The Art of the Harvest

Harvest is a special time of year. It's the culmination of cultivation; the time to reap and realize the prize of all of our hard work in the vineyard. We harvest our treasured crop and shepherd it through a magical metamorphosis from raw fruit into bottles of wine that we can confidently deem worthy of our labels.

2016 has the early makings of an astonishing year at Old Westminster. The season began cool and wet which can be a bit worrisome, but we’re grateful to report that we were spared of any early catastrophes. While many vineyards – particularly those to the south of us – endured frost, hail, and damaging winds this year, our crops escaped unaffected.

Because things were wet early in the season, we were particularly diligent with our canopy management. Sun and wind are nature's antibiotics. Since early August we've had these in spades with borderline drought conditions. In some scenarios, excessive heat may slow vine development, photosynthesis, and vine respiration. But we noticed no such effect. The vines are clean and healthy, the grapes are vibrant and well on their way to full maturity.

At this point, the table is set. We continue to be diligent with our chores and monitor the physiological ripeness of our grapes to determine the optimal time to pick. Sure, we track sugars and acidity – but we do much more than that – we visually inspect the vineyard, we kick the vine's trunk and see if berries drop to the ground. We taste the fruit, chew the seeds, note the texture of the pulp and toughness of the skins; we assess the flavor development and aroma and pontificate about the wine to come.

Why does the quality of our grapes get us so excited? Because beautiful grapes are the only ingredient in a great bottle of wine.

The process of making great wine is simple: grow ripe, flavorful grapes and shepherd them carefully through fermentation, aging, and bottling. That's it in a nutshell.

But as simple as it is, it's certainly not easy. At the end of the day, we're farmers. We battle weather, fungus, insects, and wildlife. We are tireless because we know a great bottle of wine reflects its maker's hard work and creativity.

A wine is only as good as the grapes that go into it. It's sort of like guacamole... ever tried to make guac from an under-ripe avocado? It's awful. No amount of salt, pepper, onions, or lime juice can save it. Wine is much the same way. If the grapes are ripe and flavorful, the winemaker ought to have a light hand, let the grapes flaunt their stuff. But if the grapes are under-ripe or worse, no amount of manipulation can save it.

That's why everything is done by hand at Old Westminster. From winter pruning to summer hedging to harvest, every step of our process is powered by sweat, not oil. This method of farming offers our vines and wines the diligent care they deserve. Our fingerprints are on every vine, every grape, and every bottle. And we’re eager to share our hard work with you.

We’ll see you in the tasting room soon!

Old Westminster Just Got ‘Punched’

By Drew Baker

The pursuit of “perfection” in winemaking is often elusive and fraught with many ups and downs. Wine has to be one of the most critical art forms known. There are millions of variables and winemakers everywhere know how bipolar things can be. Nurture in tandem with nature is fickle enough. Nurture in tandem with a highly critical wine culture is an adventure into the ultimate meritocracy.  

That’s why we’re so excited about what we’re hearing from the critics.  

Jon Bonné is Senior Contributing Editor for PUNCH and author of The New California Wine: A Guide to the Producers and Wines Behind a Revolution in Taste. He recently set out to write about Pétillant Naturel (Pét Nat) and made it a point to give Old Westminster Winery a sparkling review in PUNCH.

This is super encouraging for us because PUNCH is serious press from authoritative writers that offer the kind of critical truthfulness we need to hear in order to realistically measure our progress.    

Says Bonné in PUNCH’S latest edition, “The gang at Old Westminster, in Maryland, is having almost too much fun with their range of pét-nats, including a beautiful sparkling albariño. (Anyone who doubts that America is, indeed, great again need look no further than a fizzy albariño made outside Baltimore.)”

He went on to describe us as “The Outlier” for our 2015 Old Westminster Home Vineyard Maryland Albariño Pétillant Naturel:

“This is where homegrown pét-nat gets interesting. ‘Home’ indicates Westminster, Maryland, between Baltimore and the Pennsylvania border, where the Baker family is trying to make a case for serious mid-Atlantic wine. Trained in chemistry, winemaker Lisa Hinton may not be an obvious pét-nat poster child, but her efforts are refined and subtly flavored, impressive for anywhere and downright groundbreaking for Maryland. Their albariño is the most pleasurable of the lot (a grüner veltliner was interesting but a bit mild in its flavors), with the grape’s quintessential peach and talc aspects on full display.” 

