Tania Meek Athens

from SIP 2023

Meet the Ambassadors

WHY DID YOU APPLY TO BECOME AN AMBASSADOR? In the past, I loved to visit local wineries and share about them along the way, but now I have the occasion to engage further into a conversation with each one.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE OHIO WINE? Pleasant Hill Vineyards in Athens. They embody the complete package — breathtaking views, wonderful ambiance, a delightful story, wide variety of tasty wines and delicious food pairings.

PICTURED: Even rainy days don’t stop Tania Meek from exploring Rockside Winery and Vineyards in Lancaster. INSET: Meek and one of her friends warm up by the fireplace at The Caboose at Dutch Creek Retreat in Athens.

WHAT ATTRACTS YOU TO OHIO’S WINERIES? WHAT’S MADE YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH THEM?

The more I learn about the art of winemaking and wines, the more I realize how hard Ohio vintners are laboring to change the preconceived ideas of the wine types and flavors our state produces.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE PAIRING BETWEEN A DISH AND AN OHIO WINE? I love the Ridge Red Chambourcin from Shade Winery. It is delicious paired with their aged sirloin and a decadent chocolate dessert.

From the fruits of our vines to your table.

From our scenic Amish Country vineyard to your table – enjoy a glass of our award-winning wines at Breitenbach. From dry wines to sweet fruit wines (even dandelion), experience the relaxing atmosphere of our Wine Cellars and Café. Enjoy wine tasting, take a tour or dine on our café specialty, wood-fired pizzas.

BREITENBACH WINE CELLARS

5934 Old Route 39 NW, Dover, Ohio 44622 330-343-3603 | breitenbachwine.com

WINERY & TASTING HOURS

Monday-Saturday, 9am to 6pm – 40 Varieties to choose from!

CAFE | Monday-Saturday, 11am-3pm Serving fresh salads & wood-fired pizzas.

BREITENBACH BARBECUE & LIVE MUSIC

Saturdays, May through October

Enjoy ﬁve local wineries offering scenic outdoor patios, delicious wines and food options. Plan a weekend in Youngstown.

WHAT MADE YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH OHIO’S WINERIES?

I really love the variety of options you have from sweet wines to good aged ones. I was normally involved in traditional wine manufacturing, but here in Ohio, they really work to focus on customer likes and creating amazing wines.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE PAIRING BETWEEN A DISH AND AN OHIO WINE? Something that I use a lot with pizza is a barrelaged white wine, like Chardonnay.

PICTURED: Gaston Calero loves to share his passion for wine with others.

Hours: W 1-6, Th 1-9, Fri & Sat 1-10

• Visit Preble County’s first and only winery located in an original 1890’s one-room brick schoolhouse

• Experience the beautiful tasting room featuring internationally award winning wines made on-site

• Events throughout the year

• Relax and enjoy Preble County’s finest winery

152 State Route 726 Eaton, OH 45320 937-472-WINE (9463) www.oshwinery.com

PICTURED: Shana Lee relaxes at Gideon Owen Wine Company in Port Clinton. INSET: Lee tries a flight of red wines at Gillig Winery in Findlay.

Shana Lee

Toledo

WHY DID YOU APPLY TO BECOME AN AMBASSADOR? I applied to become an Ohio Wine Ambassador to expand my exploration of Ohio’s growing wine scene.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE OHIO WINE? Over the last year, I’ve made my way around wineries in Northwest Ohio, and while I’m still a mostly dry red wine drinker, I’ve come to love some varieties that I hadn’t previously reached for when purchasing wine. I tried Ice Wine at Gillig Winery in Findlay for the first time last year and really enjoyed it. Then there’s the blueberry wine at Majestic Oak in Grand Rapids. Very tasty!

WHAT ATTRACTS YOU TO OHIO’S WINERIES? WHAT’S MADE YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH THEM? I love that so many of the Ohio’s wineries are located in small, charming towns. It’s usually very laid back, with a very interesting history behind them.

Be a Wine VIP

Do you love Ohio wines and want to share your passion with others?

You can sign up to be an Ohio Wines VIP and earn rewards when visiting nearly 400 wineries across the state. Learn more at OhioWinesVIP.com.

