Ohio wines honored with prestigious awards
The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) is celebrating locally made wines this June, during Ohio Wine Month. Responsible festivities kicked off this year with recognizing this year’s Director’s Choice and Ohio Wine Competition Best of Show and Best of Ohio award-winners.
Director Brian Baldridge announced the 2024 Director’s Choice recipients for the Best Red, Best White and Best Dessert/Specialty wine at the Ohio Wine Month Kick-Off Celebration held at the Ohio Statehouse on May 15.
“Ohio wines offer something for everyone,” said Director Baldridge. “We like to think of our state as the heart of agriculture. What’s grown in our fields and produced in our barns is second to none. I hope everyone makes it a priority to buy local and support these small businesses responsibly.”
This year’s winners are listed below:
Director’s Choice Best Red Wine
2021 Ferrante Signature Series Grand River Valley Dolcetto
Geneva, Ohio
Ashtabula
Wine Region: Vines and Wines
Director’s Choice Best White Wine
2022 The Vineyards at Pine Lake Vignoles
Columbiana, Ohio
Wine Region: Canal Country
Director’s Choice Best Dessert/Specialty Wine
Kosicek Vineyards Concord Ice Wine
Geneva, Ohio
Ashtabula
Wine Region: Vines and Wines.
The 2024 Ohio Wine Competition was held May 16-18 and was coordinated by Kent State University Ashtabula, directed by Todd Steiner, OSU Enology Outreach Specialist and Program Manager, and sponsored by the Ohio Grape Industries Committee (OGIC). There was a record-breaking total of 436 entries this year, with Debonné Vineyards taking home top honors with the Overall Best of Show and Best of Ohio.
Congratulations to all the 2024 “Overall Best of Show,” “Best of Class” and “Best of Ohio” award-winners listed below.
Overall Best of Show and Best of Ohio
Debonné Vineyards Riesling, 2023, Grand River Valley
Best of Show Sparkling Wine
Kosicek Vineyards Traminette, Non-Vintage, Lake Erie
Best of Ohio Sparkling Wine
M Cellars Blanc de Blanc. 2021, Grand River Valley
Best of Class and Best of Ohio White Wine
Debonné Vineyards Riesling Reserve, 2023, Grand River Valley
Best of Show and Best of Ohio Blush/Rosé Wine
The Vineyards at Pine Lake Avily, 2023, Ohio
Best of Show Red Wine
Kosicek Vineyards Cabernet Franc, 2022, American
Best of Ohio Red Wine
Baci Winery Cabernet Franc, 2021, Grand River Valley
Best of Show Fruit Wine
Olde Schoolhouse Vineyard and Winery Preble Pear, Non-Vintage, Preble County
Best of Show Dessert/Specialty Wine
The Winery at Spring Hill Frosted Red Raspberry, 2023, American
Best of Show and Best of Ohio Ice Wine
Debonné Vineyards Vidal Blanc Ice Wine, 2023, Grand River Valley.
The “Best of Ohio” designation was awarded to the “Best of Show” wines that were made from a minimum of 90-percent Ohio-grown American/Labrusca, Hybrid and Vinifera grape varieties, and have received the Ohio Quality Wine seal designation.
A complete list of this year’s medal winners can be found HERE. https://findohiowines.ohio.gov/wps/wcm/connect/gov/466cc637-f0fa-4b47-b…
The OGIC was established in 1981 and operates in part through ODA.
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