See the full article here.

Our vision for “Putting Maryland Wine on the World Map” was never just a grand cluster of words pulled arbitrarily from the sky. The world map is more than where Maryland wine could be. It’s where Maryland wine should be. Our terroir is more than capable. It’s up to us to make it happen.  

Verjus: The New East Coast Acid

You know that feeling you get in your mouth when you think about sinking your teeth into a Granny Smith apple? Yes, that feeling you got just now. Verjus inspires a similar quality of mouth contorting pucker-ability.   

Derived from the French vert jus meaning, “green juice”, verjus is simply the highly acidic pressed juice of unripe grapes. Though unfermented and nonalcoholic, it’s produced by winemakers and used by cocktail bartenders instead of citrus to add an accent of acid to their drink recipes. Likewise, chefs use verjus as an ingredient in finer cuisine because it's a more subtle acidity -- it doesn’t grandstand like citrus and allows accompanying flavors to share the stage.  

The production of verjus is also good farming. To encourage vine balance, we "green harvest" our vineyards each summer. This involves removing excess grape clusters while they’re still green, reducing crop level and improving the quality of the remaining grapes. We green harvest in early August during a stage in the vine's lifecycle called veraison, a term meaning "the onset of ripening."

Although many grape growers simply drop green fruit to the ground, we resolve to let nothing go to waste. We carefully handpick the green clusters and press them in the winery to make verjus.

Why is it important?

Verjus should be the East Coast acid of choice. It’s the perfect substitute for citrus products, which aren’t grown in the Mid-Atlantic. Many puritan farm-to-table chefs are beginning to “put their menu where their message is” and use verjus.

Our feeling is that restaurants that preach local must use verjus. Systematically using lemons and limes that are trucked across the country is not only unsustainable, it forfeits the opportunity for the East Coast chef and bar manager to highlight our region.

Why isn’t everyone using verjus?

The only answer I can come up with for this question is a lack of information. Verjus is not only delicious, it’s the perfect local acid for cocktails, salad dressing, and marinade.

Verjus is the new citrus. Want to try it? Shoot us a note!

Top 101 Wineries in America.

We honestly can’t believe we made this list.

The number 99 winery in America? There are nearly 9,000 wineries from across all 50 states. To put that in perspective, Old Westminster Winery is in the top 1%... Wow!

Since the beginning we’ve had this crazy vision for putting Maryland wine on the world map.

We’ve always thought, “Why not? Are there any legitimate factors that precludes Maryland from being the origin of remarkable wines? Is not the terroir here conducive to the growing of worthy wines?” Certainly it is. We have the climate. We have the soils. We have the topography. We have the science. Now all we need is the audacity to undo every negative stereotype that beleaguers Maryland wine. In other words, all the facts say “this could be.” It’s up to us to say “this should be.”  

Moments like this remind us that we’re onto something special: a reputable national publication, The Daily Meal, puts together a team of wine experts fettered with rigorous criteria and tasked to come up with a list of the 101 Best Wineries in America. So naturally, the winners will invariably emerge from California, Oregon, Washington State and maybe New York. Right?

To our utter surprise, Maryland makes the list. But not only does the Old Line State make the list, a tiny Maryland farm run by three 20-something-year-old siblings makes the list. And that tiny Maryland farm is Old Westminster Winery & Vineyard. We’re still pinching ourselves!

Here’s a link to the article and the list.

We’re happy that the criteria for the list is rigorous and that any winery that makes the list has to pass tough muster. It’s an honor to make the cut. This list has boosted our confidence and renewed our resolve to stay the course in the crazy adventure of putting Maryland wine on the world map!

Stop by and visit us real soon.    

Wine Is Changing.

