What a wonderful Saturday afternoon we spent at Hafle Winery!   We had a wine tasting and behind the scenes look at this wine bar and restaurant.  We learned so much during our time here.  Sydney’s husband, Austin, was able to join us on this venture since it was a Saturday.

Dan Hafle is the owner of Hafle Winery.  Dan was such a pleasure to talk with.  He is so knowledgeable about the wine making process and industry.

Dan’s father started Hafle Winery in 1974.  When Dan’s father passed away in 1983, Dan continued to run the winery until 1995.  From 1995-2002 he leased the winery out to others to operate.  From 2002 until 2014 the winery sat vacant.  In 2014 Dan reopened the winery as a wine bar and restaurant.  Springfield, OH is so glad he did!

The barn was built somewhere around 1910 and is well over 100 years old.

The wine bar and wine tasting have been a huge success for Dan.  They have 40 different types of wines open and ready for tasting.  They have wine tasting groups and events that they hold in a large back room.  The day we were there they were having a wine tasting retirement party.  Everyone appeared to be having a great time tasting wines and visiting with each other.  What a really neat idea!

I asked him what their #1 seller is and he said that it is Rodeo Red from Versailles Vineyard.  If pushed for a favorite mine also would be Rodeo Red!  If you like a sweet, red wine then you will definitely want to give this one a try!  Dan says he prefers the dry red wines.

They get wines from Indiana, Missouri, California, Italy, France, Germany, and our own local Versailles Vineyard in Versailles, OH.

Dan said females make up the largest group of wine drinkers for them.  So to accommodate their male guests, they have over 22 different beers on hand.  They have some different German, English, and Mexican beers along with the more traditional types of beer.  So ladies, come on out and bring your guys!  🙂

The first wine we tasted was Traminette.  It is a white wine from Easley Winery in Indiana.  We would describe it as not sweet but not dry.  It was very good.  Definitely one I would get again and I am not traditionally a white wine drinker!

The second wine we tasted was Veneto from Italy.  It was a sparkling moscato.  This was definitely the favorite for Sydney hands down!  She is a sparkling moscato girl all the way.

Blackberry, from St. James Winery in Missouri, was the third wine we tasted.  It was a sweet wine with a very distinct blackberry flavor.  It was really good and ended up being Austin’s favorite.

Our final wine was a Sparkling red moscato from Cupcake.  This one was not as sweet as the previous moscato we tasted.  If you like a less sweet sparkling moscato, then this is the wine for you.  I personally prefer mine a little sweeter.  😉

We learned several things about wine while we were at Hafle Winery.  The reason you swirl a glass of wine is to open the fragrance.  Red wines are served in a wide wine glass because red wines need to breathe.  While white wines are served in more narrow wine glasses.  We also learned that the average alcohol content in wine is 17%.

We also met Dan’s wife, Theresa, who is the head chef for the restaurant portion of Hafle Winery.  She was such a nice woman who told us she is a retired school teacher of 35 years!  They serve various steak, seafood and chicken entrees along with sandwiches, pasta dishes and pizza.  And of course, they have appetizers to start and desserts to finish your meal!

I asked Theresa what a popular dinner choice was for their customers and she said that it really varies, but their sushi grade tuna is a big hit!

During the warmer months you will find guests dining and enjoying their wine on the outdoor patio.  The outdoor patio seats 120 people.  Hafle Winery has a complete outdoor kitchen to add to the dining experience.  There is no real set time that the outdoor patio opens for the year due to the unpredictable weather here in Ohio.  Dan and Theresa said that the April time frame is a good gauge typically.

In the warmer months they put the canopy up to help give shade when enjoying your wine in the outdoor atmosphere!  We will have to come back this summer and check it out!

Dan and Theresa have a son and daughter.  Their son is an EMS ambulance driver and helps out at the winery occasionally.  Their daughter is an artist and helps out several days a week.  Dan shared that their daughter really enjoys making pizzas.

During the Christmas season Hafle Winery has gift baskets available and ready for purchase.  Such a great idea for the wine lovers on your Christmas list!  They also have gift certificates available.  You can always purchase bottles of wine to take with you to parties and gatherings!

We could tell from spending some time with Dan and Theresa that they take pride in their establishment.  Their repeat customers speak volumes about their customer service and friendly atmosphere.

Hafle Winery is located at 2369 Upper Valley Pike, Springfield, OH 45502.  If you are ever in the area stop by and do some wine tasting with Dan.  You definitely will be glad you did!

Have a great day and enjoy a glass of wine!