A 50-minute drive from Washington, DC, by way of the 270 spur, will land you in the picturesque Sugarloaf Mountain Winery. A perfect day can be described as sitting on their patio, sipping dry, Bordeaux-inspired wine and gazing at the green rolling hills surrounding the property, and listening to the relaxing playlist of some distant birds attempting to let you know they are still there too.
Sugarloaf Mountain Winery
First opened in 2006, the winery holds 22 acres of vines of French vinifera at this Maryland winery. Owner Emily Ye Yang bought the property in 2014 and at the time was the state’s only solo female winery owner.
A complete local operation, the grape vines are grown on the property, where they are “hand-picked, cold-soaked, cold-fermented and aged in stainless steel or French oak barrels”. The wine-making operation is in the building next to the iconic red barn that makes up the wine-tasting room.
My first visit took me during the latter phases of the covid-19 pandemic and started off with a flight of four wines for $20 USD. If dry wines are your thing, which is where my pallet tends to lead me, this is the place for you. I’ve since been multiple times because I really like their wine!
Best yet? Compared to many of the other wineries in the quick jumping ground from the nation’s capital, Sugarloaf Mountain Winery is open 7 days a week!
Wine Flights
During the covid-19 restrictions, there was only outdoor seating, so it was weather dependent. On my first visit, winter was coming, and while they did have a heated tent if it was on the colder side, I lucked out with some beautiful sun and upper-40s temperatures. Now that rules have moved back to normal, they have both indoor and outdoor sitting.
I went with a flight of Chardonnay, Circe, Cab Franc, and Chimera and I can say I was quickly happy with all of them. For whatever reason, I always pick up what I refer to as “salt” notes on Maryland wine. I thought this was limited to the wineries I’d been to near the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean but so far it seems to be consistent. Oddly enough, I don’t pick that up nearly as much in Virginia. Though there is still a water barrier between the two plots of soil.
Sugarloaf Mountain Wine Awards and Things to Know
If you check out their website, they have had a whole host of awards over the years. The most recently listed were the 2018 International Eastern Wine Competition and the 2018 TEXSOM International Wine Awards. Where the 2016 Cabernet Franc (one of my favorite varietals) and 2016 Chardonnay took accolades.
If you are looking for a child or dog-friendly vineyard, both are fine at Sugarloaf Mountain Winery. There are no reservations for the tasting room but seating is first-come, first-serve. However, if you are looking for a winery tour, call ahead to get on the list for the Saturday walkthrough!
Bacchus Wine Club
Love the wine and looking for a discount? Wine clubs are a great way to be involved with the winery! First, I love the name of the Sugarloaf Mountain Winery Club. Bacchus, god of wine.
The club is a very reasonable $70 a quarter (pre-tax), think of it as buying a case over the entire year. You’ll get three wines every quarter that are picked for you and a free flight with every visit. That is worth it by itself in my opinion because the patio area is so relaxing and I’d be happy to go regularly!
There are also exclusive events for members as well as club member-only vintages.
How to get to Sugarloaf Mountain Winery
As long as you can find your way to 270, it’s super easy to get to Sugarloaf Mountain Winery. Take exit 22 and merge onto 109 South. You’ll take a right onto Comus Rd (you’ll know it’s coming when the speed limit dips down on MD-109S).
Or, just follow the brown grape signs. VA and MD wine countries make it super easy to find wineries 9 times out of 10.
Sugarloaf Mountain Winery
18125 Comus Road
Dickerson, MD 20842
Hours of operation
They are open 7 days a week from 1200 pm to 530 pm. Last call is at 500 pm.
Things to do nearby Sugarloaf Mountain Winery
If the name of the winery didn’t give it away, you are right next to a mountain here. Bring some hiking shoes and get out in the fresh air before you indulge.
Also nearby is the cute, picturesque town of Harper’s Ferry. Walk the shops or check out some of the other breweries and wineries nearby.
