Award-winning Westwood winery closes its doors for good after 26 years
WESTWOOD, Ohio (WKRC) - A local, award-winning winery closes for the last time after more than 25 years.
Henke Winery in Westwood has been on Harrison Avenue for more than 20 years. In that time, Joe Henke has made a lot of friends and brought a sense of community to the corner where his winery is.
Henke was one of the first wine makers in Ohio when he opened in 1996, but his was even more unique because it was an urban winery.
"An urban winery means you bring all the grapes in, you crush and de-stem, you ferment and bottle everything at this location," Henke said.
He says his wines were different than what was being produced elsewhere in the state.
"Ohio was noted for so many wines that would be too sweet or not made properly," Henke said. "We took that to the next level and created some wines for everyone to enjoy."
That dedication paid off; the Henke brand was named a top ten urban winery several times.
His wines won multiple awards, but Henke says that's not what was most important.
"The best thing is people. People saying, 'Oh, my gosh, I love your wine,'" Henke said.
But once the pandemic hit, Joe started to realize it was soon time to retire.
"At 70, I decided it's time. We're going to hand it over to some young puppies and let them put their favorite spin on this," Henke said.
Diane and Bobby Mushaben have been enjoying Henke's wines since he corked his first bottle. They wanted to make sure they were there for his last night.
"We're going to miss Joe because he put so much into his product. So much of his heart and soul," Bobby said.
"I think it's just Joe's warmth and his personality and his love for hospitality. I think it's been amazing as we've been here all these years we have grown in friendship with Joe. I think everyone who meets him is a friend," Diane said.
Henke has a simple message for everyone who’s been enjoying his wines over the years.
"Thank you for all your support because without you, I couldn't be here. Westwood has been such a big supporter of Henke Winery and they've done such a wonderful job [of supporting Henke Winery,]” Henke said.
