With over 30 years of print journalism experience, Mark Fisher is the first reporter to be named to the Ohio Wine Hall of Fame. Fisher currently serves as the retail and restaurant reporter for Dayton Daily news, a Cox Media Group news source.

Since 1989, he has authored the Taste of Wine column for Dayton Daily News. He started Uncorked in 2005 and was one of the first daily wine columnists to launch a wine blog. In 2008, he established Taste, a food and dining blog.

Fisher's work has appeared in a number of national and area wine tourism publications and websites including Ohio Magazine and WineEnthusiast.com. He has also served a judge for the Ohio Wine Competition, the Indy International Wine Competition, and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wine Competition.

Kenny Joe Schuchter, a second-generation owner and 50 year industry veteran, operates Valley Vineyards, the second-largest estate grown winery in Ohio.

Schuchter served as a board member and as president of the Ohio Wine Producers Association, and on the Ohio Grape Industries Committee and its research committee.

His father, Ken Shuchter, who passed away in October 2016, was inducted into the Ohio Wine Hall of Fame 14 years ago.

Pictured left to right: Kenny Jo Schuchter and Greg Pollman, wine maker at Valley Vineyards since 1985, in the cellar of the winery.

Photo of the Ferrante family receiving two prestigious awards; the Ohio Hall of Fame and the Ohio Winemaker of Year award by the Ohio Grape Industries at the Ohio Wine and Grape Short Course in Columbus, Ohio. Nicholas Ferrante is shown holding both awards.

Nicholas Ferrante, a third generation winemaker for Ferrante Winery in Harpersfield, is regarded as one of the state's most respected winemakers. His wines have been awarded 'Sweepstakes,' 'Best of Show,' and 'Double Gold,' recognition from coast to coast.

He has generously given of his time, serving on the Ohio Grape Industries Committees and on its research subcommittees. He has been a supporter and collaborator of research and innovation, be it through our universities or in his support or the Grand River Valley initiative or the creation of Pairings Wine and Culinary Experience. He has also been a speaker at nearly every major industry conference in the country.

Source: Ohio Wine Producers Association Hall of Fame website.

David Scurlock has played a critical role in the growth of and success in Ohio’s grape and wine grape industries. Mentored by Dr. Garth Cahoon, David joined Ohio State University’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) in Wooster in 1980; an era devoted to cultivation of traditional native grapes, most of which were used for juice and the remainder fermented into regionally popular wines. Over the years he has helped both new and veteran growers across the state produce world class wine by helping them transform their acreage into hybrid and vinifera vines. He has worked directly with a countless number of growers to establish new vines and has monitored their growth.

Anthony (Tony) Debevc was recognized for his pioneering work in grape growing, his leadership, and for the establishment of one of the first ‘modern era’ wineries when it opened in the Grand River Valley in 1972.

In the winery’s early days, he was mentored by the Philip Wagner of Maryland’s Boordy Vineyards, a legendary figure whose grape growing experiments introduced French-American hybrid grapes to America.

He was the founding director of the Ohio Wine Producers Association and elected as the first chair of the American Association of Vintners, which developed into Wine America. He served on the first Ohio Grape Industries Committee and held the position of chairman for the American Association of Vintners, the first national trade association for wine producers.

Dalton 'Duke' Bixler has worked many years in the Ohio wine industry, growing his 3,000 gallon Breitenbach Wine Cellar into one of the largest wineries in the state. In 1980, when the prospect of turning his meat and cheese market into a winery came up, Duke and Cynthia Bixler took on the challenge. They named it Breitenbach, which means “broad or bright stream.” This same year he joined Ohio Wine Producers Association, as the 20th winery in the state.

Source: Ohio Wine Producers Association Hall of Fame website

Dr. Michael A. Ellis, emeritus professor of fruit pathology at the Ohio State University, has guided the Ohio grape and wine community to produce the best grapes possible. His influence can be seen in thousands of thriving vineyards from the Ohio River to the shores of Lake Erie. Specifically, he was recognized for his research and extension work in grapes. However his enthusiasm, energy, can-do attitude, clear presentations and willingness to be ever helpful made it easy for well-established growers and those just starting out to adopt his recommendations.

Source: Ohio Wine Producers Association Hall of Fame website.

