Our Story

​Oak Hill Winery

In 1998, Betty Jo and Rick were avid wine-drinkers and wine-makers on an amateur level. Already owning a business zoned property, they decided to explore opening a small store to supplement retirement savings. After four years of planning, they began making naturally-made wines in the 1894 carriage house behind their home on State Route 18 in downtown Converse.

The decision to focus on naturally-made wines grew out of both a personal philosophy and perceived market-driven interest in wines not having excessive chemicals added to the wine in the production stage.  Visits to several other wineries in the Midwest following this principal convinced the owners it was a viable, and desirable business strategy.

Teaching customers the nuances of naturally-made wines is a challenge, but one we here at the Winery embrace. With free tastingof all our wines as a foundation of the business plan, we feel comfortable creating wines for the general public, much less so for the wine expert. Wine you can drink for fun, without concern for aging or etiquette.

Oak Hill wines do taste different because they are naturally-made as well as tweaked more to popular tastes. Our dry wines do not taste, well, as dry as most commercially made wines. Varietal specific wines are the focus, one grape, one flavor, one wine, to allow the expression of that vintage, vineyard, and grower to come forth fully.