Heineman Winery Earns Awards in Two Major Wine Competitions
Heineman Winery and Crystal Cave have earned recognition in two major wine competitions this year, bringing home a combined 36 awards and highlighting the continued success of one of Put-in-Bay’s most well-known businesses.
At the Ohio Wine Competition, 18 of the 20 wines entered by Heineman Winery and Crystal Cave received awards. Leading the way was the winery’s 2024 Cedar Woods Red, which earned a Double Gold medal. Additional Gold medals were awarded to 2024 Sweet Ives and 2025 Delaware.
The winery also found success at the Great American International Wine Competition, where all 18 wines entered received medals. Heineman’s 2025 Pink Catawba earned a Gold medal, while numerous other wines received Silver and Bronze recognition.
According to Dustin Heineman, the results carry special meaning.
“The Ohio Wine Competition was held last week and out of the 20 varieties of wine Heineman Winery and Crystal Cave entered this year, 18 of them came home with awards,” Heineman wrote in a social media post. “As always, cheers to my father, my teacher and my wine mentor, Edward Heineman. Recognized and remembered, with every single batch of wine I have produced since he passed.”
Among the award-winning wines recognized this year were Cedar Woods Red, Delaware, Pink Catawba, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Island Chablis, Vidal Blanc, Sweet Ives, Sweet Belle, White Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Niagara, Sauvignon Blanc, and several others.
Founded in 1888, Heineman Winery is Ohio’s oldest family owned and operated winery and remains a longtime fixture of Put-in-Bay tourism. The property is also home to Crystal Cave, known as the world’s largest geode.
The strong showing in both competitions continues a tradition of recognition for the winery and showcases the quality of wines being produced on South Bass Island.
