Dayton WineFest

Jun 4 2010 4:00PM - Jun 5 2010 9:00PM

After a one-year hiatus, the Dayton WineFest will return on June 4-5, this time in a new location: the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery.

“I’m so happy it’s back. This is a win-win for Ohio wineries, the Boonshoft Museum and for the greater Dayton community,” said Wanda Willis of W2 Event Solutions Inc., who served as the chief organizer of the event when she worked for the former National City Bank of Dayton. National City sponsored the event at the 2nd Street Market for the festival’s first six years, but the event was cancelled last year, and there were significant questions about whether it would return.

Willis called the Dayton WineFest “a natural fit” for the Boonshoft museum, and said the festival will help educate attendees about the science of wine and Ohio’s winemaking history.

This year’s Dayton WineFest is sponsored by the Ohio Wine Producers Association and is designed to showcase Ohio wines: 13 Ohio wineries will be pouring at the event. The participating wineries include the relatively new Brandeberry Winery near Enon in southern Clark County, as well as Valley Vineyards near Morrow in Warren County and The Winery at Versailles in Darke County.

Donniella Winchell, executive director of the Ohio Wine Producers Association, said the industry is “elated that the Dayton Winefest is re-emerging.

“The Dayton wine market is sophisticated and has been curious about the continued growth of Ohio wines generally. The tremendous attendance at the original Dayton Ohio WineFest certainly illustrates those realities,” Winchell said.

“Bringing a festive event back to the area will accomplish several purposes: it will allow some of our best wineries to showcase the ever increasing quality to wine sophisticates but also offer wine in a relaxed atmosphere to newbees intimidated by the whole concept of ‘wine. We expect to market this festival to travelers and wine enthusiasts from within a 4 hour drive of the city, so it will drive traffic and excitement to the overall Dayton market throughout the whole weekend. And we want to showcase our partnership with the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery whose mission of education fits with the goals and objectives of our association. Finally, the festival provides a great way and fun way to kick off a summer wine travel season in southwest Ohio.”

The WineFest’s hours will be 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, June 4 and 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 5. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door and include 10 sampling tickets and a souvenir glass. Tickets for those age 2 to 20, and for designated drivers 16 and up, are $10. Children under 2 are free. Advance tickets will soon be available at the Ohio Wine Producers Association web site and from the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery web site.

The festival is scheduled to be held outdoors, on the museum’s grounds. A portion of each ticket sold will benefit the Boonshoft, located at 2600 DeWeese Parkway in Dayton.

For more information, call the Ohio Wine Producers Association at (800) 227-6972.