Paul Vigna of the Patriot-News writes that Black Ankle, Serpent Ridge, and a number of other Mid-Atlantic wineries are investing in Iberian grapes, particularly the white Albarino. I can personally recommend Serpent Ridge’s Albarino, and I often see it in stores. The Spanish grapes are a nice change from the French grapes we commonly see.

In a separate article, Mr. Vigna reports about Knob Hall’s winning awards for its Chambourcin, another unfamiliar grape.

Speaking of Serpent Ridge, Carlo de Vito of East Coast Wineries notes the winery is profiled in Vineyard and Winery Management.

Mark Cascia Vineyards is expanding with the help of a state grant.

Mr. de Vito also reposts Dave McIntyre’s Best Regional Wines of 2011. I will confess to nearly squealing when I saw Slack’s Montepulciano on the list (Black Ankle’s Slate, the 2011 MD Governor’s Cup winner, is also on there). Montepulciano has always been a favorite, but a guilty pleasure because no one was doing it locally. Then came Slack. (And their Danny Boy Danny. But that’s another post entirely.)

CBS, ABC and WBAL (thank you, Terroirist) note that Maryland wineries are seeing more business now that shipping is allowed. Surprise!

The surprise, though, is that only the Baltimore Business Journal comes out and frankly says Maryland will benefit from the permit fees and extra tax revenue.

Baltimore Business Journal also does a nice write-up of the start of Old Westminster Winery.

I attribute to living in the DC suburbs, but I’m already sick of this year’s election. If you’d like a different take on things, check out Tom Wark’s analysis of how wine-friendly the Republican candidates are (although this came out before the Iowa caucases).

Not Maryland, but W. Blake Gray tries a DIY wine making product.

As always, check out the Maryland Wineries’ Association’s news site for even more items of interest. Maryland’s Office of Tourism also has a Wineries section, with events going on year round.

So imagine my pleasant surprise when I hear that Harris Teeter, opening a store in McHenry Row in Baltimore in December, might also be selling wine. Matt and I really like the Harris Teeter in our neighborhood; it’s clean and well stocked, without being too pricey. It has a lot of the international or organic foods you might expect at a specialty store, but also has your basic bread and butter. But wine?

The first person to answer my emails was Adam Borden, the president of Marylanders for Better Beer and Wine Laws, who commented on the original article linked above. He clarified that Harris Teeter would manage the Cellars, which is the wine shop in question, but the shop would be a separate space with its own entrance. That’s pretty much the information posted in this update.

I contacted Harris Teeter’s corporate office and was referred to Mark Sapperstein, who owns the Cellars. This is Sapperstein’s first store, so he wasn’t sure how common this set up was. However, Sapperstein would own the shop and take care of licensing and running the shop, while Harris Teeter would manage it. He said that there wouldn’t be much partnership between the two shops, but rather that the shops would merely be next to each other, much like most grocery store and liquor store relationships.

Harris Teeter seems to have a decent amount of information about wine on its website, with an established wine club and a showcased wine of the week. It may not sound like much, but it’s more than what our local liquor shop has. And it’s better than “wine product” (thanks to David White of Fermentation for that link).

There is a sampling event on Tuesday, December 6th at 5:30 pm at the new Harris Teeter, located at 1700 whetstone way, Baltimore, Maryland 21230. It sounds like I’ll get more of a feel for the set up that evening.

Anyone else hear about this new shop opening up? What wines would you want to see in your local grocery shop?

Local bloggers are celebrating Regional Wine Week, an outgrowth of DrinkLocalWine.com, itself started and spearheaded by Dave McIntyre of Dave McIntyre’s WineLine and the Washington Post and Jeff Siegel of The Wine Curmudgeon. As part of the festivities, Mr. Siegel and Mr. McIntyre are challenging you to write a 47-word essay on local wine; Wine Compass, Swirl Sip Snark, and others have already taken part. And “you” does mean YOU: bloggers, blog readers, wine enthusiasts, wine drinkers, wine curious, wine skeptical, etc.

