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Ohio Winery & Wineries
Ohio Grape and Wine History The History of Ohio Wine The history of winemaking can be traced back to the early 1800’s. Nicholas Longworth, a lawyer from the Cincinnati area, saw the potential of the Ohio River Valley to become a major producer of wine. In 1820 he planted the first Catawba grapes. This domestic variety was hearty enough to withstand Ohio winters and the wine produced from it won quick consumer acceptance. The light, semi-sweet wine was different from the other strong American wines of the day. Soon there were many acres of vines growing in the greater Cincinnati area and by 1845 the annual production was over 300,000 gallons. By 1860, Ohio led the nation in the production of wine. As crop diseases, such as black rot and mildew, began to plague the grapes, the Civil war left the grape growers with little manpower. This led to the demise of winemaking in southern Ohio. As the southern vineyards wilted, a new Ohio growing area emerged in the Lake Erie Islands. The islands had a unique climate; the waters surrounding them provided a long growing season and insulated the vines from spreading disease. German immigrants who brought the traditions of winemaking with them settled the islands. By the turn of the century, thousands of gallons of wine were being produced by dozens of wineries on and near the islands. Vineyards were soon planted along the entire southern shore of Lake Erie. This narrow strip of shoreline soon became nicknamed the "Lake Erie Grape Belt." Then Prohibition struck the United States and brought disaster to the Ohio winemaking traditions. Some family businesses turned to making wine for sacramental purposes, others produced juice, and still the majority of land was turned into industrial land and housing developments. The general grape-oriented economy of the area collapsed. When prohibition was repealed in 1933, a few wineries reemerged, but they had a lot against them: the majority of vineyards were in a state of disrepair, government restrictions hindered their winemaking traditions, and the few lasting vines had been converted to produce juice grapes. Ohio’s one time status as the top wine producer was gone, and with it a long road to recovery. The turning point for the Ohio Wine industry came in the early 1960’s with the planting of French-American varieties in southern Ohio, encouraged largely by The Ohio State University’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wooster. The hardy, disease-resistant grapes produced wines similar to the older European vinifera varieties. Their success in the south encouraged plantings in the Lake Erie Grape Belt. Since 1965, more than 40 new wineries have been established across the state and each spring winemakers continue to plant French-American Hybrids and vinifera varieties. In 1975, a group of innovative winemakers formed the Ohio Wine Producers Association. Their purpose was and still is to bring together the grape growers and the winemakers. Through the efforts of the O\VPA, individual members stay better informed on governmental action, technical advances, and research and development programs effecting the grape/wine industry. The Ohio General Assembly and Governors, James Rhodes and Richard Celeste established another vital program in 1981. In cooperation with winemakers and grape growers, the Ohio Grape Industries Program was created and charged with the development of marketing and research programs to encourage the continuing revitalization of the fresh grape and grape wine industries. In the decade of the nineties, one of the significant threats facing the industry was a lack of quality Ohio grown wine grapes. A major effort to increase acreage was initiated under the leadership of Governor George Voinovich. Tax credits, vineyard planting grants, arid the hiring of a state extension viticulturist are having a positive impact on the total number of wine grape acres being planted. The results can be seen through the continued success of Ohio wines in national competitions. In the early 1990’s an Ohio Riesling won Best of Show at the prestigious Sari Francisco State Fair Wine Competition. That award was a tremendous boost for the Ohio Wine Industry’, and a new era of respect emerged. Other gold medals in Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, and across the nation have reinforced Ohio’s position as one of the major wine regions of the world. Appellations of Origin Appellation on wine labels denotes the geographic origin of the grapes used to produce the wine. Appellation was originally created to help educate the consumer and encourage the continued development of quality standards in a certain producing area. Grape growing regions are known by their political subdivision or by a specifically designated viticultural region named because of unique climate, soil, topographical, and historical conditions. In the United States, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms of the United States Government (BATF) regulate appellations. This government agency has jurisdiction over all the wineries in the US. Accepted appellations for American wine include: the United States, a specific state, up to three contiguous states, a county, and up to three contiguous counties in the same state. A specific viticultural area based on geographical history and unique growing conditions was first recognized by the BATF in 1978. In order for a winery to use a specific American Viticultural Area on a label, 85% of the wine must be produced from grapes grown within the confines of the viticultural area. In contrast, a single county or state appellation requires that 75% of the grapes be grown in the viticultural area. The strictest guidelines apply to wine that denotes "Estate Bottled" on the label. For estate bottling, the winery