Blue crabs are iconic in Maryland. Few food and wine aficiniados, however, would point to premium wines, when talking about Maryland; instead, Maryland has the reputation of being a mediocre wine producer. But Maryland winemakers are very successfully changing that. Increasingly, winemakers in Maryland are moving away from fruit wines and non-European grape varieties that have long plagued the East Coast to produce wines that can compete with the best wines in the world.
As Drew Baker of the brand-new Old Westminster Winery explained to Frank Morgan, a popular wine blogger, “Maryland has great potential and I believe that the quality bar is rising quickly. Soon, poorly made wines will be the exception in an otherwise great region.” Old Westminster Winery, led by the three siblings Drew, Lisa, and Ashli, who manage the vineyard, winemaking, and marketing, respectively, has not yet released any wine, but is already generating a buzz. Other promising newcomers include Black Ankle, Slack, Sugar Loaf Mountain and Port of Leonardtown. Add to that the Maryland classics Boordy, Basignani and Elk Run, which are in the process of changing gears.
See more:
At the Fifth Annual Drink Local Wine Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Grand Tasting of Maryland Wines and Twitter Taste-off - Drink Local Wine Conference 2013 in Maryland, USA
Touring Wine Country Maryland, USA
Maryland Crabs and Wine
This is one posting in a series of 3 profiles of Maryland wineries:
Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard in Maryland - A Profile, USA
Boordy Vineyards in Maryland - A Profile, USA
Black Ankle Vineyards in Maryland - A Profile, USA
Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard
Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard is only a 45 minute drive from Washington, DC. The 92-acre farm abuts the scenic Sugarloaf Mountain conservation and recreation area. The winery is easily identifiable by its signature red barn, silo and windmill, built in the early 1900s.
Purchased by Dan and Polly O'Donoghue in 1962, the farm has been a working farm and family retreat ever since. Today, it is owned and operated by their four children – the McGarry, McKenna and two O’Donoghue families. The transformation from a traditional farm to a vineyard broke ground in 2002. A wine making team was formed, and soon vines were planted and being nurtured. By 2005, the winery was complete and Sugar Loaf Mountain was making its first vintage.
In 2011, Benoit Pineau took over the wine-making responsibilities. He hails from France and has been educated in oenology and viticulture in Bordeaux and Toulouse. As of January, 2013 Manolo Gomez has become the official winemaker, with Benoit Pineau the consultant winemaker.
Sugar Loaf Mountain Vineyard specializes in Bordeaux style wines. They grow Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot; and three white varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Viognier.
The Wines
I recently visited Sugarloaf Mountain with Aaron Nix-Gomez (Hogshead), whi took and published tasting notes, and a number of other food and wine writers and tasted the following wines.
2011 Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, Pinot Grigio, $19
100% Pinot Grigio. Aged for 6 months in stainless steel. Alcohol 13.0%.
Hogshead: There was a very subtle nose. In the mouth the flavors showed restraint but also had some ripe white and yellow fruit. There was good acidity, a softer finish, and perhaps a note of lees.
2011 Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, Circe, $24
Blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot, and 7% Merlot. Aged for 5 months in 20% new French oak. Alcohol 12.5%.
Hogshead: The nose bore very young fruit. In the mouth there were grapey red fruit flavors which tickled the tip of the tongue. It became very tart with red berries and grape tannins.
2011 Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, Comus $26
Blend of 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec. Aged for 12 months in 25% French oak. Alcohol 13.0%
Hogshead: There were flavors of bright red fruit, structure, acidity, and a little bit of black fruit in the finish. A little young and should benefit from short-term aging.
2010 Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, Evoe! $39
Blend of 51% Cabernet Franc, 22% Petit Verdot, 16% Merlot, and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged for 24 months in 25% new French oak. Alcohol 14.5%.
Hogshead: The nose was nice with black berries. In the mouth there was focused, moderately ripe fruit with some grip. There was enjoyable texture on the tongue. My favorite.
schiller-wine: Related Postings
At the Fifth Annual Drink Local Wine Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Grand Tasting of Maryland Wines and Twitter Taste-off - Drink Local Wine Conference 2013 in Maryland, USA
Touring Wine Country Maryland, USA
Wine and Crab Cakes: Amy Brandwein from Casa Nonna and Chris Clime from PassionFish win the 6th Annual Crab Cake Competition in Washington DC, USA
Maryland Crabs and Wine
Schiller's World of Seafood
Chef Spike Gjerde's Farm-to-Table Food of Woodberry Kitchen and Sarah O’Herron's and Ed Boyce's Premium Organic Wines of Black Ankle Vineyards, Maryland, USA
Boordy Vineyards in Maryland - A Profile, USA
Black Ankle Vineyards in Maryland - A Profile, USA