THE WINE SELLER

According to OhioWines (n.d.), Ohio has a long history of wine production, dating back to the early 1800s when Nicholas Longworth planted the first Catawba grapes in the region. These grapes produced a semi-sweet wine that was much more palatable than the stronger wines common to the time period. Ohio quickly became the top wine producer in the country.

 

Unfortunately, between crop diseases and the Civil War, southern Ohio’s grape production took a hit in the 1860s. German immigrants began planting grapes in Northern Ohio, near Lake Erie. The climate here was ideal for crop growth, and the wine industry saw another period of growth. This area became known as the Lake Erie Grape Belt and produced a variety of good tasting wines (FindOhioWines.com, n.d.).

 

Prohibition hit the United States in 1920. Cattell (2013) tells us that while all wine production stopped, some vineyards began growing Concord grapes for juice. The Steuk Winery chose to maintain their grapes throughout Prohibition, reopening in 1934 after its repeal. Several other vineyards also reopened in 1934 and Ohio worked to compete with California by producing low cost wines for Americans.

 

The 1960s saw a huge surge in wine production for the state. Farmers began planting new varieties of grapes, such as French-American grapes that could better resist disease (FindOhioWines.com, n.d.). Additionally, farmers, business owners, and legislators worked together to pass tax incentives and other business growing legislation for Ohio wineries (Cattell, 2013, pp. 394-95).

 

Currently, there are over 265 wineries in Ohio producing 1.1 million gallons of wine annually. Combined, these wineries contribute $1.3 billion to the Ohio economy, making wine production and wine tourism a big business for the state. In fact, Ohio is among the top 10 wine-producing states in the country (FindOhioWines.com, n.d.).