Wine-ing around Ohio

I am in the midst of writing a paper about Ohio Wine. Here is a glimpse into how it will unravel:

“What is it? The Italians drink it, the French rave about it, the Germans analyze it and we (Americans) write about it…Wine!”[1] Here I am a victim of that statement, an all American wine writer. However my goal is not to merely tell a tale of the evolution of the wine industry in Northeastern Ohio, but it is to get your juices fermenting by adding a hint of culture, a tad of the past mixed delicately with a morsel of the present and a smidgen of policy. We will start from the 1800s and make our way to the year 2011. From the Germans to the Jews, Concord to Chardonnay, we will not only witness but also analyze the progression of the grape and its consumer. Interviews were held with winemakers, enologists, viticulturists and retailers. The one book about Ohio Wine that exists called Ohio Wine Country Excursions was read, and of course the wines were tasted. In this paper, I will begin with a brief history of wine in Ohio. Following, I will present what the reality of the industry is today, discussing a myriad of topics from the terroir to the culture of taste to the market that exists and why. To conclude, I will discuss what the future of Ohio Wine could be with the correct marketing strategies, political action and producer/consumer relationships. At the end of the paper, along with the bibliography, you will find a list of the vineyards I either visited or researched and also a short list of events that take place in Ohio.

[1] Doug Morehead