Want to spend an afternoon with 30,000 fellow foodies and wine lovers sampling regional wine, listening to music and enjoying tasty treats? Ok, maybe not 30,000 all at once but that’s how many people come out to enjoy one of our area’s best events over the course of two days – Vintage Ohio.
Vintage Ohio takes place on August 6 and 7 on the beautiful grounds of Lake Farmpark in Kirtland. This year, 20 wineries will be on hand offering over 150 vintages for sampling. There is something for everyone, from world-class wines like pinot gris, chardonnay, riesling and cabernet franc, to more fun-to-drink fruit wines made with fresh strawberries, peaches and blackberries that might appeal those that are newer to wine. From red, white, blush, dry and sweet, there’s a wine for everyone and the fun is sampling your way to discovering your likes and dislikes.
The people behind Vintage Ohio work hard to bring together the best of Ohio wines and the people behind them. I’ve gotten to know these folks a bit over the past year and their dedication, passion and pride for Ohio wine is quite contagious! Participating wineries include:
- Breitenbach Wine Cellars, Dover
- Buccia Vineyards, Conneaut
- Candlelight Winery, Garrettsville
- Debonne Vineyards, Madison
- Emerine Estates, Jefferson
- Ferrante, Geneva
- Grand Rivers Cellars, Madison
- Grape and Granary, Akron
- It’s Your Winery, Akron
- Klingshim Winery, Avon Lake
- Maize Valley Winery, Hartville
- Marietta Wine Cellars, Marietta
- Old Firehouse Winery, Geneva-on-the-Lake
- Old Mill Winery, Geneva
- St. Joseph Vineyard, Thompson
- The Winery at Spring Hill, Geneva
- Valley Vineyards, Morrow
- Wyandotte Winery, Columbus
In addition to wine, there will be three stages for live entertainment, including jazz, reggae, oldies and light rock. Friday night will conclude with a fireworks display. Throughout the rolling hills and tall oak trees of Lake Farmpark, Loretta Paganini’s School of Cooking will offer a dozen food demonstrations and tastings. Additionally, stands will include ribs, crab cakes, gourmet cheeses, crepes and more. There;s also family games and wine education classes sponsored by the American Wine Society focusing on ice wines, zinfandel and Ohio’s wine trails.
Tickets are $25 in advance or $27 at the gate. Designated driver tickets are $10 and children under 18 are $3. There’s also a two-day taster ticket for $40. Cleveland Foodie readers can get a special discounted rate of $19 by using code 2010clfd. Click here to order tickets.
Want to go? I’m giving away 5 pairs of tickets. Just leave a comment sharing either your favorite local winery to visit or favorite local wine to drink. I’ll pick winners by Friday, July 9. Cheers!
Fun Fact on Ohio Wine
- There are 140 wineries in Ohio, creating 4,108 jobs, 2.3 million visitors and a total economic impact pf a half billion annually.
- Ohio ranks in the top 10 states in total wine production.
- Ohio wines have won Best of Show in San Fran and LA.
- There is a family-owned winery within a 45-minute drive of every Ohio resident.
- Ohio has 6 wine trails.
- Wineries preserve green space and increase quality of life to communities.
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Nationally, grapes are the 7th most valuable commodity within all of American agriculture.
We have winners! The lucky numbers are: 14, 27, 8, 9, and 32. Please email me your address so I can mail out your two tickets. Thanks and congrats!
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