News Releases

The leadership committee of Pairings, Ohio's Wine & Culinary Experience, is pleased to announce that KeyBank Foundation will be a sponsor of the educational and culinary space in the new Windows on Pairings facility in Geneva, Ohio.

"KeyBank Foundation's core focus areas include education and economic development," said Lisa Oliver, KeyBank's Cleveland district president. "We're very pleased to be able to help support the Ashtabula County community and this new endeavor."

Windows on Pairings is designed as a new economic engine that not only will improve the burgeoning strengths of Ohio's wine industry, but also will create new opportunities for Ohio's food and agriculture products through:
• Consumer wine & food education, including wine tastings, food pairings and cooking classes
• Regional wine tours, concierge services
• Retail sales of Ohio wines, wine related gifts and supplies
• Farmers market
• Special events • Business development assistance

"The committee's goal is to raise funds for construction, purchase of equipment and initial operating costs in order to give Windows on Pairings the best opportunity for success", said Pairings Committee President, and Ashtabula County Convention and Visitors Bureau Director, Mark Winchell.

The Pairings committee planted the education vineyard in mid April and plan a Blessing of the Vines on May 4 at 3:30 pm. The vines were provided by Double A Vineyards, Fredonia, NY, leading supplier of quality grapevines to winegrowers across the nation. The Committee may be contacted at info@pairingsohio.com.

Pairings, Ohio's Wine and Culinary Experience Committee looks to set in motion plans to open the first phase of their project in downtown Geneva to offer a scaled version of the overall Pairings, Ohio's Wine & Culinary Experience concept. The vision called "Windows on Pairings" came about through a collaboration of the Pairings Committee working along with Vanadis 3, CEO, Paul Esterer. The goal is to rehabilitate an existing structure on the former Geneva Area City School property and have it be operational by this fall. Windows on Pairings will give the committee the opportunity to begin to offer wine, culinary and agricultural related services and programs for entrepreneurs and visitors including:
• Consumer wine & food education, including wine tastings, food pairings and cooking classes
• Regional wine tours, concierge services
• Retail sales of Ohio wines, wine related gifts and supplies
• Farmers market
• Special events
• Business development assistance

Windows on Pairings focus will be on providing a full service wine destination beginning on day one. Additional services will be phased in over the next year of operation. Wine programming, education, events and culinary services shall remain the primary objectives of the center. The establishment of Windows on Pairings will begin to develop the brand, create foot traffic and raise capital for the overall Wine & Culinary Center.

Windows on Pairing's location in the Lake Erie wine growing region on the western edge of Ashtabula County, Ohio provides a central location within driving distance of 8 major metropolitan areas. Given the available population, the proximity of Lake Erie, the presence of twenty (20) local wineries, and other tourist attractions, Windows on Pairings promises to emerge as a significant regional tourist magnet in the Midwest.

As a regional economic development project, the committee has begun to raise start-up capital and initial operating capital from individual benefactors, interested corporations, and regional foundations. We are proud to acknowledge we have received commitments from out of state and local businesses with offers to supply needed materials and labor to rehabilitate and to outfit the interior of the building.

"We are truly excited about this next phase in the development of the Pairings complex. Securing this structure will not only allow the concept of Windows on Pairings to be realized, it will greatly enhance and complement the vision for the entire project". remarked, Pairings, Ohio's Wine & Culinary Experience Committee President, Mark Winchell.

Geneva City Council President, Jeff Piotrowski, stated "I would like to thank the Geneva Area City School Board and administration for working with us on this important economic development project. As all local governments struggle with cutbacks to their budgets from the State of Ohio, it has never been more important for us to focus on economic development opportunities that will create that all important four letter word - "JOBS!!" Windows on Pairings will be able to lease this property from the City in order to begin the development that has the potential for large investment into our downtown and creating a significant number of jobs".

Geneva Area City Schools, Superintendent, Mary D. Zappitelli commented, "We are pleased that two public entities were able to collaborate on a property that will provide an opportunity to highlight our viticulture heritage. This is a wonderful opportunity to attract people to the area and to help boost our economy."

Pairings, Ohio's Wine and Culinary Experience goal is to advance recognition of Ohio's wine industry, energize regional job growth and boost the local economy by attracting wine and food tourists and fostering new wine entrepreneurs.

A new museum scheduled to open this summer at the former Alpine Hills Resort near Dover will highlight Tuscarawas County’s agricultural heritage.

“We’re losing the family farm and all that goes with it,” said Dalton “Duke” Bixler, owner of Breitenbach Wine Cellars and developer of the museum, which he will call the Tool Shed.

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Congratulations to Mike, Carol and the Williams Family!

After leaving corporate America, Mike and Carol Williams turned their hobby into a business, opening The Winery at Wilcox in Wilcox, Pennsylvania in 1994. BY 1998 the Wilcox facility became the third largest winery in Pennsylvania.

Life was good, but the William's daughter and family had moved to Darke County and wanted grandma and grandpa to move closer. As a result they moved and opened a second winery, The Winery at Versailles on October 28, 2002. Their son left his career in Baltimore, Maryland and moved to Pennsylvania to run the Wilcox facility.

Mike and Carol spent a year renovating their barn and turning it into the quaint place it is today in Versailles. Over the past 10 years they have added several rooms, two patios and events room, press deck,tank deck, and a three-stall garage.

"We have been blessed beyond belief," shared Mike and Carol. "We know we have worked hard, but thank God for each other, our family, and the ability to have this business. We have wonderful, dedicated employees, and community support."

