Inspiring Conversations with Lisa Hinton of Old Westminster Winery
What is the story behind Old Westminster Winery?
At the center of it is Lisa Hinton, our cofounder and winemaker, whose work has helped shape Old Westminster into one of Maryland’s most recognized wineries.
In a recent Voyage Baltimore feature, Inspiring Conversations with Lisa Hinton of Old Westminster Winery, Lisa shared the story behind our family farm, our path into wine, and the belief that Maryland belongs in the national wine conversation.
It’s a meaningful piece of press because it looks past the awards, tasting room, cabanas, and bottles, and gets closer to the person and purpose behind the wine.
Lisa Hinton, Winemaker at Old Westminster Winery
Lisa Hinton is the winemaker and cofounder of Old Westminster Winery, a family run Maryland winery in Westminster, Maryland.
Together with her siblings, Drew Baker and Ashli Johnson, Lisa helped turn the family farm into a winery, vineyard, gathering place, and one of the most talked about wine destinations in the region.
Her work is rooted in curiosity, humility, farming, and a deep belief that wine should reflect the place it comes from. That philosophy has shaped Old Westminster’s approach to Maryland grown wine: vibrant, expressive, food friendly, and alive with a sense of place.
A Family Farm Story
Old Westminster began as a family effort to preserve a farm and build something meaningful from the land.
That family story has always mattered. Lisa, Drew, and Ashli didn’t inherit a finished winery. They built it over time, learning through farming, harvests, mistakes, experiments, and the slow work of creating a place people could gather.
The Voyage Baltimore conversation with Lisa highlights that deeper story: the risk, grit, family commitment, and purpose behind Old Westminster.
What started as a practical question, “How do we save the family farm?” became something much larger.
A winery.
A vineyard.
A food and wine destination.
A platform for Maryland wine.
Maryland Wine With a Point of View
Lisa’s winemaking has helped define the Old Westminster style.
The wines are not trying to imitate California, France, Oregon, or Virginia. They’re Maryland wines, shaped by our climate, soils, seasons, challenges, and agricultural community.
That matters because Maryland wine is still earning national attention. People are learning that serious American wine can come from unexpected places. Old Westminster has become one of the wineries proving that.
From sparkling wine and rosé to skin contact whites, orange wine, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and seasonal releases, Lisa’s wines show range, energy, and intention.
They’re made to be shared at the table, poured with food, and enjoyed in the context of a real farm.
A Woman Winemaker Helping Lead Maryland Wine
Lisa is part of a new generation of American winemakers helping expand what great wine can look like.
Her path is especially important in Maryland, where the wine region is still young compared with places like California, Oregon, New York, or Virginia. Building credibility here takes patience and conviction.
Old Westminster’s national recognition reflects that work.
The winery has been named a VinePair Winery of the Year finalist. Our Rosé 2025 was named VinePair’s number one rosé for 2026. Terracotta 2023 earned 95 points from VinePair and was named one of the best white wines for 2026 and one of the best orange wines for 2025. Our Malbec was named one of VinePair’s 50 Best Wines of 2025.
Those awards matter, and the work behind them matters more.
Lisa’s winemaking shows that Maryland wine can be serious, expressive, balanced, and nationally relevant.
More Than Wine
The Old Westminster experience has grown beyond the bottle.
Today, guests visit our family farm for Maryland grown wine, wood fired food, private cabanas, vineyard views, seasonal dishes, coffee, dessert, and warm hospitality. It’s a full food and wine experience rooted in agriculture and gathering.
That larger vision connects directly to Lisa’s work.
Wine is the center, and the experience around it helps people understand where the wine comes from. A glass tastes different when you’re on the farm, eating food made for the wine, surrounded by vines, fields, and the people who care for the place.
That’s the culture we’re building.
Why This Press Matters
Press like this matters because it tells the human story behind Old Westminster.
Awards are powerful. Reviews are meaningful. Rankings help people discover us. But the story of Old Westminster has always been personal.
It’s about siblings.
A family farm.
A young Maryland wine region.
A winemaker willing to experiment, listen, and keep learning.
A team trying to build something beautiful in the place they’re from.
We’re grateful to Voyage Baltimore for sharing Lisa’s story and giving readers a closer look at the heart behind Old Westminster. You can read the full interview with Lisa Hinton here.
Maryland Wine Belongs
The bigger story is clear.
Maryland wine belongs.
It belongs in serious wine conversations. It belongs at the table. It belongs on national lists. It belongs in the glass of anyone curious about where American wine is headed next.
Lisa Hinton’s work at Old Westminster is part of that proof.
From our family farm in Westminster, Maryland, we’re proud to grow, make, and share wines that speak from this place.
Plan Your Visit
Old Westminster Winery is located in Westminster, Maryland, on our family farm in Carroll County. Join us for Maryland grown wine, wood fired food, private cabanas, vineyard views, and a farm hospitality experience shaped by family, agriculture, and serious winemaking.
Come taste the story Lisa is helping write.