Valley Vineyard cancels annual Wine Fest
Family decides to cancel festival this year to rework it for 2008
Valley Vineyards, on U.S. 22/ Ohio 3 in Hamilton Twp., has canceled this year's annual Wine Fest that was set for September 27, 28 and 29.
"It was a great money maker for us but we wanted it to be a positive event and not something someone would come to the first time and it be crazy," said Joe Schuchter, who operates Valley Vineyards with his family.
This would be the 37th year for the event, which has grown to be the single largest wine festival in the U.S. outside of California. Schuchter said nearly 80,000 people attended last year and consumed two loads of wine — more than most businesses sell in a year.
The family decided to cancel the festival this year to better organize and prepare for later years.
"We wanted to cancel it for one year to clean it up and rework it for next year," Schuchter said. "We're working on site planning and direction to control that many people."
The large influx of visitors also brought on different issues — like alcohol control — and Valley Vineyards plans to look at those problems and change things for future festivals. Their wine is in nearly 100 retail outlets in the state, making them more well-known.
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