In the heyday of Lonz Winery, tourists flocked to Middle Bass Island nearly every summer weekend.

The island's local residents mingled with vacationers, and friends toasted their goblets to unforgettable evenings.

Business associates and casual partygoers flooded the winery's terrace, soaking up the sun and Riesling. Some stayed in summer homes, while others came and left by ferry to unwind for just a few hours on weekend afternoons.

The winery still stands as a majestic beacon, visible hundreds of feet from the shore. It's the first thing visitors see when the ferry docks.

But the clinking of glasses, live music and echoes of laughter have long since faded.

Ten years after the terrace collapse that killed one man and injured 77, the crumbling stone building sits in eerie silence. Clusters of unruly weeds creep up its sides, which are plastered with flattened mayflies.

Chris Zeitler remembers well the day the music died on Middle Bass Island.

"I remember the band stopped, someone said (the terrace) collapsed," he said. "I looked over and realized I was too drunk to help, so I got the hell off the island."

Zeitler now runs J.F. Walleyes Microbrewery and Sports Bar, one of only two main attractions on the island. The other is St. Hazards Waterfront Resort, which features a Caribbean-theme beach bar and hotel shaded by a crop of palm trees.

Since that tragic day, the winery and its many buildings have fallen into disrepair.

The house once occupied by winery owner George Lonz is overrun with raccoons, and the nearby employee quarters sit empty.

The lone island gift shop closed last year. It's now used as storage space.

"It's a sad example of what's going on here," Zeitler said, offering a tour of the island with the party bus he uses to shuttle visitors from the docks to his pool-side sports bar.

One bright spot: the new marina. It continues to attract boaters and campers who set up tents at the state park.

Life runs at a slower pace here, and time is measured by food shipments and mail deliveries. The islanders pick up their mail at the postmaster's house next to the general store, where the offerings vary depending on the ferry or flight schedules.

But island living comes at a high cost, and not everyone has deep pockets.

Residents pay at least an extra $30 to $50 to have grocery orders shipped from the mainland, while luxuries are hard to come by in the winter for residents who don't own a private plane.

Although the island has about 400 summer homes -- ranging from simple, single-story beach houses to elaborate castles guarded by iron gates and private driveways -- only 40 or so are year-round residents.

Most of the island's full-timers have deep roots, and many are related.

Those who remain stay busy growing their own food, fishing and keeping up their properties. But full-time employment is hard to come by, said John Engelsen, who has a summer home on the island and lives in North Canton during the winter.

Since the Lonz collapse, "this side of the island has gotten a lot quieter," Engelsen said.

That's not necessarily a bad thing. Many Middle Bass residents choose to live on the island because it's not a vacation destination like Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island, or Kelleys Island.

Lonz Winery used to bring as many as 3,000 people to the island on weekends, said Jim Roesch, a fourth-generation islander and full-time resident of 10 years.

Roesch said many islanders don't want to bring back the commotion that came with the winery -- and left after it closed -- but those same residents also hate to see the historic building go to waste.

The winery itself has survived two fires and the terrace collapse, yet still has a solid frame. But the interior needs a lot of work, and it's a costly undertaking.

Unlike fine wine, the building hasn't gotten any better with age.

"It was old and decrepit when I worked there 50 years ago," Roesch said.

After a decade of neglect, Roesch said he'd like to see the winery brought back to life, but with an aura that's perhaps a little more tame. A conference center, hotel or museum would be a good fit -- anything with a family-oriented focus, he said.

"It's a balance between commercial development and keeping it the way it is," he said.