Ohio

Make time for wine! June is Ohio Wine Month. Here’s what you need to know to celebrate

Published

2 years ago

May 18, 2024

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Make time for wine! June is Ohio Wine Month. Here’s what you need to know to celebrate

Do you need an excuse to visit a winery? Not really. But the Ohio Department of Tourism has one ready, just in case.

June is Ohio Wine Month, and the state tourism department compiled a list of things to do in 2024 for Ohio Wine Month (more on that below).

Here’s what to know about Ohio Wine Month and how to celebrate it.

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What is Ohio Wine Month?

Gov. John Kasich established Ohio Wine Month in 2012 to celebrate Ohio wines and winemakers, according to Drink Up Columbus.

“Ohio’s bustling wine and grape industries provide more than just great products,” said Tracy Intihar, Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) Interim Director, according to the Ohio Grape Industries Committee. “They create thousands of jobs and bring in billions of dollars to the state, in addition to providing local tasting rooms, beautiful vineyards, and top-notch food options to make memories with friends and family at Ohio’s wineries.”

Ohio’s wine industry brought in $6.6 billion in economic activity, created 40,399 jobs and generated $1.9 billion in wages, according to a study conducted by John Dunham & Associates and funded by the OGIC. In 2022, the data set used for this study, Ohio winemakers produced about 1.2 million gallons of wine in a 12-month period and ranked seventh in the country for wine economic output.

What to do during Ohio Wine Month

Ohio tourism’s list of 24 things to do for Ohio Wine Month has suggestions big and small, from traveling the state’s seven wine trails to supporting your local winery, as well as setting up a wine and cheese night at home. Here’s a look at some things to do:

Visit Ohio’s five recognized regions for growing wine grapes

The term “appellation” on a wine label denotes the geographic origin of the grapes used to produce it, according to the Ohio Grape Industries Committee. To use the term on a label, 85% of that wine must be produced from grapes grown in that area.

In the United States, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau regulates viticulture (the study of grape cultivation for wine making) appellations. And Ohio has five of them, according to the committee. They include:

Lake Erie: The Lake Erie AVA is an American Viticultural Area that includes 2,236,800 acres of land on the south shore of Lake Erie in Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Isle St. George: The Isle St. George AVA is located on North Bass Island in Lake Erie. Over half of the island is planted for grapevines.
Grand River Valley: The Grand River Valley AVA includes portions of the Lake, Geauga, and Ashtabula counties of northeastern Ohio.
Ohio River Valley: Wine has been produced in this AVA since 1823. It is the second-largest wine appellation of origin in the United States with 16,640,000 acres in portions of the states of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia. It is second only to the Upper Mississippi Valley.
Loramie Creek: The Loramie Creek AVA is bordered by Loramie and Tuttle Creeks as well as state Route 47 in Shelby County.

Phil Your Glass: Five wines from Northeast Ohio that you need to try

Explore Ohio’s seven wine trails

The Ohio Wine Producers Association lists seven wine trails, each covering a certain region of the state. They are:

Appalachian Wine Trail: According to the wine producers group, the region’s deep unglaciated soils create “very favorable microclimates to ripen grapes,” which are then made into distinctive wines in the tradition of the artists who made the pottery, glasswork, basketry and furniture “for which the foothills of eastern Ohio continue to be known.”
Canal Country Wine Trail: Dotted throughout the region opened to settlement by the Ohio and Erie Canal are some of the state’s “most charming” wineries, according to the wine producers. “Remnants of the Canal are preserved in an area rich in history, beautiful scenery, unique cultures, natural resources and leisure activity options.”
Capital City Wine Trail: With each winery located a short drive from Columbus, the wine producers association says it is possible to visit two or three in a day and explore the unique communities that surround them.
Ohio River Valley Wine Trail: This trail celebrates Ohio wines’ rise to prominence, not once but twice. In the 1800s, Nicholas Longworth planted vines imported from Europe on hundreds of acres overlooking the Ohio River, and discovered a native variety that produced an excellent sparkling wine. By the mid-1800s, his wines were celebrated across the country and Europe, but vine disease and the Civil War ended his run. In the 1970s, the region made a comeback with the support of research from Ohio State University.
Lake Erie Shores & Islands Wine Trail: Throughout this ‘cool climate’ growing district, historic vineyards and wine families who have farmed them for generations are complemented by new plantings of Rieslings and chardonnays established by entrepreneurs. Numerous soil types, deposited by years of glacial movements, provide fertile ground for great viticulture, new and old.
Vines & Wines Wine Trail: Along the south shore of Lake Erie, through the valley created by the Grand River, this tiny parcel of land in Northeast Ohio is home to well over half of the wine grape acreage in the state. It boasts more wineries per square mile than in any other region.
V.I.N.O. Wine Trail: The “Vintners in Northwest Ohio” represents an eclectic group of family wineries. They are just a short drive from Toledo and neighboring communities in Michigan and Indiana.

