Kitchener sits on Ontario's Grand River. Four hours south, Madison, Ohio sits in the Grand River Valley: eight adults-only rooms on Lake Erie and estate wine.
Vincent William is an adults-only inn with eight rooms above our restaurant and wine bar, in a stone and slate mansion that opened to guests in 2024, with Lake Erie beyond the north windows. Estate Cabernet Franc is grown, pressed and poured on the property; the 2022 vintage received Double Gold at the 2025 Ohio Wine Competition. Read our story.
Worth the drive
Why stay with us
Kitchener is built along Ontario's Grand River, which runs south to Lake Erie at Port Maitland. Ohio has a Grand River too. It runs to Lake Erie at Fairport Harbor, and the wine region around it, the Grand River Valley AVA, covers land within two miles of the river in Ashtabula, Lake and Geauga counties. Vincent William is in Madison, inside that area. Wineries on the site's own guides include Ferrante, Debonne, Laurello and Grand River Cellars, and the Harpersfield Covered Bridge crosses the Ohio river a few miles from the inn. At the inn, the estate Cabernet Franc grows on one acre beside it, and eight adults-only rooms sit over the restaurant.
On the estate
What’s waiting when you arrive
Your room, dinner and the wine bar share one estate on Lake Erie.
Stay
Eight rooms, adults only
Every room has a private bath and one king or queen bed. Choose a private rooftop patio, an in-room Jacuzzi or a room with a separate living area. Standard breakfast is cooked to order and included each morning.
See the rooms ›
Menu
A table at the inn
Chef Jeff Gable’s kitchen buys in season from West Orchards, Bonner Farms and Rainbow Farms. Join us Wednesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner; the wine bar serves the full kitchen menu, wine and cocktails.
See the menus ›
The estate
Lake Erie, right outside
Walk the estate’s private shoreline or spend an afternoon above the lake. The pool and shared outdoor hot tub are for registered guests, May to November 1, weather permitting. Ask about arranging a massage when you book.
Explore the inn ›
The inn
Find the room you want to come back to
A private patio, an in-room Jacuzzi, a separate living room or a queen bed by the water. Compare the room details, then check current rates and availability.
A stay worth planning around
Four hours plus the crossing makes three nights the sensible length. Leave Kitchener by 10:30 a.m. for the 4 p.m. check-in, and choose a Wednesday to Saturday arrival so dinner is served that night. In summer the two-night minimum applies; in other seasons, one-night stays are possible but hard to justify from this distance.
Wine on Route 5 in Pennsylvania
Mazza Vineyards, at 11815 East Lake Road (Route 5) in North East, Pennsylvania, has poured wine since 1972, when brothers Robert and Frank Mazza opened it. The tasting room offers glasses, tastings and flights and is open daily, with hours that change by season. North East is a few minutes off I-90 and about an hour and a half from Madison. On the way home, the Peace Bridge toll is collected Canada-bound, and the Thruway bills by E-ZPass or by mail.
Four hours down, then a long soak
Leaving Kitchener at 10:30 puts you at the door around 4 p.m., when check-in opens. The stairs are the only way up, since the inn has no elevator. Every room has a private bath, and Suite 206 adds a Jacuzzi. Come down to the wine bar at 6 for a glass of the Grand River Valley Chardonnay, then order dinner from Executive Chef Jeff Gable’s kitchen. Meals and drinks go on a separate bill from the room.
A day along Ohio’s Grand River
Breakfast runs 8:30 to 10, cooked to order from a standard menu with coffee and juice included. At 10, drive to the Harpersfield Covered Bridge and walk its pedestrian walkway over the river; the park around it opens at dawn. From there it is a few minutes on Route 307 to Harpersfield Vineyard, which keeps weekend-focused hours (check before you go) and has a large wood-burning fireplace inside for cold days. Arrange a GoGeneva ride if both of you are tasting. Be back at the inn by 4 for the pool before dinner.
Suite 206 after four hours and a border
Suite 206 has a king bed and a Jacuzzi in the room, which is the reason to book it after a drive this long. It is upstairs, and the inn has no elevator. On a three-night stay, carry up only what you need and leave the rest in the car. Check-out on the last day is at 11 a.m.
Look at Suite 206, read the Grand River Valley wine trail guide for more tasting rooms along the river, and reserve dinner for your first evening in Madison.
The drive
Getting here
Highway 8 to the 401, Highway 6 south to Hamilton, the QEW to Fort Erie and the Peace Bridge, then I-190 and I-90 west through New York and Pennsylvania to exit 212 in Madison: 259 miles (about 417 km). The bridge is free US-bound, the Thruway past Buffalo tolls electronically, and the time zone is the same.
Set your destination to 1300 Belleair Avenue, Madison, Ohio. Check current navigation before leaving and allow for traffic and stops. Once here, your room, the restaurant and the wine bar are on the same property.
Good to know
Common questions
What ID do we need to drive from Kitchener into the US?
Canadian citizens 16 and older need a valid passport, a NEXUS card, or an enhanced driver's licence to enter the US by land. Ontario stopped issuing enhanced licences in 2019; one still valid can be used until it expires. Permanent residents of Canada should check CBP's separate requirements before the trip.
Is the pool open if we come in October?
Yes, until November 1. The pool, heated to 80 degrees, and the hot tub run from May to November 1 for inn guests, weather permitting, so a cold or stormy day can close them. A fall stay from Kitchener also avoids the summer two-night minimum, though the drive makes two or three nights sensible anyway.
Is the Grand River in Ohio the same kind of river we have in Kitchener?
It is a different river with the same name. Ohio's Grand River is about 103 miles long, flows north into Lake Erie at Fairport Harbor, and has been a state wild and scenic river since 1974. The Grand River Valley wine region follows it, and the 228-foot Harpersfield Covered Bridge crosses it near Geneva.
Vincent William
1300 Belleair Ave.
Madison, OH 44057
(440) 428-1300
Opening Hours
Wednesday
12 to 9 pm
Thursday
12 to 9 pm
Friday
12 to 9 pm
Saturday
12 to 9 pm
Sunday
11 to 8 pm · Brunch to 2
© 2026 Vincent William Wine
Madison, Ohio · Lake Erie