Maryland wine is wine made in the U.S. state of Maryland. The industry has grown rapidly since the first winery in Maryland, Boordy Vineyards, opened in 1945.[4] It is estimated that the industry contributes $50 million annually to the Maryland economy.[5]
The state's history of viticulture begins in 1648 with the earliest recorded instance of winemaking in Maryland.[6] Fourteen years later, the first European grapes planted in Maryland were deposited in 200 acres (80.9 ha) on the east bank of St. Marys River.[7] It was not until the 1930s that Philip Wagner, a columnist with the Baltimore Sun, published American Wines and How to Make Them. The book was later revised as Grapes Into Wine and became the definitive book on winemaking in America.[8]
The 1980s proved to be a definitive decade for the industry. In 1981, the Maryland Grape Growers Association was formed,[9] followed by the Maryland Wineries Association in 1984.[3] That same year, the Maryland Wine Festival was held for the first time and the Maryland Winery and Grape Growers Advisory Board was formed.[10]
In 2000, the Maryland State Legislature passed Maryland House Bill 414, allowing state wineries to sell wine by the glass at the winery and to bring product onto retail licensed premises for promotional activities. A record crowd of more than 25,000 attended the Maryland Wine Festival and Maryland wineries sold a record 86,954 US gallons (329,157 L) of wine.[11]
Throughout the years that followed, the industry saw many changes as well as growing success. The instigator of such success was the Maryland Wineries Association's first-ever major cooperative marketing campaign, "Ask For Maryland Wine."[12]
Maryland has four distinct growing regions, allowing for a wide diversity of grape varieties that will thrive throughout the State.
A majority of the state's vineyards are planted in Central Maryland, from the foothills west of Frederick, Maryland to the head of the Chesapeake Bay.[13] The state's oldest wineries are located in the Piedmont Plateau as well as the Frederick Wine Trail and Mason-Dixon Wine Trail. There are clusters of wineries around Westminster and north of Baltimore.[13] Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Pinot gris are planted, which consists of Harford, Baltimore, Carroll, Howard, Montgomery and Frederick Counties.
The Eastern Shore is known for its warm days and cool nights. The soil is sandy and well-drained, and the climate is moderated by the Chesapeake Bay. A wide variety of grapes are growing throughout the Upper Shore (Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne's Counties), Mid Shore (Talbot, Dorchester and Caroline Counties) and Lower Shore (Somerset, Worcester and Wicomico Counties).
Southern Maryland gets hot, and stays hot night and day for most of the summer. This may not be good for some varieties, but many Southern Italian and other Mediterranean varieties are found growing in the region. Barbera, Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Chardonnay, Vidal, Blaufrankisch, Symphony and other varieties are planted in the region, which consists of Anne Arundel, Prince George's, Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's Counties.
Western Maryland plays host to a number of vineyards and two wineries. Grapes in this region must be more cold-hardy and able to withstand long winters and a short growing season. Varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Chardonnay, Norton/Cynthiana, Chambourcin, Vidal and Seyval are found in the region. The region consists of Washington, Allegany and Garrett Counties.
Phillip M. Wagner is still considered a very prominent figure for those in the amateur and commercial sides of wine making. Wagner is the author of Grapes into Wine and several other books having to do specifically with North American wine making.[14] Including several revisions of his original book "American Wines and How to Make Them" originally published in 1933. He was also the founder of Maryland's own Boordy Vineyards where he experimented with various wine making techniques most notably hybridization of grapes. Wagner's literary career includes serving as the editor of the Baltimore Sun newspaper and writing a biography of fellow Sun editor, H.L. Mencken. He died December 29, 1996.[15]
The Maryland Wine Festival is a wine festival that showcases Maryland wine on the third weekend of September annually. The festival was established in 1984 in Union Mills, Maryland and has been held at the Carroll County Farm Museum in Westminster, Maryland since 1985. It is one of the oldest and largest wine festivals on the East Coast, hosting over 25,000 people and featuring more than 200 wines for sampling each year.
A growing number of for-profit and non-profit organizations have been established since the 1980s to help promote Maryland Wine. Two of the more well known organizations are the Maryland Grape Growers Association and the Maryland Wineries Association. The number of vineyards and wineries in Maryland grow each year. As of 2019 there are over 80 registered vineyards and wineries in the state.
| Antietam Creek Vineyards |
| Autrey Vineyards |
| Balla Cloiche Vineyards |
| Basignani Winery (1986) |
| Big Cork Vineyards |
| Birch View Vineyard |
| Black Ankle Vineyards |
| Blue Mountain Wine Crafters |
| Bonita Winery & Vineyard |
| Boordy Vineyards (1945) |
| Bordeleau Winery |
| Broken Spoke Vineyard & Winery |
| Cabin Vineyard |
| Casa Carmen Winery |
| Cassinelli Winery & Vineyards |
| Catoctin Breeze Vineyard |
| Celebration Cellars Winery |
| Charis Winery |
| Chateau Bu De |
| Clovelly Vineyard |
| Cool Ridge Vineyard |
| Costa Ventosa Winery |
| Cove Point Winery |
| Crow Vineyard |
| Dejon Vineyards |
| Detour Vineyard And Winery |
| Dove Valley Vineyard |
| Dragonfly Vineyard |
| Dry Seneca Creek Vineyards |
| Far Eastern Shore Winery |
| Fridays Creek Winery |
| Frog Eye Vineyard |
| Galloping Goose Vineyards |
| Gemeny Winery & Vineyard |
| Generations Vineyard |
| Great Frogs Vineyard |
| Great Shoals Winery |
| Harford Vineyard |
| Harmony Vineyards And Winery |
| Heimbuch Estate Vineyards |
| Hidden Hills Winery |
| Janemark Winery & Vineyard |
| Knob Hall Winery |
| La Felicetta Vineyard & Wine Cellars |
| Lands Point Winery & Vineyards |
| Layton's Chance Vineyard & Winery |
| Legends Vineyard |
| Linganore Wine Cellars |
| Links Bridge Vineyards |
| Little Ashby Vineyards |
| Love Point Vineyards And Winery |
| Mark Cascia Vineyards |
| Mazzaroth Vineyard |
| Morning Song Vineyards |
| Mount Felix Winery |
| New Market Plains Vineyard |
| Old Westminster Vineyard |
| Olney Winery At Stone House Square |
| Perigeaux Vineyards And Winery |
| Port Of Leonardtown Winery |
| Red Heifer Winery |
| Robin Hill Farm And Vineyards |
| Romano Vineyard & Winery |
| Royal Rabbit Vineyards |
| Running Hare Vineyard |
| Salisa Winery And Vineyard |
| Serpent Ridge Vineyard |
| Shelton Vineyards |
| Solomons Island Winery |
| Springfield Manor Winery & Distillery |
| St. Michaels Winery |
| Still Creek Vineyards |
| Stonemur Winery |
| Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard |
| Terrapin Station Winery |
| The Loew Vineyards |
| The Urban Winery |
| The Vineyards At Dodon |
| The Winery At Olney |
| Tidewater Vineyards |
| Tilmon'S Island Winery |
| Toasted Goat Winery |
| Turkey Point Vineyard |
| Whistle Stop Winery |
| Windmill Creek Vineyard And Winery |
| Windridge Vineyards |
| Woodhall Vineyards And Wine Cellars |
| Xella Winery And Vineyard |
