Vines at Meranda-Nixon Winery
RIPLEY, OHIO – Located just outside of the downtown Village of Ripley, Ohio is a winery by the name of Meranda-Nixon Winery.
The name Meranda-Nixon came about when Seth Meranda and Maura Nixon met each other in 2013.
The owners of the winery Seth and Maura have a business full of over 100 years of family history and the winery’s official website states that “The winery’s roots trace back to Seth Meranda’s great-grandfather’s family farm, where Seth initially grew tobacco and grain crops.”
“The winery’s location holds historical significance, as the Ohio Valley was once a prominent grape growing region in the 1800s” the website further explains.
When speaking with Maura she stated that in “92’ he and his brother bought the farm from their grandfather” and that “We were primarily tobacco, transitioned from tobacco to vines in 2003 and then we started with three, five, seven, eleven, fifteen now we are at sixteen acres of vines.”
In the early beginning stages of the winery the vines had to be planted and grown for a while before having a business opening could take place.
It wasn’t until 2007 that the winery officially opened with a tasting room and Maura says when talking about the location and property “We are a little bit of a destination but when you get here it’s relaxing the view.”
All of the wine that is sold at Meranda-Nixon Winery is grown and harvested on the property and Maura states that “So we have all of our wines are grown here on property and we pride our-self on that.”
She further explains how “There are over 400 wineries in the state now so each one has its own niche, each one does their own things you know state grown and we do dinners.”
Harvesting the grapes is one of the main aspects of owning and running a winery and it is a lot of work to be done.
When asked how the harvesting process works at the Meranda-Nixon Winery Maura states that “We used to hand harvest we have a harvester now so it shrattles the vines and it shakes the grapes off.”
Increasing the amount of vines that are grown around every three to four years at a time it adds to the work that comes along with harvesting as well.
During the process of growing grape vines it can take up to three years before a vine really produces grapes well so it involves a waiting time when working with them.
Seth and Maura have a lot of pride in their business and what they do locally in Brown County.
Maura states that “When you are passionate isn’t that true when your’re passionate about something you just kind of take care of it and you do it that’s where we are at.”
The winery’s website also states when talking about the business that “Overall, the Meranda-Nixon Winery seems to combine a rich family history with a commitment to continuing the tradition of agriculture and grape growing in the Ohio Valley. The involvement of multiple family members across generations suggests a deep connection to the land and a dedication to producing quality wines that reflect the region’s heritage.”
A family owned local business that takes pride in their work and has generations of history to it’s land and the area, the Meranda-Nixon Winery.
