(ABOVE: Ferrante Winery & Ristorante receives the Director’s Choice Award for white wine. Pictured left to right: State Rep. John Patterson, State Sen. Capri Cafaro, Director David Daniels, and Nick Ferrante.)
REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio — Ohio Agriculture Director David T. Daniels honored three Ohio wines as Director’s Choice recipients at an Ohio Wine Month event held at the Statehouse for retailers, distributors, restaurateurs and winery owners.
More than 20 wines were evaluated by a panel of judges, on behalf of Daniels, for the award.
The envelope, please
The 2013 award recipients are:
- White Wine: 2012 Ferrante Signature Series Golden Bunches Dry Riesling, Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Geneva.
- Red Wine: Terra Cotta Chambourcin, Terra Cotta Vineyards, New Concord.
- Specialty Wine: 2011 Debonne Vidal Blanc Ice Wine, Debonne Vineyards, Madison.
Ohio Quality Wines
All of the Director’s Choice award recipients have already received the Ohio Quality Wine designation. It was created in 2007 by the Ohio Grape Industries Committee and is assigned to wines made from at least 90 percent Ohio-grown grapes.
These wines must also achieve at least 15 of 20 points on a sensory evaluation and pass a chemical analysis before receiving the quality seal.
The Ohio Grape Industries Committee is housed at the Ohio Department of Agriculture and provides wineries a means to market their top-quality wines against well-known California and European wines.
To learn more about the program or for a complete list of Ohio Quality Wines, visit www.tasteohiowines.com.
Ohio’s grape and wine production contributes nearly a half billion dollars to Ohio’s economy and accounts for more than 4,100 full-time jobs.
