Signature Wines

Had my baby shower here in April 2015 and it was perfect. Kelly was wonderful to work with and the wine was deelish. She also did a specially made wine label for me which is a great perk.
I will be back when I can drink a bit more!

Just wrapped up a wine tasting and tour with Kelly Hayne at signature wine and had an awesome time. It is amazing to me the love and care put in this process, not to mention the sweat and tears. She goes so above and beyond to ensure world class wine and all in Columbus, Ohio. In a world of so many cutting corners and making a quick buck, this definitely stands out as a shining example of people still out there that do all the right things, even against the norms. I am thoroughly impressed and in awe of her strength and passion, not to mention the highest level of class and integrity. Would highly recommend for any special event !

Had a great time at our private wine tasting this weekend – learned a lot and tasted some great wine!

We came as a group of ten 23 yr old girls. The outside was a little skeptical but we had the most fabulous time! Kelly, the owner and wine maker, was so fun and nice. The tour was very interesting and the wine was delicious. I definitely recommend visiting Signature Wines.

The wife and I dropped into Signature Wines for a wine pairing/​farm to table event hosted by MKM Farms. The event was absolutely wonderful, but I’ll try to confine this review to just the winery itself.
Signature Wines is not one of these new «pop up» urban wineries located in a trendy old town shopping area where you can just pop in, plop down and drink wine. No, when you visit Signature Wines, you realize that the location is functional — entirely devoted to Kelly’s hobby, turned business, of making wine. While Signature Wines does not grow their own grapes/​use many Ohio grapes, Kelly at least starts out her process with actual grapes (not juice bought from a distributor or a kit). This fact alone separates Signature Wines from many of the new urban wineries.
The wines Kelly produces are all very solid. Out of our tasting of five, there wasn’t a bad one in the batch. Each was truly unique and very well-​crafted. You just have to admire the artistry!
While the wines are all very solid and worthy of purchasing in their own label, Signature Wines specializes in private labels. From one bottle, to dozens, they’ll be happy to slap on your own customized label to the wine for your special event. Trust me, the wine is quite worthy of a special event (I’ve been to other wineries offering private labels where you may enjoy looking at your custom label, but you would be embarrassed to have others drink what’s in the bottle). Kelly also showed us some of her new etched and hand-​painted bottles (also customized to your specs) — very cool!
We greatly enjoyed our adventure at Signature Wines and we’ll definitely be back for some private labels for our special occasions.

The best, most honest wine I’ve found yet in Columbus. Kelly is someone that is expressing her love of wine in a practical way with improving results. Per the website its a hobby out of control, which is a great thing.
The wine they have for sale right now is quite good and I suspect what is in the tank will keep getting better and better. The port is excellent, deep and yummy without being overly sweet. The Merlot and Cab are both solid, even though they are some of her first efforts.
This place is a bit tough to find and they are only open by appointment or for special events. Its in a older business park in SE Columbus. That said the enthusiasm for the wine comes through,

Did you know that there are 150 licensed wineries in Ohio (according to the Ohio Grape Industries Committee)? Not all of them are made equally, though. One that stands out is Signature Wines and owner/​winemaker Kelly Harvey.
Signature Wines is a boutique urban micro-​winery that makes premium wine from California Grapes. (With the exception of the Port, which was made with Ohio grapes). Harvey began her wine making career at home. As a biologist, wine making married her love for science and vino. In 2004, Harvey decided to go commercial, and established Signature Wines in East Columbus.
Signature Wines sells six varietals:
* Cabernet
* Merlot
* Chardonnay
* Zinfandel Blush
* Rosé
* Port
Harvey gets the shipment from California in October and begins the «harvest.» I was lucky enough to get to see all the equipment used in the grape crush and press, as well as the lab where she tests the acid levels and «brix.» For those that don’t know, brix is a measurement of the amount of sugar in a liquid. The sugar converts to alcohol during fermentation. As brix numbers decrease, the amount of alcohol in the liquid increases. Fun stuff!
Anyway, Harvey’s wines go all the way through the traditional wine making process. Her Chardonnay, however, comes from juice and not grapes. That’s only because white wines don’t benefit from being fermented with the skins and seeds (they don’t need the color or the tannins).
Once her grapes make their way through the crush, press and fermentation, they age for at least two years in stainless steel or oak. She’s got about 5,000 gallons aging right now!
I had the opportunity to taste the Chardonnay, Cabernet and Port. The Chardonnay and Port were the standouts.
The Chardonnay was made in more of a French style, as it was aged in stainless steel and not oak. An off-​dry, fruity wine with accents of ripe melon, luscious pear, and sweet honeysuckle, the Chardonnay would be a great sipping wine in the summer months.
The Port was divine! The first whiff knocked me off my feet — there were layers of caramel, nuts and chocolate. Almost like a chocolate brownie. Yum. It was full bodied and brandy-​like; definitely a perfect desert wine. It was so good that I bought a bottle.
Signature Wines is also well known for their custom labels. Harvey believes that wine should be fun (and I agree) so she gives her customers the opportunity to customize labels for weddings, holidays, corporate gifts and other occasions. Soon, she hopes that customers can design labels on her website.
Finally, in the spirit of fun, Signature Wines has hosted many fun wine events and festivals. Last year, they partnered with a couple of other local businesses (taco trucks and bakeries) to throw a Sangria festival. Complete with red chili pepper decorations, tacos, sangria cupcakes, live latin music and a piñata, 180 people attended. I plan to check it out this year.
For those of you who are passionate about supporting local businesses, check out Signature Wines. I believe in Ohio as a wine state, despite (unfortunately) some of the crap being produced here. Kelly Harvey is one of the wine makers in Ohio who are making really good wine and having fun with it too.

Columbus’ woman-​owned-​and-​made Signature Wines’ Chardonnay — which has a nice lack-​of-​oaky flavor — and Port — with which you should consume as much chocolate as you can get your hands on — are quite tasty. Get them to design and print you a custom label and give one as a gift. (To yourself.)

Lovely people and wines to match!

I’ll admit, I’m not an expert when it comes to wine, but I do drink it quite often. So believe me when I say the wine created by Signature Wines is like no other in the area. All 6 of their wines have very unique and robust flavors, and they are all delicious in their own way.
I have been fortunate enough to try all six of their wines (Port, Rose’, Chardonnay, Zinfandel Blush, Cabernet and Merlot) on several occasions, and they have been delightful each and every time. My three favorites are the Port, Rose’ and the Zinfandel Blush. Not only is the Rose’ a sweet, spicy and scrumptios wine, you can use it to create yummy sangria that is insanely good, and makes a great summer refreshment.
All of the Signature Wines are made right here in Columbus, which is rare, and with grapes that are shipped in from the Napa Valley. But what makes the wine even more distinctive, the labels on the wine bottles can be personalized with any message, logo, picture, etc. that you like. It makes a great gift for anniversaries, birthdays, weddings, showers, client appreciation gifts — you name it! Better yet, the personalized labels are included in the price of the wine, and Signature Wines will even create the labels for you.
If you have the opportunity to tour the winery (The owner is always up for giving personal tours and tastings, too) or to taste any of the wines created by Signature Wines, definitely do so as you will not be disappointed! :o)