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Visit a wine festival

The Vintage Ohio Wine Festival in Kirtland on Aug. 2 and 3 bills itself as the “premier food and wine event of the year.” It offers a wide selection of Ohio wines, as well as entertainment, artisans and shopping.

But it is far from the only festival happening around the state. Others include the Island Wine Festival in June and the V.I.N.O Wine Festival in October. For a full list, visit the Ohio Wine Producers Association events page.

Sample a new Ohio wine, or attend a tasting at a new winery

Expand your horizons by sampling a new wine, or your favorite style from a new winery in Ohio.

For past Ohio Wine Months, Ohio Magazine has offered a selection of new wines to try, including 7 Ohio wineries to visit in 2023 and 6 Ohio wines to try in 2022.

Try an award-winning wine

The Ohio Grape Industries Committee has a long list of Ohio wineries that took home medals from the 2024 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, which it calls “the most prestigious in North America.” More than 50 judges, representing various North American wine regions, evaluated over 5,500 wines from nearly 1,000 wineries for the competition.

The 2023 Ohio Wine Competition, held in May, was the largest one yet with 432 entries, the group says. Hanover Winery’s Marquette won Overall Best of Show and Best of Ohio. For the full list of winners, click here.

Find an Ohio winery near you

The state has 320 wineries and 21 grape juice, jam, and jelly producers, according to the Ohio tourism association. If you’re looking for one near you, the Ohio Grape Industries Committee offers a search engine by address or ZIP code.

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Thousands head to Columbus for 23rd annual Home Improvement Show at Ohio Expo Center

Published

7 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Thousands head to Columbus for 23rd annual Home Improvement Show at Ohio Expo Center

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Thousands of people are expected to head to downtown Columbus for the 23rd annual Home Improvement Show this weekend.

Organizers say visitors can find ideas for everything from small interior design projects to major renovations.

The event is being held at the Ohio Expo Center and includes seminars, exhibits and demonstrations from local and national companies.

The show begins at noon Friday and runs until 6 p.m.

It continues Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Adult tickets cost $5 at the door.

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Matt Patricia sought stability in return as Ohio State football defensive coordinator

Published

19 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Matt Patricia sought stability in return as Ohio State football defensive coordinator

Matt Patricia’s contract extension earlier this offseason included a pay raise that figures to make him the highest-paid assistant coach in college football this year.

But Patricia, who will make $3.75 million in guaranteed compensation as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator in 2026, also held an appreciation for his situation.

“Ohio State is such a special place, not only just the history, the tradition, the football program, the school, but the people here,” Patricia said. “Having a chance to have a little stability with my family, it’s hard when you have to move your family around, your kids and the new school and all that.”

Before he joined Ryan Day’s staff last year, the 51-year-old Patricia had bounced around as an assistant in the NFL for much of the decade.

He spent 2021 and 2022 in a variety of roles with the New England Patriots, then a year as a defensive assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles. He took off from coaching in 2024. The frequent relocation gave him perspective.

“We had an unbelievable experience settling into Columbus,” Patricia said. “Everybody’s been so nice and welcoming. It feels like home. It’s a big deal for us to be in a place where everybody’s happy. That’s really important.”

Patricia had a significant impact on the Buckeyes in his first year replacing Jim Knowles. Despite heavy roster attrition following their national championship season, he kept the defense atop the Football Bowl Subdivision. For the second straight season, no one allowed fewer points than Ohio State.

The 9.3 points per game allowed by the Buckeyes were the fewest by any defense since Alabama in 2011.

The success made Patricia a hot commodity on the coaching market, rebuilding his reputation as a sharp and creative football mind only a decade removed from his tenure as a Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator for the Patriots. He was a finalist for the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant.

Patricia said he heard about opportunities in the NFL and elsewhere across the college football landscape, though none of them would pry him away from Ohio State.

“It wasn’t necessarily something where you’re looking to leave,” Patricia said, “but you do have to listen when those things come up. I’m just glad everything worked out.”

His challenge in his second season mirrors his previous one, as the Buckeyes are again managing the loss of eight starters on defense.

But unlike 2025, they have fewer returning pieces, relying on a larger class of transfers to help fill the holes on the depth chart.

“With as much coming into the program for the first time, not only are you trying to catch them up on the football scheme, but you’re also trying to catch them up on everything else,” Patricia said. “This is how we work, this is how we do things, this is the standard we’re looking for, this is how we practice, this is how we prepare, this is how we go to school. That has to be also taught. It becomes a lot, but that’s why you bring in the right guys that have the mental makeup to do all that.”