Live Music

Singers, Songwriters, Artists and Entertainers

Special Events

Wines, Vines and Vows in a Breathtaking Setting

Stop

BED & BREAKFAST

Hot tubs, soft pillows and breakfast at your door

COOL CLIMATE, HAND-CRAFTED ARTISINAL WINES

518 GORE ROAD • CONNEAUT, OHIO 440.593.5976 // BucciaVineyards.com

Award-Winning Wines

Pizzas, Sandwiches, & Small Bites

Sangrias, Wine Floats & Slushies

Dog Friendly Outdoor Patios

Cheesecake Flights

Wine Tastings

OHIO GRAPE GROWERS ARE ACCUSTOMED TO PROTECTING THEIR CROP FROM PESTS LIKE YELLOWJACKETS, BALD-FACED HORNETS, GRAPE PHYLLOXERA AND FRUIT FLIES.

“THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF INSECTS THAT POP UP EVERY NOW AND THEN,” SAYS SCOTT BUENTE, CHAIR OF THE OGIC RESEARCH ADVISORY GROUP. “WE’VE BEEN DEALING WITH JAPANESE BEETLES FOR MORE YEARS THAN I CAN THINK OF.”

AT FRENCH RIDGE VINEYARDS AND WINERY IN KILLBUCK, BUENTE AND HIS WIFE, KATHY, AVOID USING INSECTICIDES AND INSTEAD HAVE INSTALLED BLUEBIRD BOXES AROUND THE VINEYARD TO ATTRACT BIRDS THAT FEED ON THESE PESTS. NOW, THOUGH, BUENTE AND OTHER GROWERS ARE BRACING FOR A NEW THREAT, THE SPOTTED LANTERNFLY.

“Spotted Lanternfly is going to be a problem,” Buente says. “It’s going to be a nationwide concern.”

Native to Asia, Spotted Lanternfly was first detected stateside in 2014 in Pennsylvania, where a 2019 Penn State study pegged its estimated annual economic impact at $42.6 million statewide.

The invasive species arrived in Ohio in 2020, detected first in Jefferson County before spreading to other areas over the past few years, according to David Adkins, who retired in 2022 as Agriculture Inspection Manager with the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

“For the grape industry, it’s a concern because it can damage the plant itself and basically kill the plant,” Adkins says. “It can also cause this sooty mold to develop on the fruit, which makes it worthless.”

Despite their name, Spotted Lanternfly are weak fliers. They take over a vineyard by hopping from plant to plant and spread from one region to another by laying eggs on or clinging to trains and cars.

Vino di Piccin

For the love of Family and Wine

Vino di Piccin believes in utilizing the best available grapes in our wine making process. We believe that the quality of the wine that we drink today, starts years prior in our partner’s vineyards.

At Vino di Piccin we have applied the knowledge and understanding of the wine making process bestowed to us from the generations of family and friends and have made it our own. A process that is founded on quality, consistency, and the love of family and wine.

“If you’re visiting the East Coast, don’t bring any hitchhikers back home,” Adkins cautions. “Check your vehicle and make sure that when you close the trunk, you’re not closing it with a bunch of Spotted Lanternfly in it.”

Early detection is key to preventing the pest’s rapid spread. In its nymph stages, Spotted Lanternfly is black with white spots, then changes to vibrant red with patches of black and white. Adults will be about an inch long with gray wings with black spots and a bright red underwing. You may also notice honeydew deposits that promote black mold growth on affected plants and egg masses on trees, rocks houses and more.

Ashley Leach, PhD, an assistant professor of entomology at The Ohio State University, recommends paying close attention to the vineyard edge, where grapevines may be in close proximity to other Spotted Lanternfly hosts, like tree of heaven and other woody trees.

“Scout, scout, scout,” Leach says. “Make sure you’re walking your blocks once a week, checking those vines, the cordons and especially the shoots because that’s where the babies like to hang out.

Then, as the adults come out, they’ll move to colonize the whole plant.”

If growers see signs of Spotted Lanternfly, they should report the infestation to the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

Leach emphasizes that the Spotted Lanternfly’s arrival is not a “doom and gloom” scenario for vineyards — with proper pest management, growers can effectively mitigate the threat and preserve their harvest.

“Keep your eyes peeled. Actively look for Spotted Lanternfly,” she says. “Having more people who consider themselves vested stakeholders in this is incredibly beneficial when we’re trying to calibrate where we need to can slow the spread.”