Like all good wines, Courtyard Winery is a marriage with a good story, too.
Randy Graham was first introduced to grape growing through his great grandparents who packed baskets of fresh-picked grapes and sent them to New York City by railcar from North East, Pennsylvania. Laura Graham's grandparents were also fruit farmers who settled in the Bay Area of California.
Randy and Laura met in California where they fell in love with the pursuit of good wine, and one another. They moved to the south shore of Lake Erie to pursue their love of growing grapes and fruits. In 2007 after years of growing and selling grapes and making wine at home, they decided to add a winery to their 125 acre vineyard farming operation. Winemaking is a long process, as great wines truly start with attention to every detail in the vineyard. Courtyard Winery’s first wines were released in July of 2010.
Wine Time at the Colony introduced Courtyard Winery in the 2013 Wine Tasting Festival season and (to carry this tired pun a little further) it's been another happy relationship between Wine Time customers and Courtyard ever since.
A dry wine Courtyard will bring to Wine Time is the Gold-Medal Winning Chardonel. This is a new grape variety developed by Cornell University. It is heavily influenced by Chardonnay. The result is a dry, crystal clear white wine that starts with a nose that is fresh and crisp. The un-oaked natural acidity carries the upfront fruit to a mid-palate hint of apricot-infused tangerine that washes the tongue and leaves a clean, smooth finish in the wake.
