Corkscrew Chronicles: Ohio's Wine Producers on a Medal-Winning Roll

If you are up on your Ohio history, you know that our state was the largest wine producer in the final years of the 1800s. The main difference between then and now, was that the emphasis was on native grape varietals (concord and Catawba) and later cold-tolerant French/American hybrids, with the production focus being sweet wines and grape juice. Just prior to Prohibition (1920-1934), wine was included in the restrictions at the last second, and Ohio's wine industry faltered. After the Volstead Act reinstated the legal consumption of licensed beverages, the establishment of cold-tolerant grape varietals helped get the state's production on the road to recovery. Russian viticulturalist Dr. Konstantin Frank began experimenting with high quality wine grapes from the genus Vitis Vinifera in cool climates. Most of the world's finest wines are produced from this family of grapes that originated in Europe. The late Arnuff Esterer, Conneaut's Markko Vineyard co-founder, became a Dr. Frank cooperator, successfully planting and growing Vinifera fruit and making quality wines in the Lake Erie American Viticultural Area (AVA) of northern Ohio. Esterer also helped encourage other producers to plant Vinifera grapes, within the climatic moderation and protection of the lake. Lake Erie extends Ohio's short growing season by holding warmth in the fall, encouraging late season grape ripening. The glaciers created the Great Lakes, mixed various soil types and formed southeastern-facing slopes to assist the vineyards in collecting sunlight and warmth. Before the lake freezes, it encourages protective snowfall, which blankets the vines from our frigid winter temperatures. In the spring, the water is colder than the land, which prevents early bud break and frost damage. Breezes formed by the lake's influence prevent frosts in both fall and spring, and pests and diseases during the growing season. Different depths of the lake also create unique meso-climates, making areas that are appropriately suited for specific varietals. With newly developed, cold-tolerant varietals, clones and hybrids, and site selection identifying protected areas for vines to be planted and thrive, the rest of Ohio has also grown in quality wine grape production. Though these grape varietals are not often respected as highly as Vitis Vinifera, they can certainly produce exceptional wines. If you are wondering why this information is relevant, the recent Ohio Wine Competition results have just now been released, appropriately in time for June's celebration of Ohio Wine Month. There have been a large number of medal winners across numerous Ohio producers, and there are some stunning wines among the recipients. Another factor is that the 2024 vintage was one of the best in recent memory. Its sparkling, white and rose wines will be ready for release in the next few months, and with a few years of maturation the reds will become available. I invite you to visit our Ohio wineries, sample their products and purchase some of these fine wines while they are available, guided both by medals and your personal tastings. There are wineries who don't enter competitions for reasons, such as successful product sell through at the winery, established reputation and emphasis on other marketing methods. Medals can help signify wines that are certainly worthy of your attention. A lack of awards does not indicate the absence of quality, so don't forget the producers and wines who do not appear in the medal listings. Following is a link to the results from the Ohio Wine Competition, for your reference: content.govdelivery.com/accounts/OHDOA/bulletins/3e2aa85. With the significant quality of Ohio wines being exhibited currently, and recognition growing across the country for their excellence, isn't it time you investigated the exciting products available in our own backyard? Gary Twining is a certified wine educator who worked 34 years in the wholesale fine wine industry. Email him at winingwithtwining@hotmail.com.