Here’s a perfect pairing: Ohio wines and Ohio foods.

And another one: Ohio Grape Industries and Ohio Magazine.

Yes, of course, we’re biased. We love all things Ohio and we certainly love a fine meal and an outstanding bottle of wine. Does it get any better than that?

In this issue, we bring back a popular feature from years past — Grand Ohio Wine Dinners — and uncork it with an all-new and expanded format. The special 10-page section, presented by Ohio Grape Industries and Ohio Magazine, begins on page 128.

Eighteen restaurants help us celebrate Ohio Wine Month with unique menus showcasing Ohio foods and wines. We give you a taste of what you’ll discover at each restaurant during this one-of-a-kind promotion.

All of the featured wines, incidentally, are official Ohio Quality Wines. They earned that distinction only after an expert judging panel agreed they meet or exceed industry standards for high-quality wine made from locally grown grapes.

Learn more about Ohio Grape Industries and the Ohio Quality Wine Program by visiting tasteohiowines.com.

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For another perfect pairing, match your Grand Ohio Wine Dinners tour with any number of the “Fun on a Budget” travel ideas we offer in our cover story this month. We bring you cost-saving ideas to make your summer travel plans both entertaining and economical.

Whether it is a ballgame, a museum, a concert, a festival, a parade or a park — or, for that matter, all of the above and many others — here are suggestions for you and your family to make the most of the beauty, the adventure and the fun of summertime life in Ohio.

As the Ohio Tourism Division tells us, Ohio offers “Too Much Fun For Just One Day” (see page 12). So make it an overnight trip — or two or three or more — and cash in on the spectacular savings of an exclusively Ohio vacation.

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We were proud and grateful to receive the news that Ohio Magazine has been named Ohio Business of the Year by Green Energy Ohio, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting environmentally and economically sustainable energy policies and  practices in Ohio.

We were pleased to publish GEO’s 2009 Ohio Solar Tour as a special section in our September 2009 edition, bringing the largest media exposure ever for this important statewide event.

For more information about Green Energy Ohio, visit greenenergyohio.org or call 614/985-6131.