For centuries great wine was unapproachable to the average consumer. Too expensive and too pretentious. But that’s changing. Great wine is more accessible than ever.

Since understanding is a pillar of appreciation, the information age has served wine well.

Wine drinkers today have access to information that was hard to imagine just 15 years ago. The internet, smartphones and apps have made wine infinitely more approachable and less intimidating….  

But information hasn’t just served consumers well, it’s also served grape growers and winemakers around the world well. The secrets are out. The science is known. Great wine is being made by skilled producers in surprising places.

Notable wines of the future will no longer be exclusive products of France, Italy, or California. They will be coming to you from unsuspecting places and they will turn the heads of the most refined palates. Blind tasters will be astonished when they find out that one came from Virginia, or New York, or Maryland.    

The only prerequisites of great wines are a suitable vineyard site – marked by rolling hills and rocky soils – thoughtful farming practices and a skillful winemaker. Want to guess where you can find these things?

Maryland.

Local wine is making a serious run all over the US and the world. Folks are discovering hidden gems in their backyard. Dave McIntyre recently wrote a piece in the Washington Post titled, “Visit a local winery, bring home bottled adventure “. In it, he says, “The next time you’re at a local winery, ask about its winemaker’s experiments. You might discover a gem.”

Regional wines are changing the landscape around the world. Great wine will soon be on everyone’s table. As small, regional producers craft delicious world-class wines and experience the support of their communities, the tide will rise. There will always be a place for Bordeaux and Burgundy, but so many more wines around the world are offering incredible enjoyment and value.

Great wines have always told a story; there are simply more stories to choose from today than ever before.

Drink adventurously!

The Best Wine In Maryland?

This past week Old Westminster Winery won “best in show” at the Maryland Comptroller’s Cup for our 2014 South Mountain Vineyard, Malbec.

This Malbec, grown in the rocky foothills of Maryland’s South Mountain, offers an authentic expression of this variety’s richness and complexity. A timely harvest on October 2, 2014 captured balance and ripeness from the vineyard. This wine was fermented with wild yeast, crafted with minimal intervention and aged in French oak barrels for eighteen months. Just 88 cases bottled April 25, 2016.

That’s right. This wine hasn’t been in bottle for two months! Drinking a wine of this style that young is practically criminal. Yet, beyond barrel aging, this wine will of course improve with years of bottle aging, which is why we have decided not to release it to the public anytime soon.

Our team has set out to craft delicious wines that are uniquely Maryland. Everything we do in the vineyard and cellar is directed towards this goal. Winning the Comptroller's Cup is a great honor and evidence that we're onto something special.

So this begs the question – is this Malbec the best wine made in Maryland? I would suggest it’s not. We firmly believe that, more than anything, this award is a sign of many amazing wines to come. Maryland wines have yet to reach their full potential and we’re excited about putting them on the world map. Maryland offers the right mix of rolling hills, rocky soil, breeze and sun to grow grapes fit for the production of truly remarkable wines.

So our Malbec may be the wine of the moment, but the best wines are still to come.

Cru members will receive an exclusive opportunity to purchase a few bottles of our South Mountain Vineyard, Malbec for their cellars this summer. If you’d like to be included in this opportunity, consider joining our Cru Club.

Turning Wine Into Water

By Drew Baker

Our mission is to put Maryland wine on the world map. One way we achieve this audacious goal is by making delicious wines that compare favorably with the best in the world. The other way is by using our wines to address world needs. Like lack of water, nutrition and education. 

Since the beginning we have set aside $1 from each bottle of wine retailed for philanthropic work. The winery’s new tasting room facilitates retail sales of 30,000-50,000 bottles annually. We use earmarked funds to install rainwater harvesting systems, build classrooms, sponsor and feed students, supply books and pay teachers in socioeconomically challenged regions, both nearby and around the world.

We talk a lot about the importance of buying local and supporting small farms. This is a worthy cause. A very palatable cause. But there are many more issues facing our world. Like thirsty children without access to education. As a society, we’re selling ourselves short if we don’t leverage our resources to help others. It’s not an obligation; it’s an opportunity. 