Allan Klingshirn of the Klingshirn Winery in Avon Lake served the industry as a visionary who helped guide the early years of the 'new' industry in the early eighties, first as a member and then as a two-term president of the Ohio Wine Producers Association.

Allan purchased the family farm in 1955 from his father Albert, who had established the winery in 1935 following the repeal of Prohibition. Under Allan's leadership, the winery more than quadrupled in size and its buildings were expanded to include a retail tasting room. When his son, Lee joined the business in 1986, vineyards were expanded to include a wide range of vinifera and hybrid wine grapes.

Source: Ohio Wine Producers Association Hall of Fame website

Tony Debevc (1916-2010) and Rose Petrovic (1921-2017) were inducted for their enduring spirit, success, and commitment to the Ohio grape and wine industry. In early 1970s Tony, with the help of Rose and his son Anthony (Tony) Debevc and the recommendation of Dr. Garth Cahoon and others, transformed their small Concord grape production into a small A-frame winery with 35 seats. The winery emerged as a local labrusca producer but grew to become one of the largest in Ohio.

Running the business was a family affair. Tony managed the vineyards and Rose managed the books. Anthony, Jr. and his wife Beth pursued a dynamic business plan based on growth and quality fruit and fine wines. In 1995, the family was the first establishment to be named by Vineyard & Winery Management magazine as “Wine Family of the Year”.

Source: Ohio Wine Producers Association Hall of Fame website

Arnie Esterer and Tim Hubbard (1923-2000) planted their first vines in 1968 and built the winery in 1972 in Conneaut. Known locally as the godfather of Ashtabula County winemaking, Arnie Esterer began his tutelage under the late Dr. Konstantin Frank, a well-known viticulturist and winery owner who promoted the vinifera varieties in the Finger Lakes area in New York and other areas along the East Coast throughout the 1960s and into the early 1980s. Under Frank's direction the winery became the first in Ohio to successfully grow European vinifera grapes.

Photo features Arnie Esterer and the late Linda Frisbie (1940-2015), veteran wine taster and employee at Markko’s Vineyard for over 40 years.

Dr. Thomas Quilter (1921-2006) and Mary Quilter (1921-2010) were inducted for their years of pioneering in the Ohio wine industry. In 1972, the couple began growing a wide variety of wine and table grapes as an experiment and hobby on a grain farm thirty-three miles north of Columbus. They learned that certain grape varieties such as Seyval, Marechal Foch, Concord, and Niagara are, in general, more winter hardy and therefore more suitable for the region. A hobby turned into a business when, in 1984, Shamrock become a bonded winery.

Tom and Mary Quilter emphasized the pairing of French-American hybrids with traditional foods of the area. Tom served six years on the Ohio Wine Producers Association Board of Directors and represented the wine industry in many agricultural meetings. Mary's dedication to the winery and vineyard made it possible for Tom to serve the wine industry.

Source: Ohio Wine Producers Association Hall of Fame website.

Inspired by Dr. Garth Cahoon, a well-established viticulturist and an Ohio Wine Hall of Fame inductee, that his family farm in Warren County had the ideal soil and weather condition to grow grapes, Ken Schuchter (1931-2016) started Valley Vineyards in southwest region of Ohio in 1969. The vines and winery began to thrive under Ken's leadership.

Early on Ken was involved. He assisted in the formation of the Ohio Wine Producers Association and the Ohio Grape Industries Program. He served on the association’s Board of Directors for ten years and for twenty years he acted as a board member for the Ohio Grape Industries Program.

Over the years, Ken and Valley Vineyards have earned countless awards and recognition for the excellence of their wines.

Lou Heineman was honored for his leadership on the board of the Ohio Wine Producers Association and for his role in bringing his century old family business on Put-in-Bay into a new generation of Ohio winemaking. Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, Lou carried the tradition of making fine island wines such as his renowned Pink Catawba. He also helped guide his son Edward, as the winery moved to producing French American hybrids and European style varietals.

He served as a founding member of Ohio Wine Producers Association and also as it's president in the 1980s. With his background in local island government, he lead the industry toward a realization of the importance of becoming politically active to build awareness of the importance of the industry to both the agricultural and tourism communities.

Source: Lou Heineman and Donniella Winchell Named to the Ohio Wine Hall of Fame Press Release from the Ohio Wine Producers Association (2002)

Donniella Winchell joined the Ohio Wine Producers Association in 1978 and held the position of executive secretary. In 1984, she became the association’s full time director. During the ensuing years she helped build the organization from a fledging cluster of 9 farm wineries to a dynamic group of nearly 65 wineries and several dozen growers.

