Some people thought Eddie and Beth McDonald were crazy for opening a winery in “beer country,” but Eddie McDonald said such detractors underestimated the significance of wine in Ohio.

“Ohio has the longest wine history of any state, and Cincinnati has the longest of any city,” he said. “Cincinnati was making wine before California even became a state. Ohio produces 300 varieties of wine. California grows seven. It’s where (Cincinnati’s) Vine Street got its name.”

The Hanover Winery produces more than 20 types of wine: whites and reds ranging from dry to sweet. The entire winemaking process — the growing, fermenting and bottling — takes place entirely on the premises. They even have a few bottles inspired by their pets (Sweet Lizzy and Unleashed).

“We wanted to be an agriculture-type business and not buy our products from anyone else,” he said. “When we first started, our (clientele) was probably 99 percent women. But now it’s more like 50/50. We’ve introduced a lot of people to wine. We’re the only winery in Butler County. Our music nights regularly have 75-100 people. It’s definitely growing.”

Subsequently, the Hanover Winery will be celebrating its anniversary (three years) with a two-day event this weekend, which will include a wine barrel tasting, catered food, live music, cornhole games and, of course, wine, which can be enjoyed in either Hanover’s elegant tasting room or out among the lush acreage.

“We’re in the middle of about 1,000 acres of farmland with no houses,” Eddie said. “We have a pond with a fountain, a nice dock. It’s very laid-back.”

The tasting room features a 14-foot-long granite countertop with Hanover’s wine racks on display. During normal business hours, patrons can purchase six tastings for $6 and keep the wineglass.

“It’s a classy place,” Eddie said. “The strange thing is, people often compliment us on our bathrooms, which I built. We’ve actually had people refer other people to us because of our bathrooms.”

In the years since their opening, the Hanover Winery has done benefits for breast cancer and PAWS, an animal rescue operation in Middletown. They entered seven wines in the Ohio Wine Association’s competition and took home six gold medals, and they’ve expanded their products to local retailers, including the notable Arrow Wines and Spirits in the Dayton south suburbs of Centerville and Kettering.

In the meantime, the Hanovers continue to develop their business. They are only open for limited afternoon and evening hours Thursday-Saturday, as they both have day jobs. Eddie works in commercial fire protection. Beth is in the civil engineering field.

“We’re just hardworking people,” Eddie said. “I like the chemistry part (of winemaking) as much as anything, and it just grew and grew as a hobby. People liked our product, but we weren’t able to sell it, so we decided to invest in ourselves. I’m a fourth-generation Hanover resident, and the winery is located at the geographic dead center, so we thought it was a good fit. We’ve been really lucky. People have really opened their arms to us. We’re showing progress every quarter.”