Wine Enthusiast Names Old Westminster One of the Best Wineries to Visit in Maryland
What are the best wineries to visit in Maryland right now?
Wine Enthusiast includes Old Westminster Winery on its guide to The Best Wineries and More to Visit in Maryland Right Now, placing our family run Carroll County winery among the essential stops in Maryland wine country.
For us, this recognition matters because Wine Enthusiast captured the larger story unfolding across the state: Maryland wine is on the rise, building its own identity, and earning attention for thoughtful farming, serious winemaking, and memorable hospitality.
Old Westminster is proud to be part of that movement.
Maryland Wine Is Having Its Moment
Wine Enthusiast opens the piece with a clear statement: it’s Maryland wine’s time to shine.
The article points to a wine scene that has grown from roughly a dozen wineries at the turn of the century to more than 80 today, with producers across the state exploring a wide range of grape varieties, styles, and regional identities.
That’s the exciting part.
Maryland isn’t one thing. It’s rolling Central Maryland farmland, Western Maryland mountain sites, Southern Maryland agricultural history, and Eastern Shore maritime influence. Wine Enthusiast describes Maryland’s wine scene as dynamic, diverse, and increasingly confident.
That’s exactly what we see from the vineyard.
Old Westminster in Central Maryland Wine Country
Old Westminster is located in Westminster, Maryland, about 40 miles northwest of Baltimore in Carroll County. Wine Enthusiast places us within Central Maryland, a region it describes as one of the state’s historic focal points for vineyards, with rolling hills, rich soils, and a strong wine growing tradition.
For our family, this place matters deeply.
Old Westminster began with the goal of preserving our family farmland. What started as a few siblings asking how to build something meaningful from the land has grown into a winery, vineyard, food destination, and gathering place rooted in Maryland agriculture.
Wine Enthusiast shares that story in its Maryland winery travel guide, noting that the Baker siblings established Old Westminster with the aim of preserving their family farm.
Wine Flights, Wood Fired Pizza, and Farm Hospitality
Wine Enthusiast highlights the Old Westminster guest experience: tastings by reservation, wine flights, wood fired pizzas, local fare, a farmhouse style tasting room, scenic views, and spacious patios overlooking the vineyard.
That combination is what makes Old Westminster one of Maryland’s most complete winery visits.
Guests can come for a wine tasting and stay for the full experience: Maryland grown wine, wood fired food, private cabanas, vineyard views, seasonal dishes, and warm farm hospitality. It’s not a quick stop at a tasting bar. It’s a place to settle in, eat, drink, gather, and spend time on the farm.
That’s what we believe Maryland wine country can be.
Setting a New Standard for Maryland Wine
One of the most meaningful lines in the Wine Enthusiast feature comes from Bernie Vogel, a Maryland wine professional and co-owner of JeannieBird Baking Company in Westminster.
Speaking about Old Westminster, he said, “Far and away, Old Westminster Winery has set a new standard for the possibilities of what can be produced in Maryland.”
That sentence means a lot.
It speaks to the work happening in the vineyard, the cellar, the tasting room, and the farm. It speaks to winemaker Lisa Hinton’s leadership and to the entire team’s belief that Maryland wine can be serious, expressive, and nationally relevant.
Wine Enthusiast also notes Lisa’s national reputation in the natural wine community and mentions Old Westminster’s beautiful whites and red wines built for aging. Read the full Wine Enthusiast feature here.
Maryland Wine With National Reach
Old Westminster has always believed Maryland wine belongs beyond Maryland.
Wine Enthusiast mentions that our canned Farmer Fizz and pét nats have been spotted in restaurants and wine shops as far away as Portland, Maine. That detail matters because it shows Maryland wine traveling beyond local curiosity and into serious wine spaces across the country.
That national momentum has continued through recognition from VinePair, Cosmopolitan, Eater DC, Baltimore Magazine, Nomtastic Baltimore, East Coast Wineries, and other voices in food, wine, and travel.
Together, these stories point to the same truth.
Maryland wine is no longer waiting to be discovered.
It’s already happening.
Why Old Westminster Belongs on a Maryland Winery Itinerary
A great Maryland winery visit should offer more than a tasting.
It should give guests a sense of place. It should connect wine to food, farming, hospitality, and the landscape around it. It should make people feel like they’ve found something real.
Old Westminster belongs on a Maryland winery itinerary because it brings all of those pieces together.
Maryland grown wine.
Wine flights.
Wood fired pizza.
Local fare.
Private cabanas.
Vineyard views.
A family farm story.
A nationally recognized winemaker.
A place to gather.
For guests searching for the best wineries in Maryland, the best wineries near Baltimore, or a winery day trip from DC, Baltimore, or Frederick, Old Westminster is one of the clearest answers.
The Bigger Maryland Wine Story
The Wine Enthusiast guide is also valuable because it doesn’t treat Maryland as a novelty. It treats Maryland as a real wine destination with regions, producers, lodging, restaurants, and a growing identity.
That’s the future we believe in.
Maryland wine is becoming more confident. Growers are learning what works. Winemakers are taking risks with greater precision. Guests are discovering that the best wine experiences don’t always require a flight across the country.
Sometimes they’re right here.
In Carroll County.
On a family farm.
With a glass of Maryland wine and a wood fired pizza on the table.
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 flights, vineyard views, and a farm hospitality experience rooted in family, agriculture, and serious winemaking.
Come see why Wine Enthusiast named Old Westminster one of the best wineries to visit in Maryland right now.