We decided not to publicize our altruistic projects until now because we didn’t want it to be front and center. We want to produce wines that speak for themselves and to cultivate a community of customers who purchase our wines because they love them. But we can achieve this AND tackle serious issues in our world.

The timing of this post is simple: this summer, my brother-in-law, Zach Hinton (Lisa’s husband), and I are visiting the school in Uganda that YOU made water-sufficient. You made this possible by purchasing Old Westminster Wines. We’ve leveraged your purchases to give over 300 students the water they need.

We hope this inspires more people to discover a way to give back to their communities and leverage their influence to meet the needs of others. The world is counting on us.

Farming Thoughtfully, Not Dogmatically

Vines, like people, display their needs. Sometimes in obvious and concerning ways, and other times in subtle, peculiar ways. It takes the experienced and discerning eye of the caregiver to take notice and make adjustments. For the vigneron, there’s no substitute for time in the vineyard. If we don't stop to look and listen, we could potentially miss out on producing the best wines possible. It all starts in the vineyard.

The collective goal of winegrowers should be to improve the quality of our grapes and the way we farm for the sake of our wines and the planet we all inhabit. 

Organics are important. Farming with as few inputs as possible ought to be our strategy. That’s why I use organic materials and principles as often as possible. But I’ve learned that there are also times when synthetic materials are less invasive and more effective.

It’s our feeling at Old Westminster Winery & Vineyard that we ought to encourage the research and development of new materials, and resist the temptation to outright reject them. 

Wine growers, including myself at times, fail to zoom out and look at the big picture – where we learn that rotation of spray material and timing are just as important as the materials used. Cover crops and nutrient management plans encourage healthier vines with stronger immune systems that demand fewer inputs.

So I’ve learned that it’s wise to listen, observe, learn and share.

I am certain of one thing: I will do things a bit differently – and hopefully better – every passing year because I’m always listening and learning. If I come across a new, interesting idea, I’ll thoroughly research it. And I may even try it.

We believe that our wines will no doubt improve as a result of continuous learning and future generations will thank us.

-Drew Baker, Vigneron

The Price for Premium Maryland Wine

Occasionally we’re asked, “Why is your wine so expensive?”

The answer is simple: Our price point is a direct reflection of the cost to produce and the quality of the product. If it were cheaper to make, the cost would be lower. Likewise, if the quality wasn’t there, the product wouldn’t sell as briskly as it does.

While I wish we were getting rich, it just isn’t the case. But to us it’s always been less about profitability and more about creating something truly great. Knowing that we’re producing what we think is the best is a form of compensation for us.

Maryland is one of the more expensive places in the world to farm. The cost of land, the cost of living and cost of labor are steep. Additionally, we farm the hard way: by hand. From winter pruning, to summer hedging, to harvest, it’s all powered by sweat, not oil. This method of farming offers our vines a level of care few others experience. Our fingerprints are on every vine, every grape and every bottle. If a farmer can’t afford to farm well, we all lose. 

The barriers to entry in the wine industry are high. Without getting into specifics, establishing and managing a vineyard, equipping a state-of-the-art winery, and building a beautiful tasting room are expensive. 

Selling premium is often selling scarcity. Not to be “cool”, but because that is the nature of our small vineyards – they yield limited quantities of delicious wines. 

I’m confident that we could raise our prices and not diminish demand. But our goal is not to see how much we can fetch for a bottle. It’s not an ego game for us.

At Old Westminster Winery & Vineyard, our singular goal is to produce great American wines and sell them at the most reasonable price we can justify.

Our Marketing Strategy: Simply Make the Best Maryland Wine

A locavore is a person interested in local food. Naturally, as a small family farm, we love the concept. Old Westminster Winery was built on our family’s efforts to preserve our land and work together. We are deeply rooted in our community and we love to be a meaningful part of the local marketplace.

We founded our brand on a commitment to growing world class wines on our Maryland farm. Our customers love our product because it’s delicious. The fact that all of our grapes are grown within the bounds of the Old Line State is a bonus to the conscientious locavore.