Have you ever wondered how your favorite beer, wine or any alcoholic beverage is processed? Fermentation makes alcoholic beverages like beer possible. Fermentation is a metabolic process by which the chemical reaction between yeast and carbohydrates result to acids and ethanol. According to experts, fermentation has been known to humanity even before the ancient times. Nowadays, it is an essential process in producing food products like cheese, yogurt, soy sauce, vinegar, pickles, and shrimp paste. Normally, the microorganisms used for this process are collectively known as the Saccharomyces cervisae or the common yeast.

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In the 1850's, Ohio was the leading producer of wine in the United States. The center of the early Ohio wine industry was Cincinnati where Catawba grapes lined the Ohio River for miles. Today, Cincinnati continues to produce award-winning wines and the most decorated winery in the Queen City is Henke Winery.

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By Mark Fisher
Staff Writer

The Beverage Testing Institute in Chicago this week awarded 90 points to Valley Vineyards ’ Honey Mead and has given it a “Best Buy” status.

The mead — first introduced by Warren County winery in 1971 and made every year since — was the top scoring mead of the seven honey wines submitted to the BTI for evaluation and ranked in the tasting.

To be fair, the 14 or so meads submitted to the tasting panel at BTI for review (about half apparently did not score above 80 points, and under BTI’s guidelines, their reviews were not published) represent just a drop in the honeycomb of all of the honey wines produced in the U.S. But to outscore more than a dozen peers in an independent tasting is still good news for the family that runs Valley Vineyards and the winery’s veteran winemaker, Greg Pollman.

“We’re very excited about the award,” said Joe Schuchter, Valley Vineyards’ director of sales and marketing and a third generation member of the family that founded the winery. “The judges tasted a wide spectrum of available meads, and we’re all thrilled ours came out on top. I hope this assures our customers that with growth we will maintain and exceed their expectations of quality wines.”

These are heady times for Valley Vineyards, which won acclaim from the Ohio Department of Agriculture director each of the last two years for producing the “best red wine in Ohio” and which has announced plans to add a microdistillery and spirits

When most people think of Ohio agriculture, traditional images straight from a Norman Rockwell scene usually come to mind – a big white farmhouse in the midst of vast corn and soybean fields, or beef cattle dotted on a lush, green hill.
While traditional agriculture is certainly alive and well, there are many non-traditional agricultural industries that are supporting local communities, providing jobs and strengthening our state. I’m talking about the lesser-known, but no less-important, agricultural industries such as Christmas tree farms, maple syrup production, and Swiss cheese production.

Perhaps the best kept secret in Ohio agriculture, is its thriving grape and wine industry. Ohio’s 162 wineries incorporate 1,600 acres of grapes that produce more than 1 million gallons of wine each year. Wineries, located all over the state, offer wine tastings, educational day trips, and tours to educate about the art of winemaking and the top quality of Ohio wines.

During the last 10 years, Ohio’s wine industry has grown significantly. According to a 2008 Economic Impact report, Ohio’s grape and wine industry generates more than $580 million in economic activity that supports local communities while producing a superior agricultural product. The Ohio grape and wine industry also employs more than 4,100 people, providing a payroll of $124.2 million.

Ohio has a long and proud history of wine production. As early as the 1800s, early settlers to this region were exploring Ohio winemaking, especially along the Ohio River. The first successful commercial winemaker in the U.S. was Ohioan Nicholas Longworth of Cincinnati.

Ohio’s wine industry thrived and became the leading producer of wines in the U.S. until around 1890, when the Civil War made manpower scarce and disease and mildew destroyed most of the region’s grape vines.

Today, I am proud that we’re regaining ground in this industry that has been lost in the past 100 years. Ohio’s wine industry is now the 4th largest in the eastern United States and is known nationally and internationally for excellence.

The grape and wine industry is deeply tied into the state’s agriculture industry and plays a significant role in our history and our current economic success. The Ohio Grape Industries Committee, chaired by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, is helping Ohio’s grape growers and winemakers secure their success with marketing and promotion efforts to generate and expand new markets for grapes and grape products, and research to improve the quality and profitability of the crop.

With June officially signed into law as Ohio Wine Month, now is the time to celebrate Ohio’s wines, known as some of the best in the country, and their significant impact on Ohio’s economy. If you haven’t already, I invite you to try an Ohio wine today.

Consumers can find Ohio wines at their favorite retail stores across the state, including Giant Eagle. For more information about Ohio’s award-winning wines, visit www.tasteohiowines.com.

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (May 30, 2012) – June, now signed into law as Ohio Wine Month, is a time to celebrate Ohio’s wines, known as some of the best in the country, and their significant impact on Ohio’s economy.

Ohio’s 162 wineries incorporate 1,600 acres of grapes that produce more than 1 million gallons of wine each year. Wineries, located all over the state, offer wine tastings, educational day trips, and tours to educate about the art of wine making and the top quality of Ohio wines.

Consumers can also find Ohio wines at their favorite retail stores across the state, including Giant Eagle, which will be hosting their six for $6 wine tasting featuring all Ohio wines on Friday, June 1. For more information about this event, or more information about Ohio’s award-winning wines, visit www.tasteohiowines.com.

Over the last 10 years, Ohio’s wine industry has grown significantly. According to a 2008 Economic Impact report, Ohio’s grape and wine industry generates more than $580 million in economic activity that supports local communities while producing a superior agricultural product. The Ohio grape and wine industry also employs more than 4,100 people, providing a payroll of $124.2 million.

The Ohio Grape Industries Committee is chaired by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. It provides marketing and promotion efforts to generate and expand new markets for grapes and grape products, and research to improve the quality and profitability of the crop.

Read Mark Fisher of the Dayton Daily News' recent article on the Ohio Wine Competition.