There is more to our state's wines than just the sweet stuff we're famous for. "We have the Great Lakes," says Arnie Esterer, owner of Markko Vineyard. "You have to be close to the lake — within five or six miles to get the best benefit."
That allows Ohio winemakers to grow an array of grapes including these popular varieties: Concord, riesling, chardonnay, vidal, cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir.
So why the ice wine and Catawba-pink image?
"The Great Lakes has a sweeter palate than either coast," says Debonne Vineyards owner Anthony Debevc. "Either coast was inundated by dry wine from either Europe or California. The Midwest always had these other, native varieties that they could grow."
Here are all the juicy details on some of our region's favorite grapes.
Concord
This sweet grape is practically native, says Esterer. It originated in Massachusetts and rose to prominence as a juice grape thanks to Dr. Thomas Welch, a prohibitionist who grew Concord grapes as an alternative to wine for his church communions.
Riesling
Around for more than 5,000 years, this grape has traveled from the Middle East to Europe. "If they don't ripen very well, you make them into champagne," Esterer says. "If they're nice and ripe late in the harvest, you can make them into a semisweet wine."
Chardonnay
"We can beat California in our white wines," Esterer says. "They can make big chardonnays, but we can do better." The moderate — but not too cold — climate within a few miles of Lake Erie helps create our region's crisp chardonnays.
Vidal
A sweet grape known for its hardiness in cold temperatures, vidal blanc is typically grown for ice wine in northern Ohio. The grapes are picked when they're colder than 19 degrees, says Esterer, and they must be pressed before they warm up.
Cabernet
Sauvignon
A traditional French grape that more growers here are trying. "It ripens at the end of October," notes Esterer. "It just barely gets ripe around here." It works in Northeast Ohio because it's a sturdy grape with a thick skin.
Pinot Noir
"It's a wonderful grape," Esterer says. "It ripens at the same time as chardonnay, and it would be perfect, but it's very fickle." Although the French grape grows well in cool regions, "it's not very winter hardy; the trunks get hurt by the winter."
