D & D Smith Winery

From Cincinnati and on vacation for a couple of days in Huron! We wanted to go to one more winery before we headed home. My Mr did some research on some dog friendly places and he found D & D Smith Winery. Mixed reviews but we had a feeling that it was laid back so we took a chance. He called before we headed out ( he had a couple of questions) and the owner Danielle answered and was very down to earth. We got there and the patio was shaded with picnic tables. I was very impressed with the selections of wine they had to offer. Many drys and some sweets. So we decided to get a flight:6 for $5.00$1.00 each for additional tastings Pinot GrigioSauvignon Blanc Riesling Cabernet Sauvignon MerlotSangiovese Crooked House (red blend)Cabernet FrancPort Blue (port wine made from blueberries)My fave was the Cab Franc and Sauvignon that I had to get two bottles to take home. $14.00 a bottle.We didn't want to leave just yet so we decided to get a glass a piece for $5.00. I got the Sangiovese and my Mr got the Crooked House red blend. We thought about it and got another bottle to take home of the Port Blue as a dessert wine. All were so good! Besides wine this place has a lot to offer. They serve Appetizers, Meals, Soups, Pizza, Salads, Desserts, Beer, Mixed Drinks, Hard Coder, Non Alcohol Beverages (coke, sprite, Diet Coke, water, hot chocolate, tea and sparkling grape juice.The experience was great and I am so glad that we payed them a visit. I left happy and wine to take home back to Cincy.

I struggled with this rating. People were nice, wine was just ok. Chose the moscato but it had a funky after taste to me. Just couldn't get past it. I did have a taste of the watermelon wine. It does indeed taste like a jolly rancher. I thought that wine was delicious. But I am a sweet wine kinda person. Food smelled good and people were ordering it. We just weren't interested at the time. Next time I'll try food. Place was steady crowded and people were having a good time. So something needs to be said about that. I'd go back and try other wine and food. It's worth a 2nd chance. I just won't get the moscato.

Stopped here on a weekend trip and glad we did. The winery is in a small house but feels very open. Loved the atmosphere, not too crowded, and the wine was pretty good.This is definitely an underrated winery. Everyone should stop here.

Surprised to see a total beer geek reviewing another winery? What can I say, a geek can't live on brew alone, plus I wanted to go for my lady as well, and the place is dog-friendly so our pup could come too. Glad we went too because we were rather impressed with everything; the atmosphere, the service, and most importantly the wines.The place itself is a bit small but cozy with a good amount of indoor and outdoor seating. Since we had our dog, we sat outside on their patio. It was nice and cool since it had a roof overhead. I walked inside to get a menu to check out what all they offered. They had lots of options, and not just wine! They have loads of food options, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages too. The employee I spoke to, Danielle, was very friendly and told me about it all. After conferring with my lady, we opted for a wine tasting, choosing six wines for $5, and $1 for any additional. We chose 8 total; pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, riesling, sangiovese, cabernet franc, Crooked House red blend, and cabernet sauvignon. The whites were pretty good, though we thought the pinot grigio was a bit sweet. The reds were all really good, especially the cab franc, Crooked Red, and cab sauv. Afterwards, we opted for a glass of sangiovese and Crooked Red, and a taste of the Blue (port wine made with blueberries, $2). We were both super impressed by the Blue. Before we left, we scored a few bottles; one cab franc ($14), one cab sauv ($14), and one Blue ($18).This was definitely a good stop and wines are well worth it. Plus all three of us felt really relaxed there because the atmosphere was so nice. I'd absolutely recommend this for a wine destination.

Our second winery of the day was D & D Smith Winery in Norwalk. On arrival, my best friend and I noticed that the winery pleasingly looked like an old farm house, which is always a good sign when it comes to family wineries. However on entering the establishment, we appeared to have the place to ourselves, with nary a customer or staff member in sight. With no signage to point us in the correct direction, we wandered about until we happened upon what looked like an order counter, staffed by two friendly but harried ladies who seemed to be frantically prepping for a party. The two staff happily answered any question we asked, but offered not a single word more, perhaps in fear that engaging us in conversation would distract them from their party prep.After receiving a flight of six wine samples, we proceeded to the dining room for our tastings. While I would like to say that we enjoyed the rustic ambiance of the tasting room, the giant sheet of Visqueen along the wall really detracted from the atmosphere. It would have been a different story if the staff had said "pardon our appearance while we are remodeling" or "do not mind our dust while we repair the damage caused by a raucous Klingon wedding" or "please ignore the plastic sheets as we are going to be butchering a hog later, and do not want to get blood on the walls," but they never said a word about it (or pretty much anything else).Picking a table as far as possible from the oppressive, ugly sheet of plastic, we proceeded with our wine samples. Both my best friend and I really liked how the glasses were placed over the wine's name on the tray (see photo). What an ingenious way to help people remember exactly which wine sample is which! We also noted the generous sample sizes, especially in relation to the very reasonable cost. Unfortunately the wines themselves were ... ok. Nothing bad per se, just average. That said, the fruit wines tended to be better than the grape wines.Although we liked the generous serving sizes, reasonable prices, and excellent wine trays, they could not make up for the ambivalent staff and sketchy atmosphere, to say nothing of the perfectly average wines. I really wanted to like D & D Smith Winery, but I can drink inexpensive, average tasting wines in a questionable atmosphere any day of the week by going to Kroger, and skip the 60 mile one-way drive to Norwalk. As such I rate D & D Smith Winery as being OK, and might or might not come back.

It was Very We!coming! Prices were great and wine was good. Friendly atmosphere and bought something to eat and tasted great. The owner seemed happy to know customer happy which is also so important. Met a beautiful lady named Ilene who really was a sweet person also!

Great local Norwalk winery and a fun little atmosphere for a small town wine joint. Really happy we could drop in :)

The wine is not good but it's not bad. They offer food, the employees are helpful, you get 6 shot glasses of wine for $5. The Four Locals blend was like drinking turpentine. The cranberry, Cabernet franc weren't too bad. They're adding on the back with an overhang porch, and picnic tables. We bought Crooked House blend, it seemed interesting enough to try again.

It was difficult to enter the establishment because the owner parked their vehicle directly in front of the entrance to the sidewalk. In the middle of ordering at the counter, the owner took a personal phone call that lasted some minutes. The bread and cheese trays were lovely, as were the wines, but the dining area is poorly lit and the tv was not playing any game. Christmas decor competed with fall decor. Needs an owner with a eye for detail and customer service.

Great wine as always. I really enjoy their Merlot. I also like the hillbilly tea and many others. Always an enjoyable stop.