First Winery Built in 1940
Albert and Theresa built the original winery just west of their home. The winery consisted of a basement and small ground-level floor.
Winery Addition in 1978
Allan made several improvements and oversaw the expansion of the winery to four times its original size.
Present Day
Lee took over the family business in 1985 when he returned from college. Then met Nancy and by 2002, another family of Klingshirns starting operating the winery.
In the early 1930s, a large surplus grape crop prompted first-generation, Albert R. Klingshirn, to begin producing wine commercially in twenty 50-gallon wooden barrels in the cellar of his home. Five years later, Albert built a small winery consisting of two levels. The basement housed the fermentation tanks and two-hundred 50-gallon wooden barrels. The small ground level room served as a bottling, storage and retail sales room. The wine press was stored on a nearby farm.
Albert's son, Allan, purchased the farm and winery in 1955 and began expanding the product line. As the business grew, small barrels were replaced by larger wooden casks and stainless-steel tanks. In 1978, the winery was expanded to four times its original size. The building was now large enough to contain all the production facilities and a retail sales room.
Allan's youngest son, Lee, graduated from Ohio State University in 1986 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Viticulture and Enology. Lee, the third-generation operator, is now the primary winemaker and works with his family to continue the tradition. Each man has contributed to the winery in distinct ways and has helped to create the business that is Klingshirn Winery today.
