Scott and I headed to Port Clinton this past Saturday and had lunch at Gideon Owen Wine Company. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, you might know it as the former Mon Ami Winery. Same location, but now with a fresh name and a mix of old and new.

We sat outside on the patio, which was perfect with the warm weather. We started with the walleye bites—big pieces, fried just right. Then we both had the onion soup, which came out piping hot and full of flavor. I’ve never had onion soup topped with crispy onions before, so that was new. We totally forgot to take a picture of it—probably a good sign.

For lunch, I had the Caprese Chicken Sandwich: grilled chicken, tomato, mozzarella, fresh basil, pesto aioli, and balsamic glaze. Simple and really good. Scott went with the Shaved Ribeye Sandwich, served on a baguette with sautéed onions, mushrooms (which he skipped), and provolone. Both came with skinny fries that almost tasted like the salt had been fried right into the surface. Different, but good.

And then there was dessert. I ordered my favorite—German Chocolate Cake—while Scott went for the vanilla bean ice cream with their house-made caramel sauce. My only complaint? The cake was really cold. Still good, but definitely straight from the fridge.

Besides the patio area they also have these really neat glasshouses you can rent for small parties. They're heated so would be really neat in the wintertime. (Of course we forgot to get a photo of those.) They rent for around $50 during the week to $275 on the weekends depending how big of one you want. Max capacity is 24 people. Rental period is October 1-November 15th and then December 31st to Mid-May.

If you haven’t been to this spot in a while, it’s worth knowing the history runs deep. Originally founded in 1872 as the Catawba Island Wine Company, the site was built by a group of local farmers and grape growers. The original winery included the tirage, ballroom, loft, and four underground wine cellar vaults. It operated until the early 1900s before going bankrupt and sitting vacant for years.

In the 1920s, the building took a few creative turns—first as a putt-putt golf course and then as a tearoom. In 1937, the Mon Ami Champagne Company brought winemaking back to the space. A fire in 1943 led to a rebuild and the addition of a restaurant. From there, the Mantey family carried on wine production for decades.

The winery changed hands again in 1980 when Paramount Distilleries took over, shifting the focus to dining and entertainment. By the early 2000s, it was best known for its sweet wines and live music.

In 2019, Quintin and Donna Smith purchased the property with a mission to bring winemaking back to Catawba Island. They renamed it Gideon Owen Wine Company in 2020—honoring one of the island’s original grape growers—and restarted on-site wine production in 2022.

If you’re heading to the lake and want good food with a little Ohio history, it’s a great stop.

~Written by Wendy Anderson