Winter wonderland at Vincent William Wine and inn, Northeast Ohio’s newest lakefront retreat
MADISON, Ohio – Forget summer and 75 degrees. Lake Erie is also a wonder in the winter.
Vincent William Wine -- an inn with a restaurant, winery and eight overnight rooms -- was an immediate sensation when it opened a year ago. The lakefront back patio was a magnet on many summer evenings.
During the winter, the vibe is considerably more serene. The tables on the patio were stacked with snow during my visit last week; the north-facing windows offered a mesmerizing view of ice chunks bobbing in the water.
There are far too few places to dine and spend the night along the lake shore in northern Ohio. The region gained a gorgeous new one in 2024.
The story of how it came to be is almost as interesting as the space, inside a massive house that was halted mid-construction more than two decades ago.
Michael Profeta, an engineer who owns his own health-care business, was dropping off a friend nearby a decade ago and happened upon the property, which was for sale.
Within hours, he and his wife had purchased it.
“Now mind you, we weren’t shopping,” said Profeta, who grew up in Cleveland’s Collinwood neighborhood and lives in Willoughby Hills. “I’m not looking for a house. I’m not looking for a project.”
And yet that’s exactly what he got.
When he bought the house in 2015 (for $1.15 million, according to Lake County records), he wasn’t sure what to do with the massive property.
The exterior was largely complete, but the interior was unfinished.
“Wires were hanging out, there was no flooring, no paint, no light fixtures, no switches, no running water,” Profeta said. “There was not one working toilet.”
The house was built in 2000 for Randall Tonelli, a local contractor. A story published in the Plain Dealer in May 2000, while the house was under construction, described it this way:
“Its garage is larger than most neighbors’ homes. Its slate roof costs more than most houses on the street. And it has matching laundry rooms - upstairs and down. The big house is a 13,000-square-foot mansion of quarried stone and cedar siding, rising up over Lake Erie. All it lacks now is a fitting name.”
A snow-covered Vincent William Wine in mid-January. The winery and inn opened in Lake County in 2024.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com
Front entryway at Vincent William Wine, a winery, restaurant and inn in eastern Lake County.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com
All overnight rooms at Vincent William Wine feature views of Lake Erie.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com
It’s unclear why the home was never finished (a local official this week said it would be inappropriate to speculate). A group of investors bought the property in 2007, but they didn’t finish it either.
Profeta stepped in eight years later, though it would take him another seven to figure out exactly what to do with it.
In addition to the big house, he acquired a small house next door, which he fixed up first and stayed in while he considered his options.
“A lot of ideas came to me from that house,” said Profeta, 66. At the same time, he started to enjoy the many nearby wineries in eastern Lake and western Ashtabula counties.
Profeta, who had been a hobbyist winemaker for 20 years, decided to give commercial winemaking a go.
He planted about an acre of cabernet franc grapes in the front yard, which he turned into wine in 2021.
Currently, he’s up to 10 varietals, including zinfandel, chenin blanc, chardonnay, moscato, riesling, rose and a crisp Italian white called vermentino. In addition to his own fruit, Profeta uses a mixture of juices and fruit from northeast Ohio, northwest Pennsylvania and northern California.
The winery and restaurant opened in February 2024, with the overnight rooms added about six months later.
Profeta said his wife, Katy, didn’t want a big kitchen. He, on the other hand, “wanted really good food.” He joked, “That’s the difference between Italians and Irish.”
The establishment’s name, by the way, is a combination of his father’s name (Vincent Profeta) and his father-in-law (William Carney).
The restaurant, spread across several first-floor rooms, includes a variety of shareable, casual fare (flatbreads, charcuterie, baked brie) along with full meals (seared scallops, rack of lamb, 16-ounce ribeye).
My husband said his New England-style clam chowder was the best he’d ever tasted.
The house’s massive garage was converted into a wine bar. There’s a speakeasy in the basement.
A small pool and hot tub on the rear deck, overlooking the lake, are available to overnight guests. A spa is expected to open later this winter.
“It took a while, but the end product is really nice,” said Vince Profeta, Mike’s son, and a partner on the project.
The inn features eight overnight rooms, six on the second floor and two on the first. Another two suites are available in the adjacent house, rentable through Airbnb.com.
All inn rooms have lake views. The most spectacular – at least in warmer months – is room 205, which features a private balcony with a 180-degree view of Lake Erie.
“You can see the sunrise and the sunset here,” said innkeeper Tracy Savage. “It’s a special place.”
Indeed, the property has a long history in the hospitality industry. It’s the former site of the Cottage Grove Inn, a summer lakefront resort that operated from 1914 until 1962, when it was torn down.
Photos of the former inn adorn the hallway on the second floor.
The property includes a small beach, although there’s a larger stretch of sand next door, at Madison Township Park, which also includes a small boat dock.
It’s a short drive to Geneva State Park, with one of Lake Erie’s largest beaches, as well as ziplining, kayak rentals and numerous hiking trails.
Vincent William also offers guests a list of dozens of nearby wineries to explore.
“I want to promote the region,” said Profeta. “I want to bring more people to the area.”
Columbus residents Julie and Paul Melargno, dining at Vincent William last weekend, own a vacation house nearby and recalled walking by and wondering what was happening inside the long-vacant big house by the lake.
“We were hoping it would be someplace fun,” she said.
Indeed, they got what they hoped for. We all did.
Back yard of Lake County's Vincent William Wine during warmer days.Courtesy Vincent William Wine
One of several dining areas at Vincent William Wine in Lake County.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com
If you go: Vincent William Wine
Where: 1300 Belleair Ave., Madison Township, in far eastern Lake County, about 45 miles east of downtown Cleveland.
How much: Overnight rates at the adults-only inn start at $309, which includes a full breakfast.
When: The restaurant and winery are open Wednesday through Sunday; the inn is available for overnight stays on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays during the winter, with expanded days starting in March.
More information: vincentwilliamwine.com