Maryland Is Wine Country

For years, Virginia has been touted as "DC's wine country." It's true. Virginia offers plenty of beautiful vineyards that produce delicious wine.

But so does Maryland. And increasingly so.

If you called me a biased and lifelong Marylander, you'd be right. So I can’t possibly expect you to take my word for it. But you could take national media sources at their word, like this, from DC Refined...

“Sure, Virginia wine may garner a lot of the noise, but don't ignore what’s produced by our neighbors to the north. Maryland wineries are getting noticed with experimental wines (pét-nat Albariño anyone?), award-winning international varietals, and an effortless hospitality that makes anyone from budding newbies to rabid oenophiles feel welcome. As the state slogan used to say, wine fans will find “more than you can imagine” in the Free State.” See the full DC Refined article here.

Or this, from Tasting Table...

"Maryland is typically more synonymous with crab cakes than Chardonnay—but that's starting to change, thanks to its growing population of quality wineries... Chef Spike Gjerde of Woodberry Kitchen is the first (and only) Baltimore chef to win the James Beard Award for Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic, and his restaurant shines a spotlight on ingredients from the Chesapeake region... Gjerde is a fan of the [Old Westminster] "Alius", an orange wine that means "something different." It's a natural wine fermented with wild yeast that feels so essentially Maryland that you might think the word terroir was invented with this bottle in mind."

Or this, from the Washington Post…

“It’s true that Maryland has fewer options — the Maryland Wineries Association estimates that the state houses about 70 wineries... But, it has plenty of worthy destinations, which are too often neglected in favor of Virginia’s offerings.” Get the full WAPO story here.

There are plenty more voices who agree on our press page.

There may be far more wineries in Virginia (285) than Maryland (70), but this is purely quantitative. The truth is, you'll find a wide range of wine quality in both states. Seek out the best on both sides of the Potomac. I believe that the hills of northern Maryland offer the right mix of soils, climate, and topography to produce truly beautiful wines. Wines worth discovering.

In fact, this past August, Old Westminster Winery was named one of the top 101 wineries in America. You’ll find us listed among some of the nation’s best.

The tide is rising. So stop by and see for yourself!