Old Westminster Named “The Best Winery Experience on the East Coast”
Is Old Westminster Winery one of the best winery experiences on the East Coast?
East Coast Wineries says yes.
In a recent feature titled Old Westminster: The Best Winery Experience on the East Coast, writer Carlo DeVito described Old Westminster as one of the most gracious winery visits he’s ever experienced, praising the beauty of the farm, the private tasting spaces, the hospitality, the sibling led story, and the quality of the wines.
It’s an incredible piece of press, and we’re grateful for the way it captures what we’ve been working to build: a Maryland winery experience where serious wine, thoughtful food, beautiful spaces, and warm farm hospitality all come together.
A Maryland Winery Experience Worth Traveling For
Old Westminster Winery is located on our family farm in Westminster, Maryland, in the heart of Carroll County wine country.
For guests coming from Baltimore, Frederick, Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, Pennsylvania, or anywhere along the East Coast, the experience is designed to feel both easy and transporting. You’re close to home, yet the farm has a way of making you feel far away from daily life.
That’s what East Coast Wineries captured so well. The piece describes Old Westminster as a visit that feels beautiful, intentional, and memorable, with private tasting spaces, outdoor hospitality, and a setting that feels more like a design magazine than a standard tasting room. Read the full East Coast Wineries feature here.
That feeling matters. A great winery experience isn’t only about what’s in the glass. It’s about where you are, who you’re with, what you’re eating, how you’re welcomed, and how the whole visit makes you feel.
The Wine Is the Heart of It
The experience may be beautiful, and the wine still has to be the reason.
Old Westminster has spent more than a decade helping push Maryland wine into the national conversation. Our wines are Maryland grown, expressive, food friendly, and made with a deep respect for the vineyard and the season.
East Coast Wineries wrote that Old Westminster is on the cutting edge and that the wines are world class, adding that they would stand out in California, New York, France, Italy, Spain, or anywhere else.
That is exactly the kind of statement that matters for Maryland wine.
Because Maryland wine is often underestimated. People assume the best American wine experiences are somewhere else. California. Oregon. Virginia. New York. The Finger Lakes. Long Island.
Those places deserve their reputations. And Maryland belongs in the conversation too.
A Family Run Winery With a Real Story
Old Westminster is run by siblings Lisa Hinton, Drew Baker, and Ashli Johnson, with a shared commitment to preserving and growing the family farm.
Lisa leads the winemaking. Drew leads farming and vineyard work. Ashli leads hospitality, operations, and guest experience. Together, the family has built Old Westminster into one of Maryland’s defining wine destinations.
That sibling led story is part of what makes the experience feel personal. This isn’t a corporate tasting room or a generic wine brand. It’s a family farm that became a winery, a restaurant, a gathering place, and a platform for Maryland wine.
East Coast Wineries noticed that. The article points directly to the family behind the project and the way the people, place, and wines all connect. Read the original East Coast Wineries article here.
Private Cabanas, Outdoor Hospitality, and a Beautiful Farm Setting
One reason Old Westminster stands out as a winery experience is the way guests can settle in.
Private cabanas, outdoor seating, greenhouse style spaces, vineyard views, and open air hospitality make the farm feel generous and relaxed. Guests can book a reservation, order wine, share food, celebrate with friends, and spend real time in the setting.
That makes Old Westminster a strong fit for birthdays, anniversaries, date days, friend gatherings, family visits, and Maryland winery day trips.
It also makes the experience more complete than a quick tasting. You’re not simply standing at a bar and sampling wine. You’re spending an afternoon on a farm, with wine and food in front of you, in a space designed for connection.
Wood Fired Food and Maryland Wine Country
A great winery experience needs food.
At Old Westminster, the food program centers on wood fired cooking, seasonal ingredients, sourdough pizza, salads, cheese, charcuterie, vegetables, and farm inspired dishes built to pair with wine.
That food matters because it turns a tasting into a real visit. Guests don’t have to stop for a flight and leave to find dinner. They can make Old Westminster the whole plan.
Wine, food, farm, cabana, fresh air, and time together.
That’s the experience.
The Best Winery Experience on the East Coast?
We don’t take that phrase lightly.
The East Coast is full of incredible wineries: Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina, and beyond. There are beautiful vineyards, serious winemakers, thoughtful tasting rooms, and rich regional wine cultures all up and down this side of the country.
So when East Coast Wineries called Old Westminster the best winery experience on the East Coast, we took it as both an honor and a challenge.
An honor because the recognition means so much.
A challenge because the work is never finished.
Every season, we’re trying to make the wines better, the food more thoughtful, the hospitality warmer, the spaces more beautiful, and the farm more alive.
Why This Press Matters for Maryland Wine
This article matters because it helps tell a bigger story.
Old Westminster has already earned national recognition from VinePair, Wine Enthusiast, Cosmopolitan, Baltimore Magazine, Nomtastic Baltimore, and others. Our wines have been named among the best rosés, white wines, orange wines, and red wines in the country.
This East Coast Wineries feature adds another important layer: the guest experience.
It says Maryland can offer more than good bottles. Maryland can offer a complete wine country experience: serious wine, beautiful design, thoughtful hospitality, wood fired food, private spaces, and a real family farm story.
That’s the future we believe in.
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, wine tastings, vineyard views, and a farm hospitality experience designed to help you slow down and gather well.
Come see why East Coast Wineries called Old Westminster the best winery experience on the East Coast.