Have Fun Celebrating Maryland Wine Month
Author: Kelly Lukowski, Maryland Wineries Association
Maryland Wine Month is in full swing! Here are some fun, COVID-friendly activities to help you celebrate through the end of March!
Visit One of Maryland’s Wineries For a Tour & Tasting
With spring just around the corner, we can’t think of a better way to spend a day than touring a vineyard and sampling local wines. Many of Maryland’s vineyards are currently offering socially distanced, COVID-friendly, events, tastings, and are BYOP (Bring Your Own Picnic!). Here are a few to check out:
Boordy Vineyards & Winery Hydes, MD (Piedmont Wine Trail)
Boordy Vineyards earned the 2020 Maryland Governor’s and celebrated its 75th anniversary in the same year. They are open 7 days a week with no reservation required for tastings Monday-Friday. If you are stopping by on a Saturday or Sunday, you will have the added treat of live music and food truck vendors and will need to make a reservation online before your visit. Due to COVID-19, all guests must be 21+. Follow Boordy Vineyards on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the loop!
Bordeleau Vineyards & Winery Eden, MD (Chesapeake Wine Trail)
Bordeleau Vineyards & Winery invites you to join them for a variety of fun events, such as Sippin’ with Sloths, Girl Scout Cookie & Wine pairings, and free live music every Saturday! You are welcome to bring your own picnic or enjoy food on the premises. Flight tastings are available Wednesday-Sunday or by appointment Mondays & Tuesdays.
Broken Spoke Vineyard & Winery Earleville, MD (Chesapeake Wine Trail) is open Thursday-Sunday, and hosts events every Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy live music and food trucks on the weekends, and treat yourself to tasting flights or wine slushies! No reservation is needed for outdoor seating. Check the calendar on their website and their social media pages to hear about their exciting news and events.
Catoctin Breeze Vineyard Thurmont, MD (Frederick Wine Trail)
Catoctin Breeze Vineyard is open 7 days a week, and offers guests food trucks and live music on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. No reservation is required for picnics or wine by the bottle. You can make a reservation for a private tasting or personal fire pit on their website, or contact them to make an appointment for a tour of the vineyard Monday-Friday!
Crow Vineyard & Winery Kennedyville, MD (Chesapeake Wine Trail)
Crow Vineyard & Winery has a variety of events this spring for you to enjoy wine in a new way, such as hayride tours of their vineyard, food and wine pairings, and wine and yoga happy hours! You can even turn your visit into a weekend getaway at their Farmstay Bed & Breakfast to get a unique look at Vineyard life. Reservations for events or B&B stays available on their website or by phone.
Dove Valley Vineyard & Winery Rising Sun, MD (Chesapeake Wine Trail)
Dove Valley Vineyard & Winery was Cecil County’s First Vineyard and Winery. They are currently open Thursday-Monday, with exciting weekend events, featuring food trucks, live music, wine pairings, and even craft workshops! Dove Valley is also offering wine delivery within 30 miles of their location. Find more information and register for workshops on their website.
Linganore Winecellars Mount Airy, MD (Frederick Wine Trail)
Linganore Winecellars is ready to welcome visitors 361 days a year! Currently, you can attend a private tasting by reservation, or purchase a bottle to enjoy on the property. There are also fire pits available for reservation. Linganore is offering several events, both in person and virtual, such as weekly Facebook Live chats, wine pairings, food trucks, and live music. Check out their website and social media pages for more information.
Port of Leonardtown Winery Leonardtown, MD (First Landing Wine Trail)
Port of Leonardtown Winery took home the 2020 Jack Aellen Cup. The winery is open 7 days a week and offers private Barrel Room tastings by appointment only. You can also visit on Fridays and Saturdays for live music and food trucks. Check out their website’s calendar for other fun events like painting a crab-shaped door hanger!
Rocklands Farm Winery Poolesville, MD (Capital Wine Trail)
Rocklands Farm Winery is offering fun-filled weekends with live music on Fridays and rotating food trucks. The family area makes this a perfect destination for an outing with kids, they can enjoy the farm while you enjoy a bottle of wine! Keep up to date with Rocklands’ upcoming events on their website or Facebook page.
Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard Dickerson, MD (Capital Wine Trail)
Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard is back to their summer hours, 7 days a week from noon to 6pm. You can attend a guided wine tour any day with no reservation needed. They are also offering weekend food trucks in addition to their a la carte food selections. Check out their website and social media pages for the latest update.
Host Your Own Paint & Sip Night with Maryland Wine
Looking for a way to celebrate at home? Pick up a bottle (or two) of Maryland wine and some painting supplies for a fun night in!
Whether it’s a solo project or a group activity, this is perfect for all ages and skill levels. You can make it kid-friendly with sparkling apple cider or grape juice. It’s even a great way to connect with loved ones far away; add a little bit of paint to your virtual happy hour!
You can follow along with online painting tutorials, go for something more abstract, or make a wine-inspired painting. Just make sure to keep your wine and paint water separate. Enhance the atmosphere with a fun painting playlist like this one by Valspar Paint.
Wine Bottle White Elephant
Who says White Elephant is reserved for the Holidays? Gather some friends or family, wrap up your favorite wines, and have a party exchanging and toasting them! If you’re unable to meet up with your fellow wine enthusiasts, consider ordering from your favorite winery’s website, and having the wine shipped directly to them!
You can also pair some wonderful Maryland wines with other gifts for the sommeliers in your life. Check out Town & Country’s list of 33 best gifts for wine lovers in 2021 for some great gifting ideas.
Tune in to Wine Wednesday
The Maryland Wineries Association hosts weekly Wine Wednesday broadcasts of virtual wine tastings, check-ins with winemakers throughout the state, roundtable discussions, and chats with influencers and partners within the industry.
You’re invited to participate in each of the live conversations – ask your questions or share your comments. Learning more about wine and being engaged with the winemakers in Maryland is what our Wine Wednesday chats are all about.
Be sure to like and follow us on Facebook, or subscribe to our YouTube channel and click the bell, to receive notifications about our upcoming broadcasts!
