Time for Wine
It’s been a long time coming, but the wine industry in Central Maryland finally appears to be growing in the right direction
By Rebecca Chaney / Photography by Mark Youngblood
Maryland’s wine industry may date to the mid-17th century when records show that Frenchman Tenis Palee tried to make wine with indigenous grapes, but the trajectory of the state’s wine scene remained flat for the next three centuries.
The first winery in the Free State was not established until 1945 when Boordy Vineyards in Baltimore County opened and set the stage for Maryland winemaking. But even after Boordy opened, the fledgling industry stumbled along for decades. In fact, it has only been in the last couple of decades that Maryland has started to develop its own identity in the world of fine wine. Washington County has become the epicenter for that, establishing itself as a prominent and diverse grape-growing area and attracting talented winemakers who in years past would have shunned Maryland.
Master wine maker and co-owner Dave Collins in the cellar at Big Cork Vineyard.
Dr. Joseph Fiola, specialist in viticulture (grape growing) and small fruit for the University of Maryland’s Western Maryland Research and Education Center near Keedysville, has dedicated more than three decades of research, much of that in Central Maryland, and the fruits of his labor are beginning to show.
“Based on climate, topography, geology, and soils, I honestly believe Washington County offers some of the best sites to grow grapes in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region,” Fiola says. “All of the wineries growing grapes in Washington County and others using grapes grown in Washington County are making excellent wines. We have a very exciting future.”
While Maryland has traditionally been considered a sweet wine region, Fiola’s research focuses on varietals that closely fit the local climate and growing conditions to produce quality dry wine.
“Maryland, as many other states in the eastern U.S., has historically been considered to make sweet wines, but that is not the concentration of the industry today,” Fiola says. “Yes, Maryland wineries make a very diverse range of wines to satisfy a range of consumers in the area. However, the industry is definitely dry wine-centric and has been for at least 25 to 30 years.”
Finding the varietals that best suit the climate in Central Maryland is a trial-and-error process, and Fiola uses test plots at local wineries as well as a five-plus acre plot of grapes at the Keedysville research center.
“The majority of the grapes grown in Maryland are vitis vinifera (the European species used to make fine wine), and a great percentage of those are vinified into dry wines,” Fiola says. “I have tested over 60 cultivars and clones of grapes in the region. Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc are the major white vinifera. Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Barbera, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon are major red vinifera in the state. There is also a significant volume of hybrid grapes grown, primarily Chambourcin, Chardonel, and Vidal Blanc. The majority of these are also typically made into dry wines.”
Fiola believes the first priority of grape growing is climate. The vines must be cold temperature tolerant.
“The grapes must survive the minimum winter temperatures in the area,” he says. “Then they must make good wine. If you look around the world, most credible wine regions have, over hundreds of years, honed in on grape cultivars that are best adapted to their climate and soils, therefore they have good longevity, and most importantly make the best wine possible. Maryland and the Eastern U.S. are going through this evolution now, trying to find the best adapted grapes to their specific mesoclimates (climate of a specific area, like a vineyard).”
One of the keys in Maryland becoming a legitimate wine region is grape growers breaking away from the philosophy that growing French varietals in Maryland will produce wine as good as France. Natural growing conditions (which the French refer to as ‘terroir’) that affect the outcome of the wine, aren’t the same here as in other parts of the world. So, Maryland, like neighboring Virginia a couple of decades ago, is searching for varietals that excel in the Maryland terroir so viticulturalists here can develop Maryland’s own wine identity.
Fiola says the main advantage of the Central Maryland region, climate-wise, is the range of elevation and aspects we can explore in mountain ranges.
Vineyards and Wineries in Washington County
Antietam Creek Vineyards, Sharpsburg
Nestled next to the historic Antietam National Battlefield, the vineyard was once a 55-acre dairy farm. All of their wines are from estate-grown grapes.
Big Cork Vineyard, Rohrersville
The more-than-40-acre estate has been established for more than a decade, and Big Cork makes a diverse selection of wines, ranging from a sparkling blanc de blanc to powerful reds represented in their black label selections. Winemaker and co-owner Dave Collins is one of the most respected people in the Maryland wine business.
