“For the richest and best,
Is the wine of the West,
That grows by the Beautiful River,
Whose sweet perfume
Fills all the room,
With a benison on the giver.”
That was an excerpt from an early 1800’s poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow called “An Ode to Catawba Wine”. Think he’s referring to Cali? No. Washington? Uh uh. That poem is all about Ohio wine. That’s right, Ohio. It was considered “the West” at the time the poem was written, and the Buckeye state boasted the best wine in the US during the days of western expansion. Ohio means ‘beautiful river’ in the Catawba Indian language. The grape is actually thought to have originated in the Catawba River valley in North Carolina. That river named the grape, and the grape, in turn named the wine. Fun little progression there, huh?
The Ohio wine industry began booming when Nicholas Longworth of Cincinnati realized the Ohio River valley would be a great place for wine making. He planted a huge crop of Catawba grapes in 1820. These grapes are very hearty and able to withstand the cold climate and rough winters the state normally has. By 1840, Ohio was producing 300,000 gallons of wine annually, and in 1860 the state led the nation producing 1/3 of all wine. However, it all went downhill from there. Crop diseases such as black rot and mildew wilted the vineyards, and with the Civil War going on, wineries lost a lot of man power. I know what you’re thinking: “yeah, because the slaves were gone.” Nope! Ohio was a free state remember! Stop thinking so negatively.
All was not lost for Ohio wines, even when prohibition forced wineries still in operation to switch to juice making, or sacramental wines—sure, sure— Lake Erie wines began to flourish. A long growing season, coupled with a fluctuation of German immigrants skilled at wine making allowed the area to once again become a contender in wine. Ohio Riesling even won Best Of Show at the San Francisco State Fair Wine Competition!
Today, there are five documented wine regions, along with countless other areas not officially named where wine is made in Ohio. There are 109 licensed wineries that produce 750,000 gallons of wine valued at $75 million.
They have come a long way from the early 1800’s and Catawba grape wine. The regions, output, types of wine, and of course, prices have changed. One thing remains the same: wonderful wine is still grown by the “beautiful river.”
Marietta Wine Cellars Catawba Wine
After reading about this wine, I was extremely curious as to the taste. Here is my take on Catawba wine. Marietta Wine Cellars Catawba is a beautiful, amber color with the rich aroma of red apple and caramel on the nose. The taste is smooth and sweet, almost better than the dessert you’ll eat it with. Almost. My ruling: If it’s good enough for Longfellow, it’s good enough for me.
Emma Criswell combines her newsroom talent with her love of wine to bring you all the news in the world of wine past and present.
I have not been able to find out which winery produced the riesling that won the gold metal at the San Francisco State Fair in the 1990s. I find many references to an Ohio wine winning, but I can’t find the name of the wine or the vintner. Do you know? Thanks, Barbara