Gentile, Roger L. Discovering Ohio Wines. Columbus, Ohio; Enthea Press, 1991.
Some time back, I said that someone should write a reference book about Ohio wines and winemakers. Little did I know that Roger Gentile had already done so, be it two decades ago. Because a great deal has changed in the Ohio wine scene over the last 20 years, Discovering Ohio Wines is a historic document. But, it has its virtues for the wine historian.
When Discovering Ohio Wines was published in 1991, a new generation of Ohio winemakers was becoming established. While the pre-Prohibition wine industry in Ohio is very extensive (Ohio was third largest wine-producing state in 1909 [16]), the industry hit a sweet bottom in the 1950s with many of the old wineries closing up shop. During Prohibition, many wineries switched to growing Concord exclusively for juice and jam products. Tastes were changing, where Joe Winedrinker wanted a California Pinot Noir over a Lake Erie Pink Concord.
It was in the late 1960s and 1970s that the wine bug spread from California and the Finger Lakes region of New York to the state traditionally known for Catawba. The idea was to make fine wines in harsh climates. The new winemaker was not a third generation grape farmer, but a middle age professional going “back to the land.” These are the winemakers who predominantly make up Gentile’s Discovering Ohio Wines.
The bulk of this work is spent discussing each operating winery (45 wineries at the time) and highlighting their best works. Gentile is a wine man, who clearly states his preference for fine European grapes, but he is still open to native grapes. Discovering Ohio Wines is not intended for wine experts. Along with telling the history of the winery, Gentile simplifies his wine talk. Grapes and wines are always broken down into three categories: Labrusca (native grapes such as Concord and Catawba), Vinifera (European lineage such as Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc), and French-American hybrids (Vignoles). While he has many choice words for the Labrusca fruit, he does take to time to point out the head of the class (Heineman and Breitenbach duke it out for best Niagra and he is really high on Meier’s #44 Cream Sherry).
If you happen to come across this guide, you may want to flip through a few pages. Many well established Ohio wineries were still in infancy at the time of publication. Or, you may want to write your own updated guide. There are over 120 wineries in the state now. For those not so intent on creating, but who want to learn much more about post-Prohibition wine, I recommend A History of Wine in America by Thomas Pinney, who covers the wine industry all over the nation.
Filed under: Food, Historic Curiosity
