COLUMBUS, Ohio – Those who enjoy wine and gardening may want to head to central Ohio next month for the Thyme for Wine Herb Trail.

The trail is sponsored by the Ohio Wine Producers Association. The event combines the joy of wine tasting with the excitement of gardening. The event is a self-guided experience, allowing visitors to explore several participating wineries at their own pace. Participants can enjoy a variety of herb-infused dishes paired with wines at participating wineries.

“People can travel to these wineries at their leisure during the month of June,” said Donniella Winchell, executive director of the Ohio Wine Producers Association.

The trail allows attendees to “build” their own herbal plant. At each stop, guests will receive elements for a shared herb window box, slowly building a complete herb garden by the end of the trail. Elements include a wooden box planter, instructional booklet, five herb seeds, five jute bags, five soil discs, five writable plant markers and mini gardening tools. Finally, each participant will receive a souvenir wine glass.

“These supplies allow participants to grow fresh herbs at home while learning how herbs can enhance cooking and wine pairings,” Winchell said. “The trail encourages creativity, hands-on learning and appreciation for local agriculture.”

The trail will run from June 1 - 30.

“This particular educational journey is ideal for wine lovers, home chefs, gardeners and families,” Winchell said.

“This is the first year for the Thyme for Wine Herb Trail but we’ve held all sorts of trail events across Ohio for many years. We market these to garden clubs, culinary groups, flower enthusiasts, even dog owners. A few years back we held the Woof, Wag and Wine Trail, one which encouraged dog owners to take their pets to the wineries.”

Participating wineries in the Thyme for Wine Herb Trail include Headley Inn Winery & Vineyard (Zanesville), Hocking Hills Winery (Logan), Manchester Hill Winery (Circleville), National Road Winery (Thornville), Revolution Rockbridge Wine Co. (Rockbridge), Three Oaks Vineyard (Granville) and Valley View Hills Winery (Sugar Grove).

In 1978, Winchell was asked to become the executive secretary of the fledgling Ohio Wine Producers Association. That year, there were just 13 Ohio wineries in the state. Winchell went on to help build the association into one of the most respected wine organizations in the state.

“Today there are 435 wineries in Ohio,” she said. “We want the general public to know there are many wineries out there and in doing so we hold these wine trails each year.”

With so many wineries to highlight, Winchell and her staff group several wineries by proximity to one another, making the excursion between each winery easy for participants. She attempts to highlight 15 to 20 wineries across the state each year.

Tickets for the tour can be purchased at participating wineries or online. Each ticket will enable participants to create their own herb or veggie plant. Single tickets are $40 and include one element for your herb garden at each stop, two wine samples and one light bite. Couples’ tickets are $50 and include one element for your herb garden at each stop, two wine samples per person and two light bites.

For more information call the Ohio Wine Producers Association at 440-466-4417.