That’s my 47-word essay, up at the top. Agree? Disagree? Are you chiming in with an essay of your own, or celebrating Regional Wine Week in other ways?

In addition to my own interview with Sarah O’Herron of Black Ankle Vineyards, several other winemakers were interviewed, quoted, and blogged about by area press leading up to this past weekend’s Festival. Some even blogged themselves!  Almost all of them said something to the tune of “festivals are a lot of work, but it’s fun.”

As volunteers for the Maryland Wine Association and its Premier Tent, we didn’t do much that felt like work. I was handing out the Riedel red wine glasses the MWA provided for the premier ticket holders, and Matt was pouring the lighter white wines. Along the way we talked to long time festival attendees, new Premier Tent guests, winery staff, MWA personnel, and other volunteers. It was a really interesting way to learn about wine and the industry (already two more stories coming together for you, dear reader).

We had upgraded our volunteer passes for the day, so we got to taste the wines ourselves once our shift was done. The red wines definitely showed better in the larger glass, and it certainly didn’t hurt the whites! I was intrigued to taste four chardonnays from four different wineries, as well as several different cabernet sauvignons (a few of which we came home with). I also found quite possibly the only dessert wine I didn’t care for, although the majority were fantastic.

We also had the chance to spend a little bit of time out in the field. While the wines in the tent were certainly worth it (not to mention the food), I looked forward to seeing a little more of each winery’s offerings. We made a point to get to Serpent Ridge, Running Hare, and Bordeleau before the pouring ended at 6. I can highly recommend visits to all three wineries, or at least catching them during a festival. Serpent Ridge is working with some grapes unique to our area, and Running Hare had an extremely good malbec. Bordeleau offers a steel-fermented chardonnay, a French-oak-fermented chardonnay, and an American-oak-fermented chardonnay, all different, so you could really taste how the vessel affected the wine.

All in all, a good time, even despite Saturday’s chilly rain. We came home with Sugarloaf Mountain chardonnay; cabernet sauvignon from DeJon, Elk Run, and Boordy (their Landmark Reserve); the Woodhall Parkton Prestige; and the Running Hare Jack Rabbit Red to mull. Kudos to the MWA for running an extremely well organized and enjoyable festival.

If you missed the festival, most wineries are open this fall during the weekends at the very least. Many wineries are also hosting harvest, crushing, or festival events. The Chesapeake and Piedmont wine trails are holding wine and crush events this weekend. October 1-2 the Riverside Wine Festival takes place at Sotterly Plantation. If you go, please take the opportunity and taste what’s available. As some other wine bloggers have noted recently, if you only taste what you know you’ll like, you may miss out on some really nice wines that are right up your alley. And finding those wines is half the fun.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve gotten curious about these competitions. Particularly at established wineries, I often feel I enter the tasting room to see a whole row of be-medaled bottles. How big a deal are competitions if every wine at every winery has won an award?

I was lucky enough, though, to speak to Sarah O’Herron, one of the proprietors of Black Ankle Vineyards recently. Why not go to the experts?

And experts they do seem to be. Ms. O’Herron said that Black Ankle has won the Governor’s Cup three of the four years it has been producing wine, and now only do that competition. This competition is coordinated by the Maryland Wineries Association, although Black Ankle gets invitations from plenty of other competitions, many privately run. However, with a small production and their focus on the Maryland wine market, entering other festivals isn’t always worth the extra publicity. Indeed, most of Black Ankle’s customers are already familiar with the Maryland Governor’s Cup.

I was curious. I’ve entered peach preserves in the state fair before, but what’s this competition like?

