Lindberg named to Ohio Wine Hall of Fame
DUBLIN – Cindy Lindberg, a leading figure in the Grand River Valley wine scene, was named to the Ohio Wine Hall of Fame at an industry conference held in Dublin on Monday, Feb. 10, according to an announcement from the Ohio Wine Producers Association.
“I was completely floored, completely caught off-guard,” Lindberg said, adding that she is grateful to the industry for the recognition.
Lindberg grew up on a farm in the Grand River Valley and graduated from Kent State University. She has worked at several positions in the local wine industry. She also assists in marketing efforts for Debonné Vineyards and Cask 307, both also in Madison Township.
Her love for animals is showcased in her partnership with Nina Salerno in developing to opening the dog-themed Ruff Life on the Lake restaurant and gift shop on the Strip at Geneva-on-the-Lake. Ruff Life is a café and dog-boarding business that allows visitors to grab a quick bite, drop off their dog for some pampering and enjoy the resort town knowing their pet is in good hands.
Lindberg is also well known and respected for her support for the Northeast Ohio Autism Group through the biannual release of Austin’ Red and Austin’s Blush.
Every other year, Grand River Cellars has a label contest for the wines. Only students and adults with autism may enter the competition. Winners are invited to a special lunch to present them with a check for $100 and to show them what their artwork looks like on the bottle.
Austin’ Red and Austin’s Blush are two wines from which $1 of every bottle sold is given to the Northeast Ohio Autism Group. The local charity uses the funds for grants that help schools, camps and other facilities that support the needs of autistic children in northeast Ohio.
Lindberg also contributed to the launch of the Grand River Initiative and, with the Grand River Valley Winegrowers, helped bring thousands of visitors to the region and garnered national attention to local viticulture.
She is the force behind the popular annual holiday popup bars at Grand River Cellars and Debonné Vineyards, offering special, Christmas-themed menu items, cocktails and mocktails from late November through mid-January.
Lindberg said she had no idea she’d even been nominated and was so busy making preparations for the 2025 Ice Wine Trail that she hadn’t planned on attending the conference in Dublin – her husband had to tell her the night before that she was being honored and really ought to go.
“We ended up driving to Columbus that afternoon and driving back that night – I had appointments the next day,” she said.
Cindy and her husband Jeff live in Austinburg Township. The couple’s adult daughter Kayla lives in Kentucky, where she was a star college softball player and graduated with an engineering degree.
Lindberg says her biggest single influence leading her to go into winemaking was growing up on a farm in Harpersfield. The hard work there has translated well into her current line of work.
“I work with a wonderful staff who enjoy working here,” she said. “We work hard, but we also have a good time.”
Years ago, Lindberg was working for Tony Debevc, owner of Debonné Vineyards, at the winery’s bar and doing some marketing work. She was working full-time as a school psychologist with Mayfield City Schools and spending her weekends working at Debonné.
“An opportunity came up to purchase what became Grand River Cellars and Tony Debevc, my partner, asked if we wanted to go into a partnership,” she said. As co-owner and operator of the small South Madison winery, Lindberg has also become active in two industry groups that aim to boost wineries and wine tourism in the Grand River Valley.
The Wine Growers of the Grand River Valley is a group of local wineries sharing the same goal, to educate the local wine consumer on the wines that can be produced in the cool climate growing region known as the Grand River Valley – Lindberg helps to plan and coordinate many of the events WGGRV puts on.
Lindberg is also involved with the Grand River Branding Initiative, a private-public partnership begun in 2016 with Lake and Ashtabula counties to develop and promote the area’s wineries, hoping to attract national attention and tourism to the area.
“It’s been going along pretty nicely,” Lindberg said.”
Running a small but popular winery has been fun for Lindberg more than anything else and has earned her a lot of treasured friends over the years.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” Lindberg said. “I’ve met a lot of great customers along the way and people I consider friends. People come to a winery because the want to have fun and people’s mindset is happy when they get here. That’s the best part of the job.”