"Winery of the Year Finalist" - VinePair

We have incredible news to share: Old Westminster is a FINALIST for Winery of the Year in VinePair’s 2025 Next Waves Awards.

Wow.

When we started making wine in 2010, it was to save our family farm and bring people joy through agriculture and hospitality. On the back of a napkin we wrote a simple mission: put Maryland wine on the map. It was audacious then; today, it feels within reach because of you. Being named one of three finalists—alongside Las Jaras Wines in California and Johan Vineyards in Oregon—means the world to us.

Old Westminster began with a shoestring budget, a small loan from our grandfather, and a whole lot of belief. We learned by doing: pruning in the cold, pulling leaves in the July heat, harvesting by headlamp, bottling by hand, and pouring for guests who took a chance on Maryland wine. Along the way we built a community—growers, makers, neighbors, and friends—who share our conviction that delicious, distinctive wine can come from this place.

What makes us proud isn’t just the wines in your glass; it’s the ecosystem behind them. We farm with intention, source from Maryland growers we believe in, and cook food that tells the story of our region. In 2020 we launched Eat Pizza Together to support local producers and create a place where families, friends, and strangers could gather around simple, beautiful food. We’ve kept evolving—tuning our vineyard work, investing in cellar craft, and training a team that leads with warmth and care.

Recognition like this doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It comes from a thousand small acts: a cellar hand topping barrels at 7 a.m., a tasting room manager mentoring a new teammate, a grower nursing vines through a late frost, a guest who brings out-of-town friends and says, “You have to taste this.” If you’ve pruned, poured, plated, posted, or simply raised a glass with us—thank you. You’re part of this story.

We’re humbled to stand beside wineries we admire deeply, and we’re just as energized for the road ahead. Maryland wine is having a moment, and we’re committed to pushing quality higher, hospitality deeper, and our roots further into this soil we call home.

VinePair will announce the winners at a celebration in New York City on October 23. Whatever happens, we’ll be cheering for American wine—and for everyone who believes great things can grow in unexpected places.

Most of all: none of this is possible without you—our family, team, friends, customers, growers, and community. We pour everything we have into this mission, and your support keeps us going. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Let’s keep raising the bar together.

—Ashli, Lisa, Drew & Family