harmony Hill is only about 20 miles outside of Beechmont/Anderson and folks, Harmony Hill is FUN.
You pull into a long winding driveway with fun signs, including one telling you it's a Golden Retriever Crossing. I love dogs, so this was a good sign. As you come around the bend, you are greeted with a picturesque barn, a couple of patios, and bright umbrellas. A parking lot is provided around back of the barn, and that's where you discover the donkeys. And burros. They're adorable, provided you don't feed them your fingers. Across from the happy animals are the vineyards.
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