Lexington to Madison, Ohio, is about 375 miles by I-75 and I-71. Book three nights at our Lake Erie winery inn: eight adults-only rooms 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
Jessamine County, south of Lexington, holds the site of the First Vineyard, planted in 1799 by John James Dufour and recognized as the first commercial vineyard in the United States; a May freeze in 1809 ended it. Grapes grow in northeast Ohio because Lake Erie lengthens the season: vineyards in the Grand River Valley, an appellation since 1983, ripen later into the fall than those further inland. At Vincent William that means Riesling and Rosé from Lake Erie fruit, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Grand River Valley fruit, and an estate Cabernet Franc from one acre beside the inn, planted in 2020.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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
Leave Lexington by 10 a.m. to reach Madison soon after the 4 p.m. check-in, allowing for a stop in northern Kentucky. Arrive on a Thursday and stay three nights. On Sunday, check out at 11 and go down to brunch, which runs 11 to 2, before the drive home.
Big Bone Lick, off I-75
Big Bone Lick State Historic Site in Union, Kentucky, is a short detour west of I-75 before the Ohio River. Its salt springs drew Ice Age mammoths and mastodons, and their bones made the site known to early American naturalists. The museum and visitor center are free and open daily 8:30 to 4 from mid-March to mid-November, and Monday to Saturday 9 to 3 in winter; the grounds stay open until dark. The Brent Spence Bridge into Cincinnati carries no toll.
Thursday dinner after I-75 and I-71
A 10 a.m. departure from Lexington gets you to the inn a little after 4 p.m., when rooms open. Before dinner, take a glass from the wine bar and compare the estate Cabernet Franc with the Riesling made from Lake Erie grapes. From May to November 1, weather permitting, inn guests can also use the heated pool and hot tub. Thursday dinner runs until 9; food and drinks are charged separately from the room.
Friday: see the lake effect, then taste it
After breakfast, cooked to order from 8:30 to 10 with coffee and fresh juice included, drive five minutes east to Arcola Creek Park on Dock Road. The short Wickert Trail leads past one of Ohio’s last natural estuaries to a Lake Erie beach, where you can see the body of water that keeps frost off the valley’s vines into the fall. In the afternoon, go to Laurello Vineyards on Route 307 in Geneva, started in 2002 by Larry and Kim Laurello, whose Old World-style blends are poured as four-wine flights. Before dinner, walk the estate vineyard beside the inn.
Suite 206 for an anniversary
If the trip marks an anniversary, Suite 206 has a king bed and an in-room Jacuzzi, and like all eight rooms its bath is private. It is on an upper floor; the inn has no elevator, so anyone who would rather skip the stairs should book Suite 101 on the first floor instead.
Look at Suite 206, read how the estate vineyard was planted, and make a dinner reservation for your anniversary night.
The drive
Getting here
I-75 north to where I-71 joins it near Walton, over the Brent Spence Bridge into Cincinnati, then I-71 north to I-271 and I-90 east to the Route 528 exit. About 375 miles, no tolls, all on Eastern time.
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
Where do the Vincent William wines come from?
The wine is made in Madison. The estate Cabernet Franc grows on one acre beside the inn, is hand-picked and spends 12 months in French oak; the 2022 took Double Gold at the 2025 Ohio Wine Competition. Riesling and Rosé start with Lake Erie grapes, and Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with Grand River Valley fruit.
Is there a minimum stay?
Only in summer, when bookings need two nights. The rest of the year a single night is possible on open dates, though from Lexington the drive of about five and a half hours each way makes three nights the better plan. Whatever the length, check-in starts at 4 p.m. and check-out is at 11 a.m.
Is there fishing near the inn?
Yes. The Grand River runs steelhead from October to May; the Ohio Division of Wildlife stocks it each year, and it has more than 50 miles of fishable water up to Harpersfield. Walleye charters run on Lake Erie in season. Kentucky residents need an Ohio non-resident fishing license.
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