Because we are solely focused on crafting wines that speak for themselves, we don’t have much of a marketing budget. We rely on word-of-mouth to spread the gospel of the new Maryland wine. But this also presents some natural challenges. We’re off the beaten path. There are no neon signs. We're on a farm tucked away along a rolling landscape.

We like it that way. This makes it adventurous for Maryland wine lovers to discover Old Westminster Winery.

Of course, this kicks against everything that traditional marketing teaches: Be front and center. Be louder than the competition. Being hard to find isn’t a good thing. Get neon signs.

We’re challenging this notion. I love that the typical person visiting our tasting room is intentional. They didn’t just follow a sign.

To us, marketing isn’t a priority. Delicious wine is our neon sign.

I also love that our brand is growing organically. There’s something about knowing that our friends, family and customers are sharing our wines and our story at the dinner table. This is what the locavore movement is all about. We focus on growing and producing great wines and providing visitors with a memorable experience. That’s it.

We simply work hard to produce wines that reflect the land and are a joy to drink.

Not-So-Local Wine Lists

Farm-to-table restaurants are all the rage in the American dining scene. Real food, locally sourced, thoughtfully prepared. It’s great. Organic veggies, pasture-raised animals, seasonal selections, local beer, craft cocktails and international wines. No, seriously, there’s often not a single local wine on the list. Not even regional… No Maryland. No Virginia. No New York.

I would understand this situation if there weren’t seriously delicious wines being made in these regions. A restaurateur can’t ask a guest to tolerate a bad wine because it’s local any more than they can ask a guest to tolerate a bad steak because it’s local. But the fact is that local wine is making a serious run.

Eat local food, drink local wine.

Lenn Thompson, executive editor of The New York Cork Report, has long said, "Good wine can be made in any state — it just takes the right grapes in the right places handled by the right people." I love that. It’s true. A good vineyard site, meticulous farming, thoughtful cellar practices and personal commitment will yield wines that display complexity, character and, most importantly, are a joy to drink.

Don’t get me wrong, not all local wine is fit for a prestigious wine list. I get that. But just like any other ingredient, the best local wines are worth seeking out. And the best wines of a particular region should be featured by restaurants that preach farm-to-table.

Vignerons are farmers. Trust me, I know. At Old Westminster Winery, we pour our hearts and souls into growing great American wines on our Maryland farm. We’re working tirelessly on our mission to put Maryland wine on the world map. This starts with winning the minds of influential restaurateurs, chefs and sommeliers.

We are so thankful for the numerous and prestigious restaurants in our region that do feature our wines.

I don’t intend this blog post to shame or insult restauranteurs without local wines on their menus. Rather, I hope it inspires folks to recognize local wine as local agriculture and a serious and beautiful addition to any wine list.

If you’re not a restaurateur, then I strongly encourage you to make sure your favorite restaurants know that you want to see local wines on their lists. But don’t just ask for them, buy them.

Drink local wine.  It’s not only delicious, it’s meaningful.

Maryland Wine and a Sense of Place

“If we don’t make mistakes daily, we aren’t pushing the boundary and challenging the system enough.” - Antonio J. Lucio

Running a vineyard isn’t easy. We’ve heard some of the romantic ideas out there. Buy some land, plant some vines, and then relax on the porch beneath a dazzling sunset. All while sipping on a glass of your own delicious wine. Like a Tuscan tycoon.

Dream on. The wine business is arduous with a lot of unforeseen twists and turns. The ground only yields to hard-working hands. There are no shortcuts for producers that are bent on the best. It’s a long road with a lot of challenges along the way.

The reality of it is years of toil before a single wine is bottled, old-school farm work all year ‘round, a metric ton of paperwork, the task of branding in a highly competitive niche, the right kind of distribution choices, and convincing the world that your wine is exceptional.

But we’d be lying if we didn’t say it’s all worth it. Especially here in Maryland. Viticulture has been here since 1648. There’s something captivating about the responsibility of carrying that legacy on in a way that redeems many misgivings about Maryland wine.

