Our Story
Hello, my name is Andy Liming. My wife Terri and I own and operate the GR8 Vines Winery in St. Marys Ohio. In April of 2009, Terri and I started dating and a year later decided to marry and join our two families. I brought 3 boys into the mix with Terri’s son and two daughters. This is where the 8, in the GR8 Vines originated, it’s a reflection of our family.
Terri and I enjoy several hobbies together and spend as much time as possible on our motorcycle or up at Lake Erie. On one of our motorcycle trips to Lake Erie in 2013, we decided to stop by a local winery, Fireland’s which is located in Sandusky, OH.
We didn’t know what to expect but wanted to try something different. Once we were inside we were welcomed and guided through our first tasting. Needless to say we were “hooked”. Any time we were at the lake we visited Fireland’s Winery and would buy a few bottles. From there we started taking trips just to visit different wineries. One of the many things we enjoyed were the differences in the wineries, but the fact that the people were always very friendly and helpful.
In the fall of 2013, we decided to buy a home winemaking kit just to see what our end result would be. Our first batch was just a little strong to say the least. At that time we knew nothing about checking the alcohol level and just let it ferment until it stopped. That first batch could have been moonshine it was so strong. We have learned a tremendous amount since making that first batch, and now offer many different styles of wine, all made with fresh fruits.
Our winery is veteran owned and operated. I served in the United States Marine Corps and take extreme pride in always being a Marine. Terri saw how much serving in the Marine Corps meant to me, so she decided that all the names of our wines would reflect a slogan, name, rank, or saying that is used in the USMC. We support all branches and ask that if you are a veteran that you please let one of our staff know. Thank you for your service!
We thank all of our family and friends for your support and assistance. We have enjoyed the journey and could not have done it with anyone else!