must be located in the viticultural area, all of the grapes must be from the same viticultural area from vineyards that the winery owns, and the wine must be bottled in the same viticultural area. Vintage wine is wine labeled with the year of harvest of the grapes. In order to use a vintage label, at least 95% of the wine must have been derived from grapes harvested in the labeled calendar year and the wine must be labeled with an appellation of origin other Than a country. The French appellation system was designed to safeguard the reputation and the quality of the best wines in France. In comparison, appellation in the United States is not a government endorsement of quality. Rather, it provides objective standards to qualify wine to a make a representation of geographic origin. Today, 25 of the 50 states participate in presenting an appellation of origin. In Ohio, there are five recognized viticultural appellations. The Lake Erie Appellation includes grapes grown near the shores of Lake Erie in Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania. Two appellations within The Lake Erie Appellation include Isle St. George, and Grand River Valley. The next is the Ohio River Valley Appellation, which borders the Ohio River from Wheeling, West Virginia to Cincinnati and continues on to Evansville, Indiana. The fifth is the Loramie Creek Appellation in Shelby County, bordered by Loramie and Tuttle Creeks and State Route 47. Unfortunately, the Loramie Creek appellation currently has no operating winery in its jurisdiction. There is a move currently to denote the Great Lakes Region as an appellation. Some agricultural representatives feel this region is unique because of its cool climate and other similar growing conditions. They feel that winemakers forced to call their products "American" for the mere fact that they used wines produced from two non-contiguous states with the same climate conditions are at a disadvantage over regions which happen to fall within the same state or contiguous states. For most consumers "American" means California wines blended with wines from another lesser locality. For the Great Lakes Region, it is precisely that assumption that they wish to abolish. They would profit greatly from the establishment of their own regional identity.
Ohio Wine Facts and Information Wine Information The Grape Berry The grape is defined as a small, round, juicy berry, growing in clusters on a vine. \Vine is simply the fermented juice of the grape. The berry itself is comprised of several parts to form the composite volume. These parts include: skin, pulp, stems and pedicels, and seeds. The skin comprises 8% of the fruit. It adds color, flavor (bitterness and astringency), arid aroma to the grape. Much of the tannins in red wine and all of the color comes from the skin. The pulp is made from 80% juice and 4.2% suspended solids. The stems and pedicel account for 3% of the cluster. The seed is 4.3% of the composite berry. Crushing the seed is not desired because it adds bitterness. Aging Wine Wine can be either barrel aged or bottle aged. Wines meant for continued aging are immature, rough, and reflect the simple fruit of the grape when taken from their fermentation tanks. The transformation from a young to a mature wine begins in the barrel and is completed in a bottle. Barrel aging allows a slow penetration of air to the wine, permitting aging to occur. In Conjunction, it adds oak character to the complexity of the wine. During oak aging, the sharp, fruity fermented wine softens into more appealing and refined flavors. The traditional 60-gallon oak barrel is the optimum size for balancing wine aging, through air penetration, and oak character acquired by the wine. A larger barrel or tank lacks sufficient wine to wood contact, while a smaller barrel contributes too much oak before the wine has had adequate time to mature. Most wines today are made to be drunk young. More often than not, wine is drunk too old than too young. This mentality comes from a time when the wealthy were able to age ports and burgundies in their cellars. Wines that need bottle aged will taste unintegrated. As they mature in the bottle, their components will mellow, enriching the bouquet and flavor, and allowing the separate elements to come together as a whole. Barrels and Barrel Shaving Aging red or white wine in new oak barrels, or barrels that have only had wine in them for a few years, has a significant effect on the bouquet and texture of the wine. Wine barrels are made by bending wood staves over a fire. As a result of the fire, the inside of the barrel can sometimes become toasted. This toasting can lead to the toasty or smoky taste in wines. Winemakers often match the amount of "toast" (heavy, medium, or light) to the style of wine they are producing. Additional flavors from the oak barrels include vanilla, from the vanillin in the wood, and spicy tannin, which provides a sharper definition to some styles of wine. Wine can be both fermented and aged in oak barrels, or it can simply spend one of the processes in oak. All barrel methods produce a nice oak taste in the wine. Wines that have been both aged and fermented in oak usually have less obvious vanilla tastes and are less astringent than those that are bulk fermented and only aged in oak. One theory to explain this phenomenon is that the yeasts present during fermentation neutralize the wood tannin to some extent. The newer a barrel the stronger the oak taste. The new oak taste can also be accomplished with older barrels that have been shaved. Barrel shaving renews and prolongs the oak extraction, is very cost effective, and is a fast and efficient method of revitalizing the barrels. Companies that shave barrels follow a few simple steps to complete the process. Initially the heads of the barrels are removed. An operator removes the spent wood and tartrates