Blue Mountain Wine Crafters, Funkstown
Owners Tim and Cindy Rowe buy only grapes grown in Washington County and make dry whites and reds as well as blush wines and fruit wines.
Castle Hill Winery, Hagerstown
A small, boutique winery that makes both dry and sweet wines.
Cool Ridge Vineyard, Smithsburg
The wines are hand-crafted by Gerhard Glocker, who spent his childhood in Germany helping his uncle in the vineyard and cellar. He immigrated to America, graduated from North Hagerstown High School, served in the Vietnam War, and had two previous careers before starting Cool Ridge.
Frog Eye Vineyard, Hagerstown
This small, family farm and winery sits on 33 acres in the Pleasant Valley.
Red Heifer Winery, Smithsburg
The 56 acres of vineyards spawn interesting wines, like the Winemaker’s Reserve Blaufrankisch, a grape known mainly in Eastern Europe, and the Spanish grape Albarino. As a former orchard, sweet fruit wines are also made.
Stone House Urban Winery, Hagerstown
The winery produces a wide array of dry whites and reds as well as sweet fruit wines and desert wines. Grapes are sourced locally as well as from other wine regions.
On the Horizon: The Vineyards at Mapleville Manor has opened its elegant wedding and special events center. The winery could be next.
“Because of these combinations, we can favorably compare to France (Bordeaux), Northern/Central Italy, and Spain/Portugal for grape cultivars that should do well,” he says.
Fiola looks for successful cultivars in these regions of the world to import and try. Currently, he has been testing and encouraging vineyards to try Albarino, Gruner Veltliner, Vermentino, Petra, Pinot Blanc, Colombard, Verdelho, and other whites. The reds include Teroldego, Tempranillo, Sagrantino, Regent, and Souzao.
He has produced a slideshow for the state’s grape growers outlining the strengths and weaknesses of 74 varietals from around the world that might grow well in Maryland. While it does include popular varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc, many more of the varietals included are obscure in the wine world—Vespolina, Souzao, Lemberger, and experimental varietals with names like Hardy EU XIV 1-86.
A passion for growing grapes and wine production has inspired Fiola to share his knowledge and expertise with wineries in the state where imported varieties are being grown and tested. One of these wineries is Big Cork Vineyards in Rohrersville.
According to Big Cork master winemaker and co-owner, David Collins, 22 acres of grapes were planted in 2011 and Big Cork winery opened in 2015. Collins got his start in the wine business in 1985 when he planted his first vineyard in Virginia. He enjoyed nearly 25 years working in Virginia’s wine industry before the opportunity in Washington County presented itself.
University of Maryland viticulture expert Dr. Joe Fiola working with his small-batch experimental wines.
“One of Big Cork’s biggest sellers (Russian Kiss) is made from Petra, a grape imported from Eastern Europe that I introduced into the area, and it is now one of their established cultivars,” Fiola says. “Big Cork Vineyard has now released two vintages of its home-grown Vermentino (grapes originally from Italy and France). Big Cork is also planting Tempranillo (a red wine grape grown primarily in Spain).”
Collins says his role at Big Cork differs from many other winemakers.
“In addition to making the wine, I also oversee the entirety of the vineyard operations,” Collins says. “This allows full control of the product, which for me is essential to maximize wine quality. From bud break in the spring, to the fall harvest, all attention is on the grape growing. Once in the winery, the focus is on the winemaking process, from crushing to the fermentation to the blending and finally the bottling.”
The master winemaker says Big Cork almost exclusively grows vinifera grape varieties. “This includes many familiar grapes, such as Malbec, Cabernet, and Chardonnay, but we also grow some lesser-known wine grapes as well.”
Big Cork is out front in the movement of Maryland wineries to produce quality dry wines.
“I have patterned my winemaking after many of the European and South American regions that I have visited and wines that I have tested,” he says. “We produce a few wines that are off-dry, but the vast majority of our guests prefer dry wines. That trend appears to be increasing over time.”
While Collins admits challenges for Maryland grape growers come and go, after growing grapes for 40 years in the Mid-Atlantic region, he’s learned to grow quality fruit under diverse conditions. He credits a well-trained and dedicated vineyard crew to the success at Big Cork.
