Terra Cotta Vineyards has new hopes with new owners
NEW CONCORD, Ohio – Plans to bring a vineyard back to life are underway on the Eastern edge of Muskingum County.
Terra Cotta Vineyards is located South of New Concord on Rix Mills Road, where the grapes are thriving after all the recent rain. About three and a half years ago, the vineyard had to shut down, but a new owner is hoping to bring it back to life.
Michael Cooper and his wife, Claudette, just purchased the property and are making a new home for themselves after moving from Florida. They met the original owners after a series of chance encounters during a work trip in Zanesville. The Coopers took the opportunity to pack up and chase a dream.
“I actually live in Boca Raton, Florida prior to this and was making wine in Boca Raton, Florida. So, for about 10 years now, I’ve been making anything from, you know, the first mango tree in the back yard was dropping mangos, I made a mango wine. Tastes like a sauvignon blanc. And then started into more of the pinot noirs, sauvignon blancs, and the like that everybody likes,” Cooper said.
Cooper says the helpful and welcoming community he and his wife have experienced has been wonderful. The previous owner, Paul Roberts, is even offering help with maintaining the property while the Coopers get settled.
“My wife and I, Claudette, basically have come out here and the neighbors have been so welcoming,” Cooper said. “Every store, every restaurant, every place that we’ve been, everybody comes over and talks to you and wants to actually, you know, find out what you need. ‘Can I help you?’ The kindness level in New Concord and Zanesville so far have been way over the top and I’m really appreciative of that.”
Terra Cotta Vineyards will be renamed to Terra Cotta Winery at Cooper Vineyards and is hoping to open on Mother’s Day 2027. The Coopers are excited to get things started and open up to the community.
“So I really want to be more from a community engagement standpoint and entertain and I love being able to share my wine with anybody that’s actually interested in doing some tasting,” Cooper said. “The real cool part about owning the vineyard and the winery, you can do the tours at the vineyard along with actually entertaining here at this beautiful place, watching the sunsets, doing all the things that people were use to doing prior to the closing about three and a half years ago. ”
Paul and Donna Roberts originally established Terra Cotta Vineyards in 1996 on 53 acres and planted 3 acres of grape vines. Before closing operations, they had been inducted into the Ohio Wines Hall of Fame in 2019.
The Roberts had also won a local conservation award in 2014. They were awarded the Resource Conservation Award, Agricultural Division, by the Muskingum Soil and Water Conservation District for their work on the vineyard.
