Ohio Agriculture Director David T. Daniels honored the Director?s Choice recipients at an 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 Director Daniels, for the highly coveted award. The 2017 award recipients are:
Best White Wine
2016 Ferrante Grand River Valley Vidal Blanc Ferrante Winery, Ashtabula County
2015 Doughty Glen Misty Meiner Doughty Glen Winery, Holmes County
Best Red Wine
Valley Vineyards Red Reflections Valley Vineyards, Warren County
Best Rose?
Terra Cotta Chambourcin Ros? Terra Cotta Vineyards, Muskingum County.
In addition, Daniels presented Pamela Ledyard of Stoney Ridge Winery (Williams County) with the Grape Grower of the Year award, and Andrew Codispoti of Gervasi Vineyard (Stark County) with the Winemaker of the Year award.
All of the Director?s Choice award recipients are eligible for 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% 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.