Under her leadership, the industry initiated the Vintage Ohio wine festival, which served as a model for similar events in several states. She has been active nationally with the Winegrowers of America, the American Vintners Association, the National wine Vision strategic planning group and the Wine Market Council. She also serves on several state and local tourism committees, underscoring her belief in both regional tourism and economic development.

Source: Lou Heineman and Donniella Winchell Named to the Ohio Wine Hall of Fame Press Release from the Ohio Wine Producers Association (2002)

Robert Gottesman (1918-2000), owner of Paramount Distillers as well as Meier’s, Mon Ami, Firelands and Lonz wineries, was responsible for leading the resurgence of the wine industry in the early 1970s.

In 1994, he was inducted into the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame and was a founding member of the Ohio Wine Producers Association. He was also instrumental in initiating legislation that created the Ohio Grape Industries Committee.

Sources: Ohio Wine Industry Honors Founding Fathers with the Creation of the ‘Ohio Wine Hall of Fame’ Press Release from the Ohio Wine Producers Association (2001), and Ohio Wine Producers Association Hall of Fame website.

Nicholas Longworth (1783-1863), recognized as the person most responsible for bring winemaking to the Buckeye State, was the first inductee to Ohio Wine Hall of Fame.

Ohio owes the rich heritage of its wine industry to Longworth, whose passion for growing native grapes and producing wine in the Cincinnati region led to the development of the Ohio wine industry in the 19th century. Longworth’s vineyards and winery produced more wine than any other in the country.

In 1842, Longworth created America's first champagne, which he called "Sparkling Catawba". With praise from across the country and as far away as Europe, he could hardly keep up with the demand for his champagne and Catawba wine. A lasting tribute "Ode to Catawba Wine" was written by the well-known poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Sources: Ohio Wine Industry Honors Founding Fathers with the Creation of the ‘Ohio Wine Hall of Fame’ Press Release from the Ohio Wine Producers Association, and Ohio Wine Producers Association Hall of Fame website.

Dr. James Gallander, born in Peoria, Illinois in 1937, earned both a bachelor's degree in 1960 and doctoral degree from Ohio State University in 1964 in food technology. He began his career at Ohio State University in 1963 as an instructor at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) at Wooster. He received the rank of full professor from the department in 1972 and developed the center's enology program.

Working with Dr. Garth Cahoon, an OARDC professor also inducted into the Ohio Wine of Fame in 2001, Gallander helped to plant the first hybrid grapes on the Wistar Marting farm in Clarksville. This event marketed the beginning of the ‘modern’ Ohio grape-wine industry.

Gallander has authored hundreds of studies on food science and enology, has organized the Ohio Wine Competition for many years, and has served as the advisor to the Ohio Wine Producers Association. In 1985, he also received the award of merit from American Wine Society, a non-profit, educational, consumer-oriented organization for those interested in learning more about all aspects of wine.

Sources: Ohio Wine Industry Honors Founding Fathers with the Creation of the ‘Ohio Wine Hall of Fame’ Press Release from the Ohio Wine Producers Association (2001), and Ohio Wine Producers Association Hall of Fame website.

Dr. Garth Cahoon (1924-2012), a native of Delta, Utah, earned a degree in technical soils from the Utah State University in 1950 and a Ph.D in Plant Science from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1954.

He worked as a horticulturist at the University of California at Riverside from 1953 to 1963 before coming to Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) in Wooster as an associate professor in horticulture. Promoted to full professor in 1967, in 1983 he was named the assistant chair of the department. Professional assignments in India, Somalia and the Caribbean broadened his knowledge of small fruit horticulture.

As professors, Dr. Garth Cahoon and Dr. James Gallander, an OARDC colleague inducted in the Ohio Hall of the Fame in 2001, taught and inspired a whole new generation of winemakers in the techniques of growing grapes and making wine. Both were instrumental in the creation of the Ohio Wine Producers Association and the Ohio Grape Industries program.

Sources: Ohio Wine Industry Honors Founding Fathers with the Creation of the ‘Ohio Wine Hall of Fame’ Press Release from the Ohio Wine Producers Association (2001), and Ohio Wine Producers Association Hall of Fame website.