As the two term Governor of Ohio, George Voinovich (1936-2016) created new investment credit programs designed to expand wine/grape acreage in Ohio and increased the actual dollar funding for wine and grape research and marketing.

According to Arnulf Esterer, during these years it was a common occurrence for George Voinovich and his wife Janet Allan Voinovich to patron Markko Vineyards and other nearby Lake Erie wineries such as Old Firehouse Winery.