First, once a winemaker decides to enter a competition, he or she takes care of an entry fee and sends in the wine. For Black Ankle, the Governor’s Cup is a little easier because “we can just drop off the wines in Annapolis,” explained Ms. O’Herron. She hasn’t judged competitions herself, but judges may be wine writers, restaurant staff, or other industry experts. They taste and rate each wine, tabulating the results to find the wine with the highest score, and assign medals from there. Competition staff will call or email with results before the public announcement is made. Of course, the Governors’ Cup results are conveniently announced only a few weeks before the state wine festival. In fact, Ms. O’Herron told me that, several years ago, participation in the festival was a requirement for participation in the competition (they’re both run by the Maryland Wineries Association). At this point, though, the festival gets so much participation the requirement has been relaxed.

Actually, I hadn’t remembered seeing Black Ankle at the last few festivals I’d been to. I’d heard that they just didn’t have enough wine to sell it at festivals in addition to the sales at the winery, but was that just hearsay?

“We don’t have enough wine to go to festivals,” Ms. O’Herron confirmed. As an estate winery, only using grapes grown on their own acreage, they can only grow so many grapes and ferment so much wine. “You pour so much wine at festivals,” and many festival goers are not looking for higher end wines, including the dry reds that Black Ankle is known for. Black Ankle will have wines at the premier tent, though: “if our wine won [the Governor's Cup], we should be there.” Further, participating in a festival means printing banners, setting up tables, acquiring tents, finding pourers, etc.

But it’s a lot of fun if wineries do go. “And it normally works great for other wineries,” said Ms. O’Herron, noting that each winery has its own marketing plan.

And Black Ankle itself is expanding. They doubled their plantings this spring, and hope to harvest in 2013 and release those wines in 2014 and 2015. A subsequent return to festivals such as this weekend’s event in Westminster is possible, but it depends on whether the market leaves enough wine to go to festivals.

It’s a shame: I remember Black Ankle being some of the first dry reds I truly liked, and I haven’t been to the winery in a couple years now. But Black Ankle does distribute to about 150 stores and restaurants. And while I’m waiting to get back up to the winery in Mt. Airy, roughly four dozen other Maryland Wineries are participating in this weekend’s Maryland Wine Festival.

I hope to see you there this weekend! (The Baltimore Sun rates it the number one thing to do this weekend.) The weather is supposed to be about 70 degrees and sunny. Don’t forget sunscreen, water, and a snack; eat well before you go, or plan to get food from the many vendors there. Also, if you forget your wine tote, I’ve noticed a lot of wineries now carry their own, so you can get one on site. Try a wine you don’t think you’d like, and find something you’d like a bottle of.

As one last note, I highly suggest carpooling to one of the satellite lots at Carroll Community College or Carroll County’s government offices park and taking a bus in, and please, please, drive only when sober or designate a driver.

ECoast Wines reviews Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard’s EVOE! at the 2011 Wine Bloggers’ Conference in Charlottesville, Virginia. He was drawn to the label but stayed for the wine.

Also at the conference, VA Wine Diva of Swirl, Sip, Snark enjoyed another Bordeaux-style red, the Black Ankle Vineyards Crumbling Rock, and decides he needs to get up to Frederick soon.

Running Hare Winery, down in southern Maryland, earned a gold medal at the Riverside International Wine Competition (via East Coast Wineries).

Bordeleau Winery, Elk Run Vineyards, Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyards, Romano Winery and Vineyard, did well at the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association’s 2011 competition (Word document).

Layton’s Chance Winery gets a visit from the Governor.

Carrie Ann Knauer of the Carroll County Times reports Distillery Lane Ciderworks will be debuting at the Maryland Wine Festival next month (you signed up to volunteer, right?).

TONIGHT – if you’re getting a head start on your weekend, I can recommend Boordy’s Good Life Market. Wine, burgers, local products, and live music from 4-8. And you don’t even have to pull out your tux.

If one night of wine, food, and music isn’t enough, Layton’s Chance is hosting a Happy Hour and buffet – with karaoke! – from 5:30 to 9 on Friday. It sounds like a good, low-key affair – at one of Maryland’s newest wineries.

Also Friday night, Legends Vineyard is coordinating a cruise on the skipjack Martha Lewis from 7-9. Gotta love them for going above and beyond the typical wine-tasting-and-food routine. Information is a little sparse online, but reservations are required, and a phone number is listed.

