Top 100 wines of Maryland

Discover the top 100 best wines of Maryland as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the wines that are popular of Maryland and the best vintages to taste in this region.

Discovering the wine region of Maryland

Maryland is an American state on the eastern seaboard, located between Virginia to the South and Pennsylvania to the North. It covers 32,000 km², from the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains to the coastal plains of the eastern Part of the state. The Chesapeake Bay, a large inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, dominates Maryland's coastline, almost splitting the state in two. The range of grapes grown in Maryland is remarkably diverse - the result not only of the diverse Climate, but also of 350 years of experimentation by the state's winemakers.

Well-known vinifera grapes perform well here, with Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc as prime examples. Barbera has also made it from Piedmont in northwestern Italy to Piedmont in Maryland; it thrives in the Warmer regions alongside its warm climate partners, Sangiovese and Viognier. Seyval Blanc and Chambourcin hybrids are also grown. Maryland now has over 250 acres of vineyards and over 75 small wineries.

News from the vineyard of Maryland

Laggan Bay whisky distillery to open on Islay

Plans have been approved for what will become Islay’s 12th Scotch malt whisky distillery. Laggan Bay is set to be developed by whisky bottlers and brewers The Islay Boys, in association with Ian Macleod Distillers. Argyll and Bute Council has granted planning permission for the distillery, which The Islay Boys said will produce ‘a traditional, double-distillation Islay whisky’, at Glenegedale in Laggan Bay, close to the island’s airport. The new development, on a two-hectare site, will also incl ...

Rare Haut-Brion helps Prince Robert of Luxembourg cellar auction ‘smash’ estimate

All 818 lots were sold in the auction, which saw Prince Robert of Luxembourg, chairman and CEO of Château Haut-Brion owner Domaine Clarence Dillon, open up his personal cellar to raise funds for the PolG Foundation. Featuring 4,200 bottles and covering Bordeaux wine royalty spanning more than a century of vintages, Sotheby’s said the auction ‘smashed’ its pre-sale high estimate of around $4m.  Two 4.5-litre Jeroboams of Haut-Brion, one from the 1926 vintage and the other from 1 ...

Group of winegrowers seeks UNESCO recognition for ungrafted vines

The Francs de Pied (Ungrafted Vines) group, which last met two weeks ago at Pasquet’s Liber Pater winery in the Graves, consists of a growing circle of vignerons who work with ungrafted vineyards planted to native varieties. The list includes Francs de Pied president Loïc Pasquet himself, vice-president Egon Müller (Mosel), and secretary Andrea Polidoro of Cupano (Montalcino) and Contrada Contro (Marche); as well as Gocha Chkhaidze of leading Georgian winery, Askaneli; Thibault Liger-Belair (Bur ...

Top wines in regions and sub-regions of Maryland