For the past several years, officials from St.
Mary’s and surrounding counties recognized that the wine industry had the potential to positively affect agriculture and tourism in the area. After visiting local vineyards, touring wineries in
neighboring Virginia, and consulting with viticulturists and enologists from Maryland and Pennsylvania, they decided to encourage the growth of this industry in Southern Maryland.
Establishing a winery was seen as the logical next step since this would act as an engine to pull growers and their products to market. In 2006, the St. Mary’s Department of Economic and
Community Development engaged the services of Stephen Menke, Ph.D., an industry expert, who produced a Site Evaluation and Feasibility Report. Idle buildings located at the former State Highway
Administration in Leonardtown were determined capable of housing a winery. The county then asked the Southern Maryland Grape Growers and Wineries Association to investigate the possibility of forming
an organization to run this new winery.
The Association quickly realized this
was an excellent opportunity to promote the emerging wine industry in our region as well as to support the established agriculture and tourism industries here. The group reviewed various business
forms and decided that an agricultural cooperative would be best for the winery. Although there are very few winery cooperatives in the US (we have only found one other, Shawnee Winery in Illinois)
they are very popular in Europe. Cooperatives bring together producers in order to reduce costs and market risk. In our case it will also provide the potential for increased revenue to our member
farmers when the winery becomes profitable.
Cooperatives also traditionally provide training and education to their members as well as improving the members purchasing power through buying
supplies in bulk and buying expensive machinery and loaning it to the members. We are not at the point where we can buy the equipment yet but we have already had some training sessions and plan a
number more to help our members grow the best grapes possible in their vineyards.
Current status:
With the exception of the tasting room, the winery is complete now and we are using it to make our wines. The facility is beautiful and fully
functional. The large stainless steel tanks have freshly pressed juice in them fermenting to lovely white Vidal wine. The barrel room is full
of barrels of Chardonnay, Chambourcin and other wines fermenting and aging.
Every weekend we have been harvesting and processing our member's grapes to make you our fine wines. We have Vidal, Chardonnay, Viognier
and Villard Blanc white grapes and Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin, Chancellor and de Chunac are our red grapes. In December we will host
our blending team and put together the wines that we will be offering in the tasting room this coming year.
Look below to check out some photos of pur progress!
Port of Leonardtown Merlot
A very popular red wine. Merlot is an easy to drink soft red wine with aromatics of violet and rose, notes of currant, black cherry and plum, and soft grape and oak tannins.
The Port of Leonardtown Winery Grand Opening was a truly a grand success. With hundreds in attendance the hard work and dedication of so many was recognized by all.
Many thanks go out to the Town of Leonardtown. The Town Council and Mayor and particularly Laschelle Mckay for your tireless support.
Many thanks also go out to St. Mary's County Government. The Commissioners past and present and particularly Bob Schaller and the entire staff at the Dept of Economic
and Community Development. Support and guidance was also generously given from the Maryland Winery Association, the Maryland Grape Growers Association, the Southern
Maryland Agricultural Development Commission of the Tri-County Council, MARBIDCO and our Southern Maryland elected officials.
The list of organizations and businesses lending a hand and wishing us success is to numerous to mention. Just know we'll be good corporate neighbors and have a positive
effect on the wine industry, local tourism and most importantly Southern Maryland Agriculture. To all of the unmentioned - Thank you.
Main Varieties:Cabernet Franc – A full bodied red that is really making a reputation in VA right now, we think it will perform as well here in So MD and give us a very fine red wine; Vidal Blanc – A nice white grape that grows very well in our area and makes a good dry white, a nice sweet white wine and a fantastic dessert wine
For the past several years, officials from St.
Mary’s and surrounding counties recognized that the wine industry had the potential to positively affect agriculture and tourism in the area. After visiting local vineyards, touring wineries in
neighboring Virginia, and consulting with viticulturists and enologists from Maryland and Pennsylvania, they decided to encourage the growth of this industry in Southern Maryland.
The Association quickly realized this
was an excellent opportunity to promote the emerging wine industry in our region as well as to support the established agriculture and tourism industries here. The group reviewed various business
forms and decided that an agricultural cooperative would be best for the winery. Although there are very few winery cooperatives in the US (we have only found one other, Shawnee Winery in Illinois)
they are very popular in Europe. Cooperatives bring together producers in order to reduce costs and market risk. In our case it will also provide the potential for increased revenue to our member
farmers when the winery becomes profitable.
Main Varieties: Cabernet Franc – A full bodied red that is really making a reputation in VA right now, we think it will perform as well here in So MD and give us a very fine red wine; Vidal Blanc – A nice white grape that grows very well in our area and makes a good dry white, a nice sweet white wine and a fantastic dessert wine
