Maryland Wineries Association

Archives for December 2021

Which grapes to plant where? Maryland winery leans on ‘soil guy’ to dig up that answer

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Paul Vigna

PennLive.com

Geologist Bubba Beasley visited Catoctin Breeze Vineyards in Thurmont, Maryland, several weeks ago to perform what is called ‘terroir mapping.’

Catoctin Breeze Vineyard is located in Frederick County, Maryland, a couple of minutes off Route 15 and along a topographical belt sweeping south from Pennsylvania that enhances the production of fruit, including grapes.

In a state where a number of excellent producers of dry wine have sprouted over the past 15 years, Catoctin Breeze has earned a spot among them, largely through its red varietals and blends. Among its awards is the 2019 Comptroller’s Cup, one of two annual intrastate contests. The winery is owned by Voytek, Alicja and Adam Fizyta.

Catoctin Breeze noted in a weekend Facebook post that geologist Bubba Beasley visited several weeks ago to perform what is called “terroir mapping.” As the post explained, the geologist utilized GIS, underground imaging (electromagnetic mapping) and a backhoe to help the winery better understand its soils. So what will they do with the results? Those will provide a guide of not only which grapevines to plant but also where to plant them.

Read the entire article via PennLive.com

Casa Carmen: “We’re Expanding”

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Casa Carmen: “We’re Expanding”

We got an awesome update from our friends at Casa Carmen Winery and wanted to share the news with you. The information below is straight from the winery!

We have some important news to share! Over the past few years, we have worked around the clock to bring you the best wine and food that we can. We love doing this. It is part of our very essence and your unrelenting support means the world to us.

We now have some amazing opportunities to expand our operations:

• Our downtown bodega and tasting room will be growing early next year as we take over the former Kaleidoscope space. This beautiful new space will allow us to start hosting small private gatherings and tasting dinners, so stay tuned for details!

• In order to double down on our commitments to sustainable agriculture and high quality viticulture, we have purchased the William Penn farm in southern Chester County, PA, about one hour to the north of Chestertown. In the new farm, we will be able to plant more acres of grapes and botanicals and do many many more exciting things (stay tuned!).

2017 was Casa Carmen’s first harvest. In 2019, we opened our beloved bodega and tasting room in downtown. Later that year we started The Wine Collective to give Casa Carmen access to the highest quality vineyards and winery equipment, and now we are further strengthening our agricultural foundations. All these continue to allow us to keep pushing the limits of making exceptional wines and vermouth in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Though we will certainly be busier than ever, the Casa Carmen team keeps growing and tirelessly working behind the scenes and behind the bar, beneath the vines and above the tanks, wielding a torch as we relentlessly fight to realize this mad vision of making life not as it is, but as it should be!

Stay tuned for all the exciting details and news to come, and thank you for being part of this amazing dream from the beginning.

Loew Vineyards Featured on Mead House Podcast, Episode 216

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Loew Vineyards Featured on Mead House Podcast, Episode 216

From the Mead House Podcast:

Our guest in this episode comes from a family who has been making mead for 5 generations. Now mind you, that dates back to around 1870. Her family has been making mead for over 40 years continuously, and she’s been here before back on episode 213. We’ll welcome Rachel Lipman of Loew Vineyards in Maryland back to the house in a bit and talk nothing but mead.

We had planned for our usual two other segments, however, we were so engrossed in conversation, she stayed and helped us close the show out! Thank you, Rachel!

Listen to the podcast episode HERE.

Linganore Winecellars is the First Winery in Maryland to Have Complete Home-grown Power

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Linganore Winecellars is the First Winery in Maryland to Have Complete Home-grown Power

MOUNT AIRY, MD (PRWEB) NOVEMBER 30, 2021

In a constant effort to become carbon neutral, Linganore Winecellars has installed a solar system that will completely power the winery. “It’s sort of cool” said Anthony Aellen, Vice President of Winery Operations. “We’re growing grapes coming from the field and now we’re growing power on the farm as well.”

The Maryland winery recently installed 720 solar panels, each generating 350 watts, for a total of 252 kilowatts. This is enough to power the entire operation, and one of the first wineries to do so in the Mid-Atlantic region. As grapes are grown, harvested, and made into wine, the environment and its future are prioritized.

This is the latest effort, in a long list of green initiatives by the winery including skylight lighting, tracking solar connected to EV chargers, pulp composting, just to name a few. “Seeing the effects of climate change in the last 20 years, we can now grow different varieties that we couldn’t grow 20 years ago. It’s just warmed up that much! To mitigate this, we had focused on eliminating fossil fuel from generation power, to buying wind power. Now we’re growing our own power and that’s really the key,” says Aellen.

“We take our role as stewards very seriously. Back in 2012 we installed EV chargers and now, nine years later, there’s a push to convert vehicle power to electric. You must be able to think a bit further into the future, to think of what your grandchildren and their grandchildren are going to be left with. We can’t just leave this earth and screw it up for everybody else. It’s up to us to make decisions that will bring about positive change. Our aim is to not only to support the land but leave it better than we found it.”

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