One of the Best Sparkling Wines for 2024 Comes from Maryland
What is one of the best sparkling wines to buy that isn’t Champagne or Prosecco?
According to VinePair, Old Westminster Winery Pétillant Naturel Albariño 2023 belongs on that list.
VinePair named Old Westminster Winery Pétillant Naturel Albariño 2023 one of The 25 Best Sparkling Wines for 2024, giving the wine a 92 point rating and placing a Maryland grown pét nat alongside standout sparkling wines from Oregon, New York, California, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Georgia, South Africa, and beyond.
For us, this recognition is bigger than one bottle. It’s another sign that Maryland wine belongs in the national conversation.
Old Westminster Pétillant Naturel Albariño 2023
Old Westminster Winery Pétillant Naturel Albariño 2023 is a sparkling Maryland wine made with Albariño using the pétillant naturel method, often called pét nat.
VinePair highlighted the wine as part of a larger movement of exciting American sparkling wines and wrote that Old Westminster is among the new pioneers of American wine helping the East Coast realize its potential. That language means a lot to us because it gets straight to the heart of what we’re trying to do.
We’re not trying to copy Champagne. We’re not trying to copy Prosecco. We’re making sparkling wine from Maryland, shaped by our farms, our climate, our fruit, and our point of view.
What Is Pét Nat?
Pét nat is short for pétillant naturel, a naturally sparkling wine made through the ancestral method.
Instead of making a finished still wine and then adding sugar and yeast for a second fermentation, pét nat is bottled before fermentation is fully complete. The remaining fermentation creates bubbles inside the bottle.
The result is often lively, fresh, textured, and expressive. Pét nat can be a little wild in the best way, with energy, freshness, and personality.
Old Westminster’s Pétillant Naturel Albariño takes a grape often associated with crisp coastal white wines and brings it into a bright, bubbling, Maryland grown expression.
What Does Old Westminster Sparkling Albariño Taste Like?
VinePair described Old Westminster’s sparkling Albariño as showing a true sense of place from the hills of Frederick County, Maryland. The review highlighted tart citrus, a touch of white pepper, active bubbles, tight structure, and a hint of tropical fruit.
That’s what makes this wine so compelling.
It’s fresh.
It’s bright.
It’s alive.
It has the citrus snap people love in Albariño, the energy of natural bubbles, and enough texture to make it more than a simple sparkling wine.
Why Sparkling Wine From Maryland Makes Sense
Maryland can make serious sparkling wine because great sparkling wine depends on freshness, acidity, timing, and intention.
Our growing conditions can be challenging, and those challenges can become strengths when the goal is wines with lift, energy, and brightness. Sparkling wines need that kind of tension. They need fruit that feels alive.
At Old Westminster, sparkling wine has always been part of how we express Maryland. It gives us a way to capture joy, freshness, and movement in the bottle.
Pét Nat Albariño is a perfect example: playful enough for a celebration, serious enough for a dinner table, and distinctive enough to help show what Maryland wine can be.
The Rise of American Sparkling Wine
VinePair’s list makes a larger point: sparkling wine is much bigger than Champagne and Prosecco.
In The 25 Best Sparkling Wines for 2024, VinePair writes about “American Sparklers” and notes that exciting sparkling wines are being made across the United States, including Oregon and Maryland.
That matters because American sparkling wine is no longer a side category. It’s becoming one of the most exciting places for creativity in wine.
Old Westminster is proud to be part of that movement.
Why This Recognition Matters for Maryland Wine
For years, many people underestimated Maryland wine. They assumed serious American wine came from California, Oregon, Washington, New York, or Virginia.
That assumption is changing.
Old Westminster has helped push Maryland wine into the national conversation through thoughtful farming, creative winemaking, and a growing body of critical recognition. Our Pétillant Naturel Albariño being named one of VinePair’s best sparkling wines for 2024 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. Anthem 2021 was named one of VinePair’s best red blends for 2025. Old Westminster Malbec was named one of VinePair’s best Malbecs for 2025. And Old Westminster was named a VinePair Winery of the Year finalist.
Together, these recognitions show range across categories: sparkling wine, rosé, white wine, orange wine, red wine, red blends, Malbec, and winery of the year recognition.
This isn’t one lucky bottle.
It’s a body of work.
What Food Pairs With Pét Nat Albariño?
Old Westminster Pétillant Naturel Albariño is built for food, especially anything fresh, salty, bright, spicy, or wood fired.
Pair it with oysters, crab, shrimp, grilled fish, fried chicken, soft cheeses, charcuterie, salads, citrusy vegetables, spicy noodles, wood fired pizza, potato chips, or anything you’d want to eat outside with friends.
Sparkling wine is one of the most versatile wines at the table, and pét nat brings a little extra energy to the meal.
It’s an ideal bottle for celebrations, first pours, sunny afternoons, and long dinners that need a bright start.
Where Can I Buy Old Westminster Pétillant Naturel Albariño?
Old Westminster Winery Pétillant Naturel Albariño 2023 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 $40, placing it among its best sparkling wines under $50. You can read VinePair’s full sparkling wine list here.
One of the Best Sparkling Wines for 2024 Is Maryland Grown
So, what are the best sparkling wines to buy that aren’t Champagne or Prosecco?
Old Westminster Winery Pétillant Naturel Albariño 2023 belongs in that conversation.
It’s a 92 point Maryland grown pét nat praised by VinePair for its tart citrus, white pepper, active bubbles, tropical fruit, and sense of place.
For us, the recognition is bigger than the score. It’s another sign that Maryland grown wine can be serious, joyful, food friendly, and nationally relevant.
One of the best sparkling wines for 2024 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 sparkling wine belongs in the national conversation.