Mapleside Farms to Add Winery to Mix of Offerings at this 100-Year-Old Attraction in Brunswick

Since Greg and Kelly Clement purchased Mapleside Farms in 2010, they haven’t stopped updating, improving and adding amenities. For 100 years, the 144-acre property in Brunswick has been the place to go to celebrate all things autumn, but the Clements have a plan to transform the orchard into a year-round destination.

“Me and my wife both grew up in Brunswick, so we’ve been coming to Mapleside since we were kids,” Greg explains. “Here’s this incredibly beautiful piece of land, let’s just take what we know was working and just increase that.”

Since taking over, the owners have greatly expanded the fall festival calendar, adding themed events, live music and hayrides. One of the most successful additions was “Vino the Way," wine tastings that are held in the giant corn maze. Launched a handful of years back, the highly sought after tickets typically sell out for the entire season long before the first sip.

“What we wanted to do was create a really cool experience,” adds Clement. “I’m a big experience guy; I believe that buying stuff is cool but investing in experiences – these are the things we remember.”

Greg says that he and Kelly, both of whom are wine lovers, have long thought about adding a winery aspect to the Brunswick property. The success of Vino the Way encouraged them to get serious about the jump.

“We have the perfect property,” he says. “So many people come to Mapleside, sit on the hill and watch a concert. This feels like Napa Valley.”

Clement points to growing features like height above sea level, soil type, climate, and change of seasons as support of their plans.

“There’s this myth that you can’t grow a great red, or even a great white, wine in Ohio – that it has to be a dessert wine,” he says.

While the owners intend to plant 14 acres of wine grapes on the Brunswick property, the bulk of the viniculture will take place five miles south in Medina County, where the Clements purchased 124 acres. That property, dubbed “Vine, a Mapleside vineyard and venue,” will be reserved for agriculture and events.


The plan is to start putting vines into the ground at both properties this year. The vines will have to get established for a couple years before the Clements can begin crushing the grapes and making wine.

Meanwhile, the apple biz has never been brighter. Clement says that he plans on doubling the number of trees on the property from 3,000 to 6,000 over the next decade. The fruit is purchased by customers in the form of you-pick apples, grab-and-go bags, apple pies, and sticky-crisp caramel apples. Mapleside grows 17 different varieties that begin ripening in mid-September and continue through late-October.

“We go through maybe five to six thousand caramel apples a weekend in the fall,” the owner says. “We keep getting busier and busier every year, so I think that all of the apples that we’re able to produce here, we’re going to be able to sell.”

Clement says that he also plans to revive the once-popular hard cider brand Johnny Juice.

Starting this summer, the stores and cafes that had been open only in the fall will be converted to year-round amenities. A new winery and full-service eatery will join a quick-serve cider house and refreshed bakery. And before long, guests will be able to enjoy a glass of locally produced wine with those majestic sunset views.

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