One of the Best Red Blends for 2025 Comes from Maryland
What is one of the best red blends to buy in 2025?
According to VinePair, Old Westminster Winery Anthem 2021 belongs on that list.
VinePair named Old Westminster Winery Anthem 2021 one of The 26 Best Red Blends for 2025, giving the wine a 92 point rating and placing a Maryland grown Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot blend alongside standout red wines from California, France, South Africa, Peru, the Finger Lakes, and beyond.
For us, this recognition is about more than one bottle. It’s another sign that Maryland wine belongs in the national conversation.
Old Westminster Anthem 2021 Named One of the Best Red Blends for 2025
Old Westminster Winery Anthem 2021 is a Maryland red blend made from Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
In its review, VinePair described Anthem as soft, savory, layered, and constantly changing in the glass. The wine opens with notes of freshly ground coffee, brambly berries, and cracked black peppercorns, then carries savory depth, fleshy texture, lean structure, deep fruit, and a tannic edge across the palate.
That’s what makes Anthem so compelling. It has the familiar structure of a serious red blend, and it also speaks clearly from Maryland. It’s not trying to be Napa. It’s not trying to be Bordeaux. It’s a wine shaped by our climate, our soils, our growing season, and our cellar.
A Maryland Red Blend With Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot
Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are two varieties with serious red wine potential in Maryland.
Cabernet Franc brings lift, aromatics, red and dark fruit, herbs, freshness, and structure. Petit Verdot adds color, depth, tannin, spice, and intensity. Together, they create a wine that feels both savory and expressive.
Anthem 2021 shows that balance beautifully. It’s layered without being heavy. It’s structured without feeling hard. It’s fresh enough for the table and serious enough for a cellar.
For anyone searching for a great Maryland red wine, a Cabernet Franc blend, or one of the best red blends under $100, Anthem is a bottle worth knowing.
Why Red Blends Matter
Red blends are one of the most important categories in wine because blending gives winemakers another way to create balance, complexity, and depth.
As VinePair explains in The 26 Best Red Blends for 2025, the category can include traditional European blends, like Bordeaux or Rhône inspired wines, as well as creative American blends that bring unexpected varieties together.
That’s what makes the category exciting. A great red blend doesn’t need to follow one fixed formula. It needs to work.
It needs balance.
It needs character.
It needs a reason to exist.
Anthem has that reason. It brings Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot together in a way that feels grounded, savory, fresh, and distinctly Maryland.
Why This Recognition Matters for Maryland Wine
Maryland wine is still underestimated by many people.
That’s changing.
Old Westminster has been helping push Maryland into the national wine conversation through thoughtful farming, creative winemaking, and a growing body of critical recognition. Anthem being named one of VinePair’s best red blends for 2025 is another proof point.
It joins a larger story: Old Westminster Rosé 2025 was named VinePair’s number one rosé for 2026. Terracotta 2023 earned 95 points and was named one of VinePair’s best white wines for 2026 and one of the best orange wines for 2025. Old Westminster Malbec was named one of VinePair’s 50 Best Wines of 2025. And Old Westminster was named a VinePair Winery of the Year finalist.
Taken together, these recognitions show range across categories: rosé, white wine, orange wine, red wine, red blends, and winery of the year recognition.
This isn’t one good bottle.
It’s a body of work.
What Does Old Westminster Anthem Taste Like?
Old Westminster Anthem 2021 is savory, layered, and expressive.
Expect notes of:
Freshly ground coffee
Brambly berries
Cracked black pepper
Deep red and dark fruit
Savory herbs
A fleshy, lean mouthfeel
A structured tannic finish
The wine starts quietly and opens with time in the glass. That’s part of its beauty. It rewards attention. It changes as it breathes. It becomes more generous, more savory, and more complete over the course of a meal.
What Food Pairs With Anthem?
Anthem is built for the table.
Its fruit, savory detail, acidity, and tannin make it a natural pairing for wood fired food, roasted meats, mushrooms, charcuterie, hard cheeses, grilled vegetables, lamb, pork, burgers, braised dishes, and herb driven meals.
It’s a red wine with enough structure for richer food and enough freshness to stay lively.
Open it with dinner. Give it air. Let it stretch out in the glass.
Where Can I Buy Old Westminster Anthem?
Old Westminster Winery Anthem 2021 is available directly from Old Westminster Winery while supplies last.
The best ways to find it are:
Visit Old Westminster Winery in Westminster, Maryland
Shop online through Old Westminster Winery
Join the wine club for priority access to limited releases
Look for select restaurant and independent wine shop placements
VinePair listed the average price at $50, placing Anthem among its best red blends under $100. You can read VinePair’s full red blends list here.
One of the Best Red Blends for 2025 Is Maryland Grown
So, what are the best red blends to buy in 2025?
Old Westminster Winery Anthem 2021 belongs in that conversation.
It’s a 92 point Maryland red blend made from Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, praised by VinePair for its savory character, layered aromatics, deep fruit, and evolving texture.
For us, the recognition is bigger than the score. It’s another sign that Maryland grown wine can be serious, expressive, food friendly, and nationally relevant.
One of the best red blends for 2025 comes from Maryland.
And we’re proud to share it.
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 wine experience rooted in farming, hospitality, and serious winemaking.
Come taste why Maryland wine belongs in the national conversation.