Eastern Yacht Club holds their Bayside Blues and Wine Festival Saturday from 1-7 in Middle River, featuring blues, zydeco, rhythm and blues, Maryland wines, and beautiful views of the bay. (via East Coast Wineries)

For the landlubbers among us, a little more inland is the Briggs Chaney-Greencastle Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market in Silver Spring. Open from ten til two on Saturday, they’re hosting a tasting of international foods and Maryland wines. (Note: The listing on VisitMontgomery.Com says it’s free, but I’d trust the admission information from the Market’s website: while admission to the market is free, the tasting is $15, or $10 in advance. )

There are tons of other events going on this weekend, and occasionally during the week: this is just a sampling. We won’t post an event round up every week, so I suggest bookmarking Maryland Wine’s Events Page and the calendar page of your favorite winery. Enjoy!

I finally found information about volunteering at the Maryland Wine Festival next month, which again, I highly recommend (my tendency to say yes to volunteer gigs between the Potomac and the Mason-Dixon aside). While I’m not always a big people person, the chance to interact with people who truly love wine, and to interact in person with out a screen in between, was pretty darn cool.

There are several ways to volunteer: Check in with your favorite Maryland winery, and call or email them – many are looking for volunteers now. Many ask volunteers for a couple hours of work before you’re free to enjoy the festival.

You can also work the front gate – checking IDs, attaching wristbands, and handing out glasses. As per the press release from the Carroll County Government, you can “contact Roger Hardman, Volunteer Coordinator at 410-386-3891, or call the Farm Museum office at 410-386-3880″.

Hope to see you there!

The 2011 Maryland Wine Festival is September 17-18 at the Carroll County Farm Museum

Well, actually, tickets to the Maryland Wine Festival have been available since July 18th, according to this Carroll County Times article from that date. It’s held every year in Westminster the third weekend of September: this year, the grounds are open 10-6 on September 17th and noon-6 on September 18th. Tickets are $27 in advance if you buy online, and $30 at the door… er… entry booth at the Carroll County Farm Museum. Of course, there are discounts for designated drivers, children, and seniors.

We’ve gone every year since we were out of college, and it’s a great time to taste wines that were released in 2011. Some winemakers may also have offerings from prior years. I personally love it for the variety and the ability to try so many offerings in one place, especially if there is a new winery or new vintage that otherwise wouldn’t make my radar. There are usually tons of vendors selling good food; cheese, olive oil, or honey to complement your wine; and wine gear – glass holders, glasses, bottle racks, and the like.

Of course, you can also buy tickets for the Premier Tent for $65 ($62 in advance). If you remember from Matt’s post about pouring in the Premier Tent last year, Premier ticket holders taste some pretty amazing Maryland wines not available to the rest of the festival goers, and can chow down on food provided by local restaurants. New this year, too, are a festival poster and a Riedel wine glass for the festival. And, of course, you get to go to the rest of the festival, too. I remember the Premier Tent being pricey, but not as crowded, and with fewer people who go to these shindigs just to get buzzed. The wines and food are good, too; if I recall correctly, the Premier Tent even had a wine or two from Black Ankle Vineyards, which hasn’t shown at the area festivals in a couple years. If you’re big on quality wine and not so much on the buzz-seeking crowds, you might find the Premier Tent worthwhile.

Another feature, and one that Matt and I haven’t really looked into before, is the wine education aspect. Some of these seminars are basic introductions to Maryland whites, Maryland reds, or how wine is made. But I notice on the site there’s an amateur wine judging, which might be cool to go to (or even participate in!).

Of course, don’t forget to take your wine bottle bag, water bottle, sunscreen, and a picnic if you’re taking it.

Have you made plans to go? Are you volunteering, or going for the Premier Tent?

I’m heading over to the festival a bit later this afternoon. You may also be interested in this preview article I wrote for the local Columbia Patch. Be sure to tweet a message to @vinotrip if you have a few minutes to say hello!