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The Historic Winery
The Catawba Island wine co-operative, the
Catawba Island Wine Company, constructed the winery building that is
today's Mon Ami Restaurant and Historic Winery. The Catawba Island Wine
Company was founded by a number of Catawba Island grape growers,
although the Ellithorpe, Neal and Laudy families, who were pioneer
settlers of the Catawba Island Peninsula, are generally regarded as the
principal founders.
The new company was organized between 1872 and in 1873 had a winery
constructed along the southeast shore of the peninsula. With its 130,000
gallon capacity, the Catawba Island Wine Company Winery was the largest
winery on Catawba Island and one of the largest in the islands area.
In 1937 the winery was acquired by the Mon Ami Champagne Company. Mon
Ami had been founded in Sandusky shortly after the repeal of the 18th
Amendment and was one of only a handful of wineries in the United States
specializing in the manufacture of domestic champagnes at that time.
During 1937 the company moved its equipment from Sandusky to Catawba
where it employed fifty-five men in the production of up to 400,000 to
500,000 bottles of Champagne, burgundy, and still wines a year.
The Restaurant
Restaurant facilities were added on the ground floor in 1945 following a
disastrous fire which gutted much of the interior. In 1956 the
restaurant/winery was sold to Norman Mantey, whose family had been
engaged in the wine-making business in the Sandusky area since 1880.
Mantey retained the Mon Ami name at the facility. The Mon Ami was
purchased in 1980 by Meier's Wine Cellars, Inc., the largest wine-making
firm in the state. Over much of this period, Mon Ami ranked among the
leading wineries in Ohio, producing from 40,000 to 50,000 gallons of
wine a year.
Mon Ami Today
The present owners purchased the Mon Ami from Meier’s in
2000. They have invested large amounts of time and effort in maintaining
and enhancing the magic and charm of this wonderful place. A short list
of improvements include renovation of the main dining room, the
renovation of the Chalet, fabulous new wines, a complete overhauling of
the kitchen, food creations beyond belief, and a brand new gift shop.
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