Nestled in the rolling countryside, on the line separating Miami and Darke counties, near Bradford, is Twenty One Barrels Cidery & Winery.
Opened in 2020 by husband and wife team Danielle and Shaun Pierce, Twenty One Barrels specializes in small-batch, handcrafted hard ciders and wine.
“We purchased a 20-acre farm outside Bradford, Ohio, in Darke County in 2018 to develop it into a cidery and winery,” says Danielle Pierce. “In May 2019 we planted the vineyard, and ground was broken on the tasting room and production building in October 2019. On June 12, 2020, Twenty One Barrels Cidery & Winery opened to the public and in 2021 distribution within Ohio of our wine and hard cider began, as well as our abilities to ship to 38 states.”
The couple says they decided to open their own cidery and winery so that they could share their love of innovation and imagination with the community through their crafted hard cider and wine.
“We wanted the community to taste the apple and grapes’ true purpose and inspire others to step out of their comfort zone and explore the world beyond shelves of mass produced beer, cider and wine,” says Pierce.
There are 2 flagship and 4 seasonal hard ciders on tap at Twenty One Barrels, ranging from dry to sweet. Hard ciders are sold by the glass as you sit on-site and enjoy the views, or in 32oz howlers that you can take to-go.
When it comes to the wine menu at Twenty One Barrels, you’ll find that there are 14 wines currently available from dry to sweet, and they come by glass or bottle.
Twenty One Barrels offers Tasting Flights of wine and hard cider during limited hours, and flight offerings are changed up every couple of months to give customers a unique tasting experience.
Pierce says the most popular hard cider at Twenty One Barrels is the flagship Country Apple, as well as seasonal flavors such as Blueberry, Baked Apple, Blood Orange, and Frosted Cranberry.
The most popular sweet wines are the silver medal, award-winning Roundhouse Red, a sweet blackberry-grape blend; Harris Creek Red, a sweet concord blend; Harris Creek White, a fruity and tropical grape wine; and Two Berries, a sweet blueberry/blackberry/grape blend.
The most popular semi-sweet wines at Twenty One Barrels is the Blushing Berry, a raspberry-grape blend, and Fredonia. Pierce says that the popular dry wine is the silver medal, award-winning Marquette, which is aged lightly on oak and similar to a Pinot Noir.
When you visit Twenty One Barrels, you’ll find that it’s one of only two ciders in the Dayton area that focuses on craft hard ciders. You’ll also find on your visit that they host food trucks and live music on most weekends throughout the spring, summer, and fall.
You can visit Twenty One Barrels at 9717 Horatio-Harris Creek Road in Bradford, along the Darke County Whiskey, Wine and Ale Trail.
To see a list of wine and ciders, special events, music, food trucks, and more, visit https://www.21barrels.com. You can also stay up-to-date by following along on Facebook and Instagram.