Wineries juicing up

Wines & Vines, Jan, 2001 by Bonnie Hilliard

Who would imagine that Ohio--a Midwest hub of industrial, manufacturing and commerce--would also be home to 70 wineries with at least half a dozen more on the way? Having moved to the number five spot in the nation in wineries per state, Ohio is adding wineries to its list of vacation lures.

"What's been interesting is that in the last few years we've had to take stock of growth in two-year increments instead of 10 years as we did in the past," said Donniella Winchell, executive director of the Ohio Wine Producers Association (OWPA). "We can't even finish a brochure before it's obsolete." It's not just Ohio, Winchell said. Other states are seeing a wine industry boom thanks to a good economy. "In the 1970s people bought sailboats when the economy got better; today it's wineries. You own a winery and you're an entrepreneur, a manager, a farmer, an artiste, all at once. You work with your hands and get dirt under your fingernails, but yet you're a connoisseur, and a cultivator of a sophisticated product," she explained.

Ohio wineries and vineyards brought in $57 million in wine and grape sales last year (1999), giving it top billing with four other top wine-producers in the U.S. And for good reason. Ohio is a prime vacation destination, with Lake Erie's islands, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus nightlife, cultural events, sports and museums, Amish havens in Holmes County, more theme parks than any other state and universities and colleges around every bend. The wineries are concentrated around those crowd pleasers, which means they get promoted well by their regional tourist bureaus.

The OWPA does its part by hosting five-star events to augment public relations opportunities. They host the Vintage Columbus event, which is slated for June 22-23 next summer at Coffman Park in Dublin. Another goody is Vintage Ohio, coming up August 3 and 4, 2001 at the rolling panorama of Lake Farmpark in Lake County.

A good number of the state's wineries get involved, setting up shop away from home to allow a broader clientele to sample their finest and listen to entertainment, like some jazz singers, while the kiddies giggle at the strolling clown. Nearly every wine fest is frequented by local fine dining restaurants and caterers. It's not surprising, then, that many folks stroll the grounds with a bottle of wine under their arm to take home.

Wine seems to go so naturally with the arts. Regional artisans and crafters help lighten the wallets and give people something to take home in remembrance of the weekend. At the Vintage Columbus event, a cooking demonstration is held. A Designated Driver Program, with an incentive, is new. If you declare yourself a designated driver, you get $8 off adult admission, plus unlimited non-alcoholic beverages and a souvenir cup. And you can still take the wine home to drink.

More than a million visitors vacation annually in Northeast Ohio alone, coming for the theme parks, Lake Erie attractions, Cleveland museums and nightlife and sports events. Wineries add even more punch, said Winchell. In Aurora, just 30 miles south of Cleveland, wineries from one end of the state to the other passed out wine samples and held seminars in tandem with Sea World of Ohio. Big whales and a little wine. What a great combination!

The "OHIO PROUD" Farm Market complements Ohio foods like bakery items, fresh farmed fish, Ohio salsa and homemade dips from a company that creates dip mixes.

Winchell said most Ohioans who open vineyards or wineries are looking for quality of life rather than financial remuneration. They're coming from an established life with a nest egg in hand, ready to build a dream. "There's this whole public perception they want to foster, of wine as a complement to life, a beverage of moderation. The other side of the coin is, wine is a product for entrepreneurship. If you can build up a business opportunity in an environment conducive to growth but also geared to public acceptance of wine in moderation, for people who love wine, it is living your dream," Winchell said.

Viking Vineyards & Winery is one of the state's newest vineyards. It opened only one year ago. Owners Jeff and Dana Nelson chose the name because the Vikings once dubbed North America "Vineland" in reference to the wild grapes growing along the hillsides. The couple chose their lakeside setting for its serene backdrop.

According to Winchell, wineries like Viking Vineyards & Winery that farm their own grapes, keep the agricultural history of winegrowing preserved and passed on to the next generation. It also retains the state's agrarian roots. "It would be easier to simply import all the grapes from California, but by farming their own, they foster hometown pride. It's not just Ohio wine, but it's Kent wine, or Ashtabula wine because wines have their own one-of-a-kind flavor, unique to local soil and climate conditions."

A Bit Of Ohio Wine History

Napa Valley in California and New York's famed vineyards may be more renowned as regions go, but Ohio has as a history just as steeped in wine industry. The first cultivated grapevines in the U.S. were grown in Ohio, in the Cincinnati area, thus making Ohio the oldest wine-producing state in the country. In the early 1990s it was an Ohio Riesling that won Best of Show at the prestigious San Francisco State Fair Wine Competition.