JUST IN: 3 Southwest Ohio wineries strike gold in 2018 Ohio Wine Competition

Three southwest Ohio wineries were among the double-gold/category winners in the 2018 Ohio Wine Competition.

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Fulton Grove Winery east of Cincinnati captured top honors for "Best Red Wine" for its 2015 Syrah;  Vinoklet Winery & Restaurant in Cincinnati captured the top prize for "Fruit/Specialty  Wines" for its "Sweet Jackie" Blackberry wine; and Meier's Wine Cellars in Cincinnati earned top honors in the Sparkling Wine category for its Reiem Spumante.

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A non-vintage Riesling produced by Maize Valley Winery in Hartville southeast of Akron took home the competition's top award of "Best of  Show." Ferrante Winery near Geneva in northeast Ohio was the only winery to earn two best-in-category awards, for best white wine (2017 Signature Series Pinot Grigio,Grand River Valley) and best dessert wine (2016 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine, Grand River Valley).

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In the Blush/Rosé category, Doughty Glen Winery in Holmes County south of Akron snagged the top ranking for its non-vintage Laughing Blush.

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The competition sponsored by the Ohio Grape Industries Committee drew 285 entries of wines bottled and produced by Ohio-based wineries. Of those 285 wines, 16 were awarded concordance-gold medals, meaning that all judges on a four-person panel designate that wine as a gold-medal winner.

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Judging was held May 8-9 in Geneva‐on‐the‐ Lake, Ohio.

**Note: Mark Fisher, who wrote this  story, served as a judge for the 2018 Ohio Wine Competition.

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