Surrounded by rolling hills and acres of grapevines sits Pleasant Hill Vineyards, a local, family-owned restaurant and winery. Upon first glance, it looks like a simple farmhouse, but it hosts so much more upon further investigation.
Pleasant Hill Vineyards was opened in 2015 by members of the Corder family. The winery is located at 5015 Pleasant Hill Road in Athens. As the name suggests, the winery has a stunning view to admire, with greenery as far as the eye can see.
Ross and Sandy Corder, two of the owners, bought the property as an old horse farm in 2012 and began renovating it into a winery. Before purchasing the property, the couple gained experience working at Rainbow Hills Winery.
Now Ross and Sandy Corder’s youngest son, Kevin Corder, and his wife, Anna Corder, are both owners and help run the business. Kevin and Anna’s kids even help out wherever they can.
“My daughter will come over on Saturday sometimes and help us run food and bus tables,” said Anna Corder. “It’s very much a family affair.”
The 26 acres of land consist of French hybrid grapevines, the winery, the restaurant and plenty of outdoor seating.
The original building was a small cabin built during the Revolutionary War, which Ross Corder and his son, Nick Corder, have kept intact to create a relaxing environment for their guests to enjoy a nice meal and a glass of wine.
“In the wintertime, when it's blowing snow and cold out there, we have the fire on,” Ross Corder said. “You can sit here and have soup and any type of our wine. That’s the best time to be in here.”
The vineyard grows French hybrid grapes on its property and uses those to make many of its wines. Any grapes that cannot grow in the Southeast Ohio climate are imported from other vineyards.
They offer a unique variety of 10 wines, both red and white with varying levels of sweetness. Their range of wines costs anywhere between $16 and $24 for a bottle. One of their signature flavors is a peach-flavored white wine called the Junebug.
All of the fermentation and bottling of the wine takes place on the property. Wine-making can be a very delicate process that requires close attention to detail.
“Every vintage can be a little different,” Ross Corder said. “More sun, less sun, more rain, less rain – no two wines will be the same.”
To pair with their wines, they offer an assortment of homemade meals and desserts.
“Everything is so good; the butter that is with your bread and cheese we make here with different types of herbs,” said Emma Miller, a senior studying communication who works at Pleasant Hill Vineyard. “Every day is a different type of meal which I think is really cool.”
Along with their regular menu, they have seasonal specials. This winter, they will have soup on Wednesdays, fondue on Fridays and Italian on Saturdays.
Pleasant Hill Vineyard is open Wednesday to Saturday from 4-9 p.m. and has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating to enjoy the view from the third highest point in Athens.
“It’s a pretty time to be here in the fall,” Ross Corder said. “The sunsets are spectacular.”
