Harsh Ohio winter damages wine industry

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Ohio winemakers will ask for federal aid to help them recover after the harsh winter that all but wiped out many varieties of grapes.

A winter damage survey report from Ohio State University viticultural researchers says the extreme subzero temperatures devastated the 2014 vintage of some varieties of wines and caused around $4 million in damage to wineries in the state.

The Dayton Daily News reported that the frigid temperatures caused a projected loss of 97 percent of the 2014 crop of grape varieties of European heritage that are most well-known to consumers, such as chardonnay, riesling, cabernet franc and pinot noir.