by using a process called routing and exposes fresh oak. The surface is then sanded and cleaned. Next, the heads are planed to expose fresh wood and leave a smooth surface. The barrels are then retoasted over an oak fire to the winemakers specifications and reassembled. The end result is an almost new barrel, at a fraction of the cost. Toasted oak chips are used as another economical alternative for adding oak flavor to a wine. The chips are made froth the same wood as the staves in a barrel. The chips are uniformly toasted to a medium toast. The best known oaks are from France and the southern United States. American oak is the cheapest, ranging in price from $180 to $300 for a new barrel, and most widely available. It has the sweetest and most obviously vanilla flavor. Of the French oaks, the wood from Nevers in central France is the slowest growing, and the closest grained. French oak tends to give a firmer, dryer texture than the American oak that is more openly grained. Consequently, French oak barrels start off around $500 and go up from there. Harvest or "Crush" Harvest season is the best time to visit a winery. It is the only time of the year when you can get a sense of what wine is and how it is made. If you have ever wanted to see grapes being unloaded into the crusher or smell the hardy aroma of grapes and juice fermenting, you must visit during the harvest. A lot of people do not realize that most wineries only ferment grapes a few months in the fall. The rest of the year, the wine is simply aging. In Ohio, the grape harvest begins in mid-August in the southwestern part of the state, and continues through October along the shores of Lake Erie. Most wineries harvest for approximately eight weeks. Some still rely on the hand-pick method, while others employ picking machines. Either way, you are sure to see and learn a lot about wine by visiting during harvest. What a Wine Label Tells You As the years progress, Americans are becoming more and more eager to learn about the wines that they purchase. As Americans become more adventuresome in their wine selections, they look to the label for more information. The label includes such information as the brand, vintage, appellation of origin, and alcohol content of the wine. A better knowledge as to the information on the label will provide the consumer with easier choices. The following information is to help you discern the verbiage on the label. 1.Brand - The name used by the bottler to identify the product. Any brand name is acceptable as long as it does not mislead the consumer. 2.Vintage - A vintage date on the label indicates that 95% or more of the wine was produced from grapes grown that year. If a vintage date is shown on the label, an appellation of origin, other than a country, will also be shown. 3.Appellation of Origin - Appellation of origin is another name for the place in which the majority of grapes used in the wine are grown. It can be the name of a country, state, county or geographical region called a viticultural area. 4.Viticultural Area - A United States viticultural area is a well-defined grape-growing region with similar soil, climate, history, and geographical features. 5.VarietaI Designations - Varietal designations are the names of the dominant grapes used in the wine. Examples include: Cabernet Sauvignon, Seyval Blanc, Riesling, Vignoles, and Pinot Noir. 6.Names or Trade Names - Names or trade names and addresses of the bottler. These are often whimsical or reflective of a regional geographical feature. 7.Estate Bottled - A label indicating "Estate Bottled" means that 100% of the wine came from grapes grown on land owned or controlled by the winery, located in the viticultural area. The winery then crushes and ferments the grapes, ages, processes, and bottles the wine in one continuous operation on the same viticultural site. 8.Alcohol Content - A statement of alcohol content in percent by volume appears on most labels. As an alternative some bottlers prefer to label wine with art alcohol content between 7 and 14% as "Table Wine" or "Light Wine". The Creation of Wine Bottles For years, people have spent countless hours admiring arid critiquing wine labels, vintages, appellations, and grape varieties. Wine tasters examine, smell, sip, and savor a multitude of wines, however, until recent years, the container has been overlooked. The modem bottle is a nearly perfect container, easy to seal, convenient to store, inexpensive, arid durable. This has not always been the case and the history of wine containers is an enlightening saga into the early roots of wine. The ancient winemakers relied upon containers made of stone, earthenware, wood, and leather. The early Greeks and Romans stored and transported wine in amphoraes, tall two-handled pottery jars with thin necks that held up to 30 gallons of wine. During the Dark Ages, wooden casks were developed. More durable than the arnphoraes, the casks tended to leak and were prone to rotting in damp cellars, in addition, the wood reacted with the wine, improving it by adding desired complexities. But extended storage in the casks often resulted in too much of a good thing, rendering the wine oakey or earthy. Glass blowing was known to the Egyptians as early as 5 0-40 BC, but the development of the first wine bottle did not take place for another fifteen centuries. The first wine bottles were developed in western Europe for the wealthy. They were very thin and fragile, and used primarily to transport wine from the cask to the table. The primitive bottles were in the shape of a bulb with a long neck, and had to be supported in wooden or metal frames. Often the bottles were wrapped in decorative cloth or wicker for support. This feature is still used today on the famous bottle of Chianti. It was not until the middle of the 17th century that the English developed a heavier, dark