For 22 years we have been writing about and following the progress of the Virginia wine industry. This month I decided to take a day trip to Calvert County in southern Maryland and pay a visit to the emerging Patuxent Wine Trail. Consisting of seven wineries, the trail runs through Calvert County into St. Mary’s County. For this particular trip I chose to visit the wineries in Calvert County. I will address the other two wineries on a later day trip to St. Mary’s County.
I finally got my Fiat back after sitting for 5 months waiting for parts to arrive from Italy. Work was done on the brake system as well as the front end. All seems in order now, and I look forward to many more day trips in Feona. For those of you who have not followed this article over the past four years, the idea is to not let the price of fuel force you to stay home. Grab a friend, share the fuel costs and take a day trip. I simply try and provide places to go.
The journey is as much a goal as the destination. Some of these wineries provide a place to enjoy a picnic lunch, so if that is your style, pack a lunch…they have the wine. Food is not available at any of the five wineries at this time.
Take the beltway (495-95) into Maryland and hang a right at Route 4 south. As soon as you clear a few traffic lights you will be into the country. Towns like Upper Marlboro, Wayson’s Corner and Dunkirk fly by. The area is rich in history and flavor, home to many historical landmarks, lighthouses and quaint waterfront towns.
The county is bordered by the Chesapeake Bay and the Patuxent River, which offer stunning water vistas, and beautiful rolling farmland that will soothe the soul and wisk the city away. Fields that once grew tobacco when tobacco was king in southern Maryland now are the fertile fields of grape vines. Tobacco barns have been converted into tasting rooms. The area’s soil and climate are a close approximation of the famed Tuscany region in Italy, and local wine makers are creating award-winning wines.
Turning right off of route 4 onto Chaneyville Road, the first winery you come to is Fridays Creek Winery. Lush green fields abound on this drive to the 300-acre farm. Named for Fridays Creek that flows through the property on its’ way to the Patuxent River, this winery currently has about 12 ½ acres dedicated to vines. Farm owner and winery founder Frank Cleary, Sr. used make his own wine for personal consumption only. Well, it turned out pretty good so the neighbors would stop by. One thing led to another and in 2004 the first vines were planted and Fridays Creek Winery opened in 2006 with Frank’s son Richard as the wine maker. The winery also has a gallery where local artists can display their work and the farm raises strawberries as well as other vegetables, which are available to the public. Brianne, who works the tasting room, is delightful and has a wealth of knowledge that only comes from being born and raised there.
Driving back to route 4 and again heading south, you will make a right at route 231 and go about 5 miles before making a left at Adelina Road, and then a quick left onto the property of Running Hare Vineyard. The drive down the gravel road takes you through the 300-acre farm. Originally purchased by Mike Scarborough as a hunting reserve, he quickly discovered that the soil was much like that in Tuscany. He grew up in the wine regions of France and learned the nuances of wine at a very young age. Scarborough was also a maker of wine for his personal consumption, so when the authorities told him he was making too much he either had to toss it out, become a bootlegger or start a commercial winery. Lucky for us he chose the latter. In 2002 he planted 100 vines, which soon grew into 5,000 vines. He built an out-door tasting area with plenty of tables and chairs and in 2010 Mike and his wife Barbara opened the 8,400 sq. foot Tuscany style events building.
If you did not pack a lunch and enjoyed it at the previous wineries, take a turn to Broome’s Island and stop in for lunch at Stoney’s. It is a great place to enjoy a crab cake and take in the beautiful scenery of the Patuxent River.
The third winery to visit is Perigeaux Vineyard and Winery. Unfortunately, the day I was there the winery was closed. As can be expected, even on weekends, when wine festivals are going on, the small wineries lose a lot of personnel to attend these festivals. This particular Saturday the winery was closed because they were attending the Festival in the Woods at Merriweather Post Pavilion. This is Maryland’s Premier wine event and making the wine is one thing…selling it is another…and wine events are the place to do it! Perigeaux started out in 2002 by planting 2,200 vinifera vines and today they have 5,000 vines on eight acres. From their first harvest of 48 pounds of fruit they have grown to harvesting 14 tons.
Once again traveling down route 4 you take a left to Cove Point Winery located in the town of Lusby and a short distance from Cove Point Lighthouse, the oldest working lighthouse in Maryland. The winery is the first licensed and bonded Class 4 winery in Southern Maryland. In addition to their own harvest, Cove Point purchases additional fruit from local vineyards in Southern Maryland as well as fruit from out of the state. Hopefully by now you have had lunch. Cove Point has a small tasting room but nowhere to sit for a spell. As a boutique winery, it appears the emphasis is on making a quality wine and then selling it.
Back to route 4 and head south until you see the small sign on the right side of the road for Solomons Island Winery. Turn right and then the next left…it may look like someone’s driveway, but it leads to the winery. This winery was founded as a micro-winery by Ken Korando in the fall of 2002.The winery does grow a small amount of their own grapes but purchase fruit from other growers. Their wines include the usual name varieties but the also make six semi-sweet wines under the label of Solomons Island Mist that are light and fruity. If memory serves correct, there are a few spots to sit at this winery and enjoy their product.
If time allows, and it should since the latest any of these wineries stay open is 5:30, take a one-mile drive into and on to Solomons Island. Here you will find great places to eat with water views everywhere, local shops, and as much scenery and eye candy as you can handle.
NOTE: Unlike Virginia wineries where emphasis is placed on the Virginia grown grape, Maryland wineries are more inclined to purchase fruit from as far away as France and Chile as well as Virginia and other wine producing states. As in Virginia, to carry that states name in the wine, at least 75% of the fruit must come from Maryland. The other wines from Maryland are labeled as American Wines. The thought is to produce the best wine they can from the best fruit they can buy. Some of the wines, however, are truly Maryland wines. The industry is fairly new to Maryland…see what the future holds. As it stands now they, as a group, are producing some pretty good wines including Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Chambourcin, Barbera, Chardonnay, Vidal, Seyval, Cayuga and Traminette, as well as various semi-sweet and fruity wines for the non-traditional wine drinker.
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