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow him on @joeyrkaufman on X.

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Which central Ohio schools get the best results for their money?

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Which central Ohio schools get the best results for their money?

Which central Ohio school districts get the most bang for their buck?

On average, school districts in Ohio spend $16,069 per-pupil for education, according to the education think tank Fordham Institute.

However, different district types spend different amounts of money. For example, large urban districts with very high poverty spend around $21,000 per-pupil, but small towns with low poverty spend around $14,900. The district type closest to the state average are those considered rural and high poverty and suburban districts with low poverty.

Aaron Churchill, lead Ohio researcher for the Fordham Institute, said that urban districts – like Columbus City Schools, the state’s largest district – often have higher spending because they can pull more in tax revenue and the state supports them at a higher rate because they are serving a higher proportion of disadvantaged students. Small, high-poverty towns on the other hand, generate less tax revenue from property values and district employee wages, the highest expense for schools, may be lowered by less market competition.

Churchill said schools should be focused on directing their funding toward initiatives that improve student outcomes and achievement.

“It’s making sure we’re focused on quality, we’re focused on performance, and that we’re rewarding performance,” Churchill said. “And we don’t do enough of that in the education system now.”

Churchill said there is a long-running debate among education researchers about whether increasing spending translates to meaningful results for students. Overall, school funding has increased on average over $2,000 per-pupil since 2015 and reached a record-high in 2025, according to the Fordham Institute.

“You can see in the numbers that we’re spending more than we ever have,” Churchill said. “The real million-dollar question is ‘Can our schools spend the money well?’”

Which central Ohio districts have the best results compared to funding?

The Dispatch compared overall spending per-pupil for central Ohio school districts to the ODEW’s performance index, using 2025 state data.

The Performance Index uses the performance level results for students in third grade through high school on Ohio’s state testing. The Performance Index (PI) score accounts for the level of achievement of every student, not just whether they are “proficient.” Higher performance levels receive larger weights in the calculation, but all achievement levels are included. Overall, the state average of performance scores was 91.8, according to 2025 state data.

The central Ohio school district with the highest spending was Columbus City Schools, which spent $24,505 per pupil and received a PI score of 60.7. The district with the highest PI was Grandview Heights Schools, which received a 106 PI score and spent $21,567 per pupil. New Albany-Plain Local Schools was a close second in PI at 105.1 while spending more than $4,000 less than Grandview Heights at $16,923 per-pupil.

Here’s how central Ohio schools stack up by spending versus achievements on tests, according to the Ohio Department of Education (sorted by highest spending per-pupil):

Columbus City Schools – Spending per-pupil: $24,505; PI score: 60.7
Grandview Heights Schools – Spending per-pupil: $21,567; PI score: 106
Bexley City Schools – Spending per-pupil: $21,025; PI score: 102.7
Dublin City Schools – Spending per-pupil: $18,702; PI score: 97.6
Worthington City Schools – Spending per-pupil: $18.573 ; PI score: 94.3
Madison-Plains Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $17,646; PI score: 88
New Albany-Plain Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $16,923; PI score: 105.1
Westerville City Schools – Spending per-pupil: $16,815; PI score: 89.7
Olentangy Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $16,780; PI score: 103.9
Groveport Madison Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $16,236; PI score: 72.6
Upper Arlington City Schools – Spending per-pupil: $16,282; PI score: 103.6
Canal Winchester Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $16.154; PI score: 89.1
Average Ohio school district – Spending per-pupil: $16,069; PI score: 91.8
Reynoldsburg City Schools – Spending per-pupil: $15,956; PI score: 72.2
Gahanna-Jefferson City Schools – Spending per-pupil: $15,742; PI score: 89.7
Hilliard City Schools – Spending per-pupil: $15,694; PI score: 90
South Western City Schools – Spending per-pupil: $15,600; PI score: 78.5
Whitehall City Schools – Spending per-pupil: $15,593; PI score: 66.95
Johnstown-Monroe Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $15,163; PI score: 94.5
Jonathan Alder Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $14,803; PI score: 95.9
Pickerington Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $14,470 ; PI score: 90.9
Big Walnut Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $14,239; PI score: 95.1
London City – Spending per-pupil: $13,750; PI score: 81.3
Marysville Exempted Village Schools – Spending per-pupil: $13,608; PI score: 95.5
Licking Heights Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $13,585; PI score: 85.4
Hamilton Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $12,971; PI score: 82.2
Bloom-Carrol Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $12,720; PI score: 90.89
Licking Valley Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $12,587; PI score: 85

Cole Behrens covers K-12 education and school districts in central Ohio. Have a tip? Contact Cole at cbehrens@dispatch.com or connect with him on X at @Colebehr_report

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