"Wine being among the earliest luxuries in which we indulge ourselves, it is desirable it should be made here and we have every soil, aspect and climate of the best wine countries, and I have myself drank wines made in ... Maryland, of the quality of the best Burgundy."  - Thomas Jefferson, October 1, 1811.

And for us it isn’t about settling for any kind of status quo. And it isn’t about turning a buck. It’s about forging a new image for Maryland wine and earning respect in a meritocracy where criticism can be so unforgiving.

But we’re up for it. We’re bent on setting the bar high in Maryland. Come, taste and see what our hard-working hands can do.  

Maryland Wine is Getting imPRESSive

We’re excited about putting Maryland wine on the map! And what makes this even more thrilling is that we aren’t the only ones. The timing is aligning with a lot of interest in the press and it confirms to us that we’re well on our way.

Maryland is ready for the production of noteworthy wines.

Are you ready?!!

We’re grateful that news outlets like The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun, New York Cork Report, Penn Live, and The Daily Record have all taken notice, and are sharing THE STORY.

Here's what the publications are saying...

The Washington Post

The Baltimore Sun

New York Cork Report

Penn Live

The Daily Record

Pét-nat! The New Vogue in Sparkling Wines

There’s a new sparkling wine on the scene. Okay, actually, it’s ancient. Pétillant naturel (commonly called "pét-nat") is an all-but-forgotten wine style enjoying revival. Pét-nat is popping again with the attention of sommeliers and wine enthusiasts around the globe. 

Venerable nouveau

This simple, natural style of sparkling wine made its debut in France’s Loire Valley half a millennia ago and is resurging in trending appreciation. Pétillant naturel (lit. “naturally sparkling”) also known as méthode ancestrale (ancestral method) is fresh and fizzy while displaying authentic handmade qualities. Educated and adventurous wine enthusiasts love her raw, unpolished vitality. Pét-nat is alive.  

How it’s made

Pét-nats are made by bottling still-fermenting wine under cap and allowing fermentation to finish in the bottle. As yeast converts sugar to alcohol, naturally occurring carbon dioxide makes the wine fizzy. Once fermentation is complete, the bottle cap and sediment are removed, and the bottle is recapped. That’s when pét-nat is ready to be chilled for a sunny spring day. This ancestral method pre-dates Champagne and unlike the “Champagne method” which undergoes a second fermentation by adding sugar and yeast, the ancestral method allows the initial fermentation to finish in bottle without any additives. 

Why it’s popular

Beyond the fact that it’s downright delicious, pét-nat doesn’t have any additives, there’s no blending, and the all-natural process is a direct reflection of the vineyard and the vintage. Once the still-fermenting juice is bottled, you don’t taste it again until it’s in your glass. This makes it a little unpredictable, and that spontaneity is one reason why it’s so popular.

Welcome her to Maryland! 

Old Westminster Winery is set to release the first two pét-nat wines ever made in the Old Line State this spring. 

The first is handcrafted from Albariño grapes grown in the rocky soils of their Home Vineyard. A timely harvest on September 2, 2015 captured freshness and bracing acidity from the vineyard. Fermented spontaneously with wild yeast in stainless steel. Just before fermentation was complete, 400 bottles were hand bottled and capped on September 19, 2015. This wine offers a dazzling and vivid expression of Albariño -- high acidity, apricots and limes, distinctive texture and only 11% alcohol by volume.

The second is handcrafted from Grüner Veltliner grown at Cool Ridge Vineyard on a limestone hillside in western Maryland. A timely harvest on September 8, 2015 captured beautiful, ripe flavors and balanced acidity from the vineyard. Fermented spontaneously with wild yeast in stainless steel. Just before fermentation was complete, 1,000 bottles were hand bottled and capped on September 23, 2015. Pét-nat Grüner is funky and delicious. Minerally, viscous and fresh; A treat for all wine geeks.

Old Westminster's team is especially passionate about this project because they love crafting wines that reflect the vineyard. These wines offer an authentic expression of the Old Line State – refreshing, distinct and intriguing.

Catch pét-nat before she's gone!