The Ultimate Guide to Maryland’s Winery Trails

With nine wineries located primarily between Frederick and Hagerstown, Maryland, the Antietam Highland Wine Trail has a high elevation, lime-rich soil, and low humidity, which makes it perfect for growing French and German grapes. The climate also makes it a great place to escape from Washington, D.C. and Baltimore on hot summer months and explore vineyards like the relatively new Big Cork Vineyards, which offers unique wines in a large tasting room.

Wineries in Virginia, those just outside of Washington, D.C., are brimming with people looking to celebrate and enjoy wine on a weekend day. If you’re looking for a place that’s a little less crowded, check out the Capital Wine Trail. With five wineries in Montgomery County, Maryland, around Bethesda and Silver Spring, you don’t have to go far to enjoy a vineyard. The most remote winery on this trail is Sugarloaf Mountain Winery, but the gorgeous views of Sugarloaf Mountain, rolling hills, and farmland are worth the drive. They offer wine tasting, tours, and live music on Saturdays.

The Carroll Wine Trail is the smallest trail, with just two vineyards in Carroll County, Maryland. The Old Westminster Winery is a family-run vineyard that features mostly sweet and semi-sweet white wines, with a few reds. The Serpent Ridge Vineyard uses estate-grown grapes plus grapes grown elsewhere to make reds and whites, although they still have a more limited selection. Both wineries have tasting rooms, a banquet room, and outdoor seating.

The Chesapeake Wine Trail on Maryland’s Eastern Shore comprises 14 wineries. Whether you’re biking or driving around the peninsula, you’ll find a winery that’s worth stopping for. St. Michaels Winery lies in the historic waterfront town of St. Michaels, and the cozy tasting room is perfect for a post-lunch or pre-dinner drink.

The Frederick Wine Trail was Maryland’s first wine trail, and with eight wineries north and northwest of the city of Frederick, Maryland, there’s plenty to explore. Like the vineyards on the Antietam Highlands Wine Trail, the grapes are grown in lush soil that is perfect for French and German grapes. With grapes that have been grown since the 1970s, Linganore Winecellars in Mt. Airy, Maryland, is an older spot on the Maryland wine scene. They offer a wide variety of wines that you can sample at their large tasting room or outdoor patio.

The Legacy Wine Trail is the newest Maryland wine trail. Southern Maryland was known for growing slow-burning and highly coveted Chesapeake tobacco, and the end of tobacco cultivation left fields ready for a different crop. The Legacy Wine Trail comprises four wineries, all located less than an hour outside of Washington, D.C., and some are very close to the Patuxent Wine Trail.

The Patuxent Wine Trail is home to eight wineries in Calvert and St. Mary’s Counties. As they are all located less than 1.5 hours from Washington, D.C., they make the perfect excuse to get out and explore some of Maryland’s early history and heritage. At Perigeaux Vineyards & Winery, you’ll enjoy an intimate tasting room with friendly staff and mostly French red-inspired wines. If you are boating around Calvert County, check out the Solomons Island Winery, located right on the island with beautiful views of the Patuxent River.

If you live in or around Baltimore, the Piedmont Wine Trail is what you need to check out. This trail features some of the oldest and most established wineries in the state. Basignani Winery in Baltimore County has an intimate tasting room and outdoor patio where you can try their estate-grown and bottled wines. Boordy Vineyards is Maryland’s first winery, and the expansive grounds are perfect for a summer picnic. They also offer special events like a Mother’s Day wine event and evening concerts.