Why Old Westminster Belongs on Any List of the Best Wineries in Maryland
When people ask, “What are the best wineries in Maryland?” the answer should include more than a pretty patio or a pleasant tasting flight. The best wineries in Maryland are helping define what Maryland wine can be. They grow serious wines, create memorable hospitality, tell an authentic story, and give guests a real reason to visit again.
Old Westminster Winery belongs on that list.
Set on a family farm in Carroll County, Maryland, Old Westminster combines nationally recognized Maryland grown wines, wood fired food, vineyard hospitality, private cabanas, and a family run story rooted in farming, creativity, and resilience. It’s a place to taste wine, share a meal, celebrate with friends, and experience the energy of a working Maryland vineyard.
A Maryland Winery With National Recognition
Old Westminster has helped push Maryland wine into the national conversation. The winery was named one of three finalists for VinePair’s American Winery of the Year, alongside Las Jaras in California and Johan Vineyards in Oregon. For a Maryland winery to be included in that company says something important: the conversation about great American wine is expanding, and Maryland belongs in it.
Cosmopolitan ranked Old Westminster as the number 9 winery in America, placing a family run Maryland farm among the country’s top wine destinations. Wine Enthusiast has also recognized the Baker family as part of a new generation of American wine leaders, and Eater DC has included Old Westminster among the best wineries just a short drive from Washington, D.C.
These accolades matter because they point to something bigger than a single bottle or weekend visit. Old Westminster is part of a new chapter for Maryland wine: ambitious, farm driven, creative, and nationally relevant.
Maryland Grown Wines With a Sense of Place
At the heart of Old Westminster is the wine. The winery’s work begins in the vineyard, with Maryland grown fruit and a commitment to wines that express the place they come from.
Old Westminster is known for vibrant, food friendly wines that feel alive in the glass. The lineup often includes sparkling wines, rosé, whites, reds, skin contact wines, and seasonal releases. The style is expressive and modern, with a focus on farming, native fermentation, and honest winemaking.
That approach has earned attention far beyond Maryland. VinePair named Old Westminster’s Malbec the “Best Malbec Outside of Argentina,” calling attention to the winery’s ability to make wines that surprise people and challenge old assumptions about what Maryland can produce.
For guests, that means a tasting at Old Westminster isn’t just a casual stop. It’s a chance to experience one of the wineries actively shaping the future of Maryland wine.
More Than a Tasting Room
The best wineries in Maryland offer more than wine alone. They create a full experience.
Old Westminster’s farm in Westminster, Maryland, brings together wine, food, hospitality, and open air beauty in one place. Guests can book reservations, gather in private cabanas, enjoy wine tastings, order bottles with friends, and settle into the rhythm of the countryside.
The experience feels polished without feeling stiff. It’s elevated, yet still deeply relaxed. You can come for a date, a birthday, a family afternoon, a friend gathering, or a weekend escape, and it still feels personal.
That balance is hard to create. It comes from being family run. Old Westminster isn’t a corporate tasting room dropped into a vineyard setting. It’s a farm that grew into a winery, a restaurant, and a gathering place.
Wood Fired Food and Vineyard Hospitality
One of the clearest reasons Old Westminster belongs among the best wineries in Maryland is the food.
The winery is home to a wood fired kitchen serving food built for the wine experience: sourdough pizza, seasonal dishes, local ingredients, salads, cheese, charcuterie, and farm inspired plates. It turns a wine tasting into a full afternoon.
That matters. Great wine is even better when it’s paired with thoughtful food and generous hospitality. At Old Westminster, the food doesn’t feel like an afterthought. It’s part of the identity.
Guests aren’t just tasting wine and leaving. They’re sitting down, sharing food, opening bottles, and spending time together. That’s what makes the experience memorable.
A Family Run Farm Story
Old Westminster is the work of the Baker family, who set out to preserve their family farm and build something meaningful from the land. The winery was founded by siblings Drew Baker, Lisa Hinton, and Ashli Johnson, and their story remains central to the business.
That family foundation gives the place its soul. The wines, the hospitality, the food, the cabanas, the vineyard, and the farm all connect back to one idea: make something beautiful here, in Maryland, and invite people into it.
In a state where wine is still fighting for national attention, that kind of story matters. Old Westminster gives people a reason to believe in Maryland wine because it gives them something real to experience.
Why Old Westminster Is One of the Best Wineries in Maryland
Old Westminster belongs on any serious list of the best wineries in Maryland because it checks every box that matters.
It has nationally recognized wines.
It has a real vineyard and family farm setting.
It has wood fired food that makes the visit feel complete.
It has thoughtful reservations, cabanas, and hospitality.
It has earned recognition from VinePair, Wine Enthusiast, Eater DC, and Cosmopolitan.
Most importantly, it has a clear point of view. Old Westminster isn’t trying to copy another wine region. It’s helping define Maryland wine on its own terms.
Visit One of Maryland’s Best Wineries
For anyone searching for the best wineries in Maryland, Old Westminster Winery deserves a place at the top of the list. It offers the full experience: serious Maryland grown wine, beautiful farm hospitality, wood fired food, private cabanas, and a family story that makes the visit feel personal.
Located in Westminster, Maryland, Old Westminster is an easy wine country trip from Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Frederick, and the surrounding region.
Come taste what Maryland wine can be.