Maryland’s history of grape growing dates back to the mid 17th century when Lord Baltimore ordered vines to be planted. The region has four primary growing regions and three American Viticultural Areas (Linganore, Catoctin, and Cumberland Valley).
The region's hot, humid climate creates numerous viticultural challenges, but Maryland wineries are increasingly receiving recognition for producing high quality wines. Nearly all Maryland wineries are located within a two hour drive of the Washington DC, Baltimore, and Annapolis metropolitan areas.
Tours typically last from 30 to 60 minutes per tour and they are well worth your time to check out the different ones. Each one has their own flavors, beauty, and charm to experience.
What is even more awesome is that most wineries offer free samples of their wines when you go through a tour as well. Some do more formal tasting events as well. The tours are extremely interesting and fun to do too. They aren't just there to sample the wine that you're looking forward to but are actually very informative and you get to meet a lot of like-minded people usually that are also doing the tour. It's always nice to a fellow wine lover! - Be sure to call ahead if you are planning on doing a tour at one of the wineries or vineyards though to check on availability since many of them get very busy during season.