pigmented glass. It was blown into a bulb shaped bottle with a strong slender neck. The stronger neck made it possible to use a cork as a bottle stopper and led to the experimentation of bottle aging and secondary fermentation. The bottle remained balloon shaped well into the 18th century. By then, it was clearly established that certain wines benefited from bottle aging and the practice of cellar aging began. This brought about the need for a bottle more adaptable for cellaring. The original globe design gave way to a cylindrical shape and bottoms became flat making the bottle more stable for both standing and laying horizontally. One downfall of the early hand-blown bottles was the lack of uniformity. In addition, the sizes varied according to the skill and design of the glass blower. As early as 1662, attempts were made to regulate the size of the bottles. It was not until the introduction of bottle molds in the 19th century, that it was possible to produce bottles of consistent size and shape. Today, we have bottles of all shapes and sizes. Some wineries are content to package all of their wine in a single style of bottle. Others prefer to match the bottle with the type of wine it contains. It is all a matter of preference. Since the shape of the bottle does not affect the taste of the wine, bottles are often used as marketing tools. The color of the wine bottle is more important than the shape. Colored glass protects the wine from the damaging affects of the sun and ultraviolet light. Dark greens and browns provide the greatest protection. On the other hand, wines that are bottle aged for long periods of time are often found in very dark, heavy bottles. In the last few years, a wide range of colors and shapes have been introduced by some winemakers, who are interested in marketing unique packages to their customers. There are no guidelines, or specific rules governing which bottles must be used for which wine. The final decision rests with the vintner and the choices of the winemakers are as varied as the wines themselves. Throughout the years, the wine bottle has transformed into not just a container, but an integral part of the wine. It is has evolved to be not only a protective covering preserving the character arid complexities of the wine, but also a marketing tool to attract the eye of potential customers. Glass Information Wines can vary greatly in taste depending on the size and shape of the glassware used. Some wine drinkers prefer a certain glass because of its style. Others match a certain glass with a certain wine, because it represents the wine well. The choice is yours. The traditional flute is often used to serve sparkling wines and champagnes. The flute allows the drinker to enjoy the experience of lively bubbles through the last sip. Additionally, the traditional white and red glasses hold the ideal capacity and offer great drinking pleasure in a classical glass. There are thousands of different glasses, brands, and styles available for today’s wine drinkers. Appendix B depicts samples of some of the more common glasses and their uses. Since 1970, the International Standard Organization has defined the shape and dimensions of a universal wine tasting glass. The INAO (Institut National d’Appellation d’Origine) glass is now the compulsory tool for sensory evaluation of wine in any contentious tasting. The INAO glass also has the approval of the World \Vine and Vine Organization. The egg shaped bowl is designed to fully appreciate the concentration of aroma and allow the drinker to swirl the wine without spilling. Appendix B illustrates the INAO glass with measurements. Opening and Pouring Common corkscrews and cork pullers (also called ah-so’s) can be found in wineries, department stores, and beverage outlets across the country. The best corkscrews are those which ease the cork out vertically. Hazards occur when the cork is brought out an angle, or if the cork has become dry and brittle. Foil cutters can be used to remove the foil seal around the cork. The use of foil cutters is on the rise, as wine presentation has become almost as important as the wine itself. Illustrated in Appendix D are examples of a foil cutter, a corkscrew, and a cork puller. Opening Wine There are four simple steps in opening a bottle of wine. First, cut the foil or plastic band that seals the top of the bottle. Secondly, wipe the mouth of the bottle before the corkscrew is inserted, and again after removing the cork. Draw the cork out with a good corkscrew. To ensure good removal, insert the corkscrew exactly in the center of the cork, clear through the cork, and pull slowly. Opening Champagne To open a bottle of sparkling wine or champagne, first wipe the bottle with a napkin to remove excess moisture from the ice. Next, loosen the wire hood by untwisting the loop of wire around the cork. Then, remove the wire and the top foil in one motion. Hold a thumb on the top of the cork to keep it in place. Holding the cork in one hand, gently twist the bottle to allow the inside pressure to force the cork out. Be sure to direct the cork away from people and/or objects to reduce injury in the event that the pressure per square inch is too strong to contain the cork. Hold the cork lightly as it is removed to prevent it from flying. Pouring The best way to avoid dripping wine on the tablecloth is to give the bottle a slight twist before raising its mouth from the pouring position. Never completely fill a wine glass. Usually between 1/2 and 2/3 full is appropriate. Air space in the top of the glass is needed to allow the wine’s bouquet to be better appreciated. While
many aspects of craftsmanship and long-standing family traditions have
been set aside and practiced only by a few in recent times, those
traditions live on in Ashtabula County in the art of winemaking.
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