What do you think of when you think about Maryland? I’m going to bet that it’s blue crabs and not wine. However, there are over 1000 acres of vineyards in Maryland stemming from a long history of winemaking – and growing. With 70+ Maryland wineries to try, where will you start?
History of Maryland Wine
While it was California that put American Wine on the world stage in the 1970s, Americans have been making wine for hundreds of years since the first settlements of the eastern seaboard. The earliest known record of winemaking in Maryland was from 1648, and while the number of wineries grew, Prohibition basically knocked out all of them.
Modern-day Maryland wineries start with the Boordy Vineyards. While the current owners have had it since 1980, Boordy dates to 1945 (with wine predating that bonding date), making it over 75 years old.
If you love history as much as you love wine and want to learn more about Maryland wineries and wine history, check out “History of Maryland Wine: A Full-Bodied History” written by Regina McCarthy.
The Maryland Winery Modernization Act of 2010 helped propel the wine industry to what it is today, resulting in double the wineries prior. You can also thank that for revamping the direct shipping rules.
Maryland Wine Awards
Like Virginia, Maryland wineries duke it out every year to see who is the best at the state’s Governor’s Cup. The Maryland Governor’s Cup awards: Best in Show: Governor’s Cup; Best in Show: Jack Aellen Award; Best in Class by Varietal: White Varietal, White Blend, Rosé, Red Varietal, Red Blend, Off-Dry, Fruit and Mead; as well as Gold, Silver and Bronze Medalists.
State competitions aren’t the only spot Maryland wineries are making a scene, Maryland wineries have been making a mark in nationwide and international competitions as well.
If you are familiar with the point system for ranking wine on a scale of 100, there are over 30 labels from Maryland wineries that are 90 or above.
Maryland Wine Regions
There are three recognized American Viticultural Areas (AVA) in Maryland:
- Catoctin AVA
- Cumberland Valley AVA (shared with Pennsylvania)
- Linganore AVA
An AVA is a designated appellation for American wine and is distinguished by geography, climate, and geological features (think soil conditions). It’s also a tax and trade boundary set up by the US Government.
That being said, you can consider there are actually four distinct regions in Maryland: Eastern Shore, Southern Plain, Western Mountain, and Piedmont Plateau.
The Piedmont Plateau is home to the oldest of Maryland’s wineries. It is also where the majority of the wineries of the state are located. It runs from the foothills west of Frederick to the Chesapeake Bay, If you are looking for mountain side-quests you want to head to the Western Mountain region as it’s mostly rolling hills here.
The Western Mountain region is pretty self-explanatory by title. It has a shorter growing season than the rest. The southern plain is to the south and west of the Chesapeake Bay and gets more of the warm air.
The Eastern Shore is everything east of the Chesapeake Bay and is more sandy soil. Also to me, most of the wine out this way has a tinge of salt to it, which I love.
Maryland Wine Trails
While you may be on the quest to see all of Maryland’s wineries, how about starting with a Wine Trail? Generally set up by microclimates or regions, it is a good starting point for any trip. There are 9 wine trails to choose from in Maryland:
- Antietam Highlands
- Capital
- Carroll
- Chesapeake
- Frederick
- Gunpowder
- Legacy
- Patuxent
- Piedmont
Oh, and if cider and mead are more your things, there is another specific to those!
Promoting Maryland Wine
What started in 2011 as “Maryland Wine Week” has since grown to encompass the entire month of March. The inaugural “Maryland Wine Month” was in 2017 and gives you an excuse to get those hashtags out for your social accounts. (But really, you can at any time – are you following DC Wine and Beer on Instagram?).
Maryland Wine Month allows the flourishing wine industry to showcase the innovation, diversity, and quality found in the wineries throughout the state. This month-long promotion embraces the businesses and consumers that have supported Maryland’s wine industry since 1945–help us celebrate 75 years of Maryland wine.
Wine Festivals in Maryland
Want to try several Maryland Wines without having to drive from winery to winery? How about a wine festival? While the Maryland Wine Festival which first started in 1984 may be the longest-running, there are plenty of wine festivals throughout the year in Maryland.
- Autumn Wine Festival, Salisbury, MD – October
- Sip + Savor Cambridge, Cambridge, MD – April
- WineFest at St. Michaels, St. Michaels, MD – April
- National Harbor Wine & Food Festival – May (Part of the Uncork the Fun event brand, there are several around the state)
- Wine in the Woods, Columbia, MD – May
- Deep Creek Lake Art & Wine Festival, Deep Creek Lake, MD – September
- Wine on the Beach, Ocean City, MD – September
All Maryland Wineries
With wineries opening (and sometimes sadly, closing), it is challenging to get a complete list at any given time so this list will be updated fairly regularly. Nonetheless, it is a comprehensive list of Maryland Wineries at each point of publishing.
Fun fact, tasting rooms at wineries in Maryland are a relatively recent development, only coming into law in 2000. Many of the Maryland Wineries only sell direct to consumers (there’s a lot of upcharge on distribution after all), so keep that in mind when you find wines you like! There are also options for wine clubs as well. This list was pulled in early 2021.
- Antietam Creek Vineyards
- Basignani Winery
- Big Cork Vineyards
- Birchview Vineyard
- Black Ankle Vineyards
- Blue Mountain Winecrafters
- Bodegas González Ruggiero
- Boordy Vineyards
- Bordeleau Vineyards and Winery
- Broken Spoke Winery
- Casa Carmen
- Catoctin Breeze Vineyard
- Celebration Cellars Winery
- Charis Winery
- Chateau Bu-De Vineyard and Winery
- Cool Ridge Vineyard
- Costa Ventosa
- Cove Point Winery
- Crow Vineyard & Winery
- Deep Creek Cellars
- Dejon Vineyards
- Detour Winery
- Dove Valley Vineyard & Winery
- Dragonfly Farms, Vineyard & Winery
- Elk Run Vineyards
- Far Eastern Shore Winery
- Fiore Winery
- Fridays Creek Winery
- Galloping Goose Vineyards
- Gemeny Winery and Vineyards
- Generations Vineyard
- Great Frogs
- Great Shoals Winery
- Harford Vineyard & Winery
- Harmony Vineyards (MD)
- Hidden Hills Farm and Vineyard
- Janemark Winery & Vineyard
- Knob Hall Winery
- Layton’s Chance Vineyard and Winery
- Legends Vineyard
- Linganore Winecellars at Berrywine Plantations
- Links Bridge Vineyards
- Loew Vineyards
- Love Point Vineyards and Winery
- Mark Cascia Vineyards
- Mazzaroth Vineyard
- Misfit Winery
- Mount Felix Estate Vineyard & Winery
- New Market Plains Vineyards
- Old Westminster Winery
- Olney Winery
- Orchid Cellar Winery
- Perigeaux Vineyards and Winery
- Philosophy Winery and Vineyard
- Port of Leonardtown Winery
- Red Heifer Winery
- Robin Hill Farm and Vineyards
- Rocklands Farm Winery & Market
- Romano Vineyard and Winery
- Royal Rabbit Vineyards
- Running Hare Vineyard
- Serpent Ridge Vineyard
- Six Wicket Vineyards
- Slack Winery
- Solomons Island Winery
- Springfield Manor Winery & Distillery
- St. Michaels Winery
- Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard
- Thanksgiving Farm Wines / Heimbuch Estate
- The Urban Winery
- The Vineyards at Dodon
- The Wine Collective
- Toasted Goat Winery
- Triple Creek Winery
- Turkey Point Vineyard
- Whistle Stop Winery
- Willow Oaks Craft Cider and Wine
- Windridge Vineyards
- Xella Wine
