Maryland Wine Tour

I recently had the pleasure of attending my nieces’ wedding in Maryland. It was a beautiful event held at the Ceresville Mansion in Franklin. Needless to say there was a lot to celebrate. Not only the marriage of Samantha and Josh Breger, but a family reunion of sorts. This was the largest gathering of my family ever. New babies were introduced, distant cousins met and a grandfather held his great grandchildren for the first time. The champagne flowed and a great time was had by all. When all the festivities were over, my niece and I took a day together while her new husband stayed home to get them ready for the honeymoon. Having already seen the monuments, museums and such, we decided to take a winery tour. Here’s what we discovered…
The earliest recorded instance of winemaking in Maryland was 1648. Today, they harvest an average of 450 tons a year, produce more than 300,000 bottles of wine a year and have sales of nearly $2 million a year. This all from ten wineries, basically. One in particular that we visited is Elk Run Vineyards and Winery in Mt. Airy. Owned by Fred and Carol Wilson but hosted by the winery mascot, Champagne Billy, their friendly cocker spaniel who leads you to the tasting room. You walk past a farm house that was built in 1756 and the tasting room is the original winery building that has been refurbished. A stained glass window and old arched church door adorn the winery buildings. Both are from St. John’s Church in Westminster. This happens to be the only Maryland winery that makes Pinot Noir. They make a sparkling wine from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and a fabulous late-harvest Gewurztraminer called Vin de Jus Glacé which has won the Govenor’s Cup Award a couple of times.
Bottom Line: You find great wines in the oddest of places and besides good wine, the places themselves are pretty fascinating.

My next Women's Wine Workshop is scheduled for Monday, October 10th. Sessions feature women in the wine profession (well, sometimes we let the guys talk too) including importers, winemakers and distributors. The cost of each workshop is $18 per person which includes the wine tasting, hors d'oeuvres, information and, of course, fun. To get more information or to purchase tickets, call 824-1231 or email lisa@oakleysbistro.com.


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L. Cunningham
A Woman on Wine