Lake Erie Wine Country

In 1818, Deacon Elijah Fay planted the first grape vines of the Lake Erie Wine Country, located in the Lake Erie Concord Grape Belt. Fay�s relatives planted the premier Concord vineyards in Brocton, New York, where the mighty Concord grape thrived. Vineyards were planted along the shore of Lake Erie in both New York and Pennsylvania, attracting the likes of Dr. Charles Welch, who relocated his grape juice operations to Westfield, New York, in 1897. Regional wineries sprung up during the grape bo