June is Ohio Wine Month

Did you know Ohio is home to more than 160 wineries, which employ more than 4,100 people and generate more than $580 million in economic activity for Ohio?

Ohio Wines- Past to Present

Over the last 10 years, Ohio’s wine industry has continued to grow because of the state’s favorable conditions for grape growing. Ohio’s soil, drainage, and climate make up the terroir (from the French word for land), which has a direct impact on the wine that results from the grapes that are grown. Ohio’s fertile limestone soil and moderate temperatures along the Ohio River and Lake Erie produce wines that are flavorful and high quality. Because of the diversity in areas across the state, Ohio has 5 appellations, which denote the geographic origin of the grapes used to produce certain bottles of wine. 85% of the grapes used to make the wine must be grown within the confines of that appellation. The appellations are Lake Erie, Isle St. George, Grand River Valley, Ohio River Valley, and Loramie Creek.

Explore Ohio Wines

Not a wine expert or familiar with Ohio wines? According to Taste Ohio Wine, the top 5 wines from grapes grown in Ohio are Riesling (Reece-ling), Chardonnay (Shar-don-ay), Vidal Blanc (Vee-dal Blonc), Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris (Pe-no Gree-gee-oh/Pe-no Gree), and Cabernet Franc (Cab-er-nay Fronk).

Another option in exploring Ohio wines is to try is to try one of the award winning wines. The 2012 Ohio Wine Competition winners include:

Raven’s Glenn Winery’s 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon for Overall Best of Show
Ferrante Winery’s 2011 Riesling for Best of Show White Wine
Raven’s Glenn Winery’s 2009 Rosso Grande for Best of Show Red Wine
Henke Wines’ 2011 Cellar Blush for Best of Show Blush/Rosé
Ferrante Winery’s Non-vintage Raspberry Blanc for Best of Show Fruit/Specialty Wine
Breitenbach Wine Cellars’ Non-vintage Solara Cream Sherry for Best of Show Dessert Wine

One way to try a variety of great Ohio wines is to attend the Food & Ohio Wine Festival at the North Market in Columbus (Ohio) July 8-10. This festival will feature various wineries around Ohio who will be serving wines by the taste, glass, bottle, and case. To see a list of featured wineries visit North Market’s event page http://www.northmarket.com/activities-and-events/a-year-of-events

Protect Your Winery

As with any other agricultural endeavor, vineyards and wineries are subject to losses caused by damages during every step of the process of making the wine—damage during the growing, harvesting, storing, etc. Westfield Insurance offers a variety of property coverages including outdoor vines, growing grapes, and trellises; harvested grapes; damage to in process & aging wine goods; implosion or collapse of tank due to failure of pressure-relief device. In addition, there are many optional coverages that can be purchased based on individual coverage needs. We recommend a consultation with your local independent insurance agent.