WASHINGTON COUNTY IS PART OF THE AMERICAN WINE SCENE The grape-growing region of Washington County is part of a designated American Viticultural Area, a delimited grape-growing region with specific geographic or climatic features that distinguish it from the surrounding regions and affect how grapes are grown. AVAs are established by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. There are 276 AVAs, 154 of them in California, where 87 percent of American wine is made. The Cumberland Valley AVA starts at the Potomac River in Washington County and extends north through Franklin and Cumberland counties in southcentral Pennsylvania to the Susquehanna River. The best areas for growing grapes in the AVA are on high terraces over the Potomac River and the slopes of South Mountain.
Nearby AVAs: The Catoctin AVA is in Frederick County and is bordered on the east by Catoctin Mountain, the west by South Mountain, the south by the Potomac River, and the north by the Pennsylvania border. Linganore AVA includes portions of Frederick and Carroll counties. It’s part of the Piedmont Plateau, a transition zone between the mountains and the coastal plain.
Like Fiola, Collins sees a bright future for Maryland’s wine industry.
“Our Central Maryland region is in the sweet spot of Mid-Atlantic wine grape growing,” he says. “It includes Washington and Frederick counties in Maryland, plus the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. This is where there are stony and well-drained soils, plus a cooler climate for the slow ripening of the fruit in the fall. The cool ripening conditions promotes full ripe flavors and developed tannins (naturally occurring polyphenol compounds found primarily in grape skins, seeds, and stems impacting color, texture, taste, and aging potential), which is especially beneficial for the red wines. The European grape varieties, which are traditionally made dry, are perfectly suited to these growing conditions.”
Collins’ work has paid off in award-winning wines at Big Cork Vineyard. The vineyard has been honored with multiple awards, winning best of show in multiple Governor’s Cup and Comptroller’s Cup competitions, which Big Cork often dominates. That, Fiola says, shows premium wines can be produced in Washington County.
Fiola works in the vineyards at the Western Maryland Research and Education Center near Keedysville.
Granted, these competitions are a contest to judge the best Maryland wines and don’t pit Maryland wines against other states or countries, however, these awards are far more meaningful now than a decade ago as Maryland viticulture has greatly expanded in that time.
“The thing that grabs your attention when you look at the Maryland wine industry is that it is in a state of volatile flux,” Andrew Chalk wrote in an assessment of Maryland wine for his food, wine, and travel website The Chalk Report. “In just the last decade, the number of wineries increased 250 percent, grape acreage more than 70 percent, the grape blend shifted decisively toward vinifera from hybrids, and Maryland wines began speaking for themselves by regularly winning medals at national wine competitions.”
Fiola credits a combination of Central Maryland’s climate and soils to a successful wine industry.
“Washington County has a unique geology which created a desirable series of soils,” he says. “There is a considerable limestone vein running through the county, the only one in the state. Limestone-based soils are historically the best for growing grapes. Also, the shale or fractured bedrock is conductive since it allows for good soil drainage.”
Fiola plans to continue his research and cultivar testing to find the best-suited cultivars for Maryland’s diverse regions.
“I import from fine wine-growing areas around the world that have similar climates to Western, Eastern, and Southern Maryland, test the grapes in those regions, and do small-batch winemaking to complement the cultivar research and verify wine quality,” he says.
The viticulture expert also said the people in the Maryland wine industry have “a passion for [making] the best wine” possible. That passion, he says, makes it easy for everyone involved to feed off each other’s energy.
According to the 2024 Maryland Winery Association Vintage Report, Maryland growers and wineries harvested 1,275 tons of grapes in 2024 or nearly 1,000 acres. Of those 1,000 acres, approximately 70 to 90 acres of grapes were harvested in Washington County.
Central Maryland’s wine industry continues to evolve and produce ever-better wine some might find themselves asking, “Are we really in Maryland enjoying this wine?”
But certainly it is clear that Maryland wine lovers no longer need to travel out of the state to find quality local wine, and with the on-going research of Fiola, Collins, and others, Maryland’s wine industry is finally on the right trajectory.