Lake Erie’s storied bootlegging history comes to life with our new series of underwater-aged sparkling wines. Throughout the Prohibition Era, cargo of clanking contraband was transported over our waters under the cover of darkness, cleverly referred to as “Midnight Herring” by clever sailors.

Inspired by and as a tribute to those rebels who added some color to our region’s history, we are proud to introduce this series of our locally-grown, locally-crafted sparkling wines aged far beneath the surface of our Great Lake.

In June 2024, thirteen cases of our South Shore Wine Company Sparkling Riesling were submerged for one full year at a depth of 130 feet on the shipwreck site of the legendary John J. Boland, Jr. vessel. The wine was aged in optimal darkness, rocked by the gentle undulation of the water, resulting in an elegant effervescence that preserves the crisp acidity of the Riesling.

That first edition of Midnight Herring was released in November 2025 has sold out.

The second edition of Midnight Herring was sunk in September 2025 and will debut in November 2026.

Join us at this year’s release event and celebration at Tom Ridge Environmental Center in Erie on November 14th from 6:00 – 8:30pm. Click for more event details & tickets below.

Following the release event, a limited supply of Midnight Herring will be available for purchase at South Shore Wine Company in North East, PA. Purchase price is $130 plus tax and includes a commemorative gift box.

If you are unable to make the November 14th release event and would like to reserve your bottle now, email gina@enjoymazza.com with subject line “Midnight Herring 2nd Edition”. Please note that this product cannot be shipped.

Furthering the tradition of Midnight Herring, the third edition was sunk in September 2026 and will debut in late 2027.