South Shore Wine Company

Welcome to the South Shore Wine Company

The South Shore Wine Company was originally established by grape growing pioneers William Griffith and Smith S. Hammond over 150 years ago.  The breathtaking stone wine cellar, now home to the newly re-established sister winery of Mazza Vineyards, stands testimony to the beginnings of the now flourishing grape and wine industry in Erie County. 

Located beneath the former South Shore Inn, a popular restaurant and hotel for nearly a century, the underground stone cavern had seen few visitors since Prohibition closed the original winemaking operation in the 1920s.

A ‘must-see’ historical wine cellar…

...and a new generation of handcrafted wines.

At the wine cellar, you will be able to taste a new and unique selection of wines while taking in the grandeur and silent history hidden within the original stone walls, whose architecture was inspired by the wine cellars of France. You can almost hear the echoes of past winemakers as they prepared their samples for the 1867 Paris World’s Fair.  Also in 1867, the South Shore Wine Company hosted a lunch for more than 300 grape growers and guests in the big hall above the wine cellar. This same space, newly restored with care taken to recall past days of glory, is now available as the South Shore Vintage Room for your next special occasion.  Please visit our events page for booking and contact information.

The combination of this beautiful and historical setting, paired with over 35 years of winemaking experience, beckons you to see and taste for yourself what one of the newest and most unique wineries in the Lake Erie wine region has to offer.  The South Shore Wine Company is a member of the Chautauqua-Lake Erie Wine Trail, a 40-mile stretch of Lake Erie coastline that is now home to 21 wineries. The wine cellar is open year-round seven days a week for tastings and tours, and tour buses with reservations are always welcome. Cheers!