OUR STORY
Our story began in the summer of 2000, when our family moved to a small farm in the rolling hills of Westminster, Maryland. At the time, the property was a retired juniper nursery, overgrown with thousands of tangled shrubs. It wasn’t much to look at, but to us kids, it felt like a world of endless adventure. The fields became our playground, and farm life shaped us with curiosity, grit, and joy.
Our mom was a true ’90s homesteader, homeschooling the three of us, tending a garden, and turning every challenge into a DIY project. Our dad, a skilled carpenter, helped bring those projects to life. From them, we learned hospitality, hard work, creative thinking, and the belief that a family can build something meaningful together.
In 2008, when the financial crisis hit, our family’s carpentry business came to a halt. With no buyers for the farm and an uncertain future ahead, a new idea took root: what if we transformed this land into a vineyard? At the time, we were away at college studying business management, chemistry, and marketing. After a candid “I’m in if you’re in” conversation, we committed to building something that reflected our values, our creativity, and our deep connection to this land.
In 2011, with a small loan from our grandfather, we planted 10,000 grapevines by hand and built a simple pole barn for processing grapes and making wine. Drew took the lead in farming and long-term vision, Lisa dove into the art and science of winemaking, and Ashli focused on hospitality, farm experiences, and documenting the journey.
In 2013, we bottled and sold our first wines. We started small, building relationships with local restaurants, showing up at farmers markets, and welcoming anyone curious enough to visit our makeshift cellar door for tastings and tours.
In 2015, we opened our tasting room as a place to gather, connect, and share what we love. From there, the vision kept growing. In 2016, Old Westminster was named a Top 100 Winery in the United States, and we expanded by purchasing a second farm, Burnt Hill. In 2020, we reimagined our space as a destination winery experience, launching Maryland’s first licensed outdoor kitchen and introducing wood-fired pizza to the farm. In 2021, we harvested our first grapes from Burnt Hill and introduced private dining greenhouses, intimate spaces where guests could experience wine, food, and farm hospitality in every season.
Then, in 2022, our world changed. Drew was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and rushed to Johns Hopkins Hospital for emergency treatment. Over the next two years, he endured intensive chemotherapy, full-body radiation, and two bone marrow transplants, one from Ashli and one from Lisa. They are his sisters, best friends, business partners, and the reason he’s alive today. Their life-saving bone marrow donations carried our family through the darkest season we’ve ever known.
In 2024, Drew celebrated one year of remission. That same year, Cosmopolitan named Old Westminster one of the top wineries in America, and Wine Enthusiast recognized us as part of a new generation of leaders in American wine. These honors meant more than awards. They felt like a reflection of resilience, family, and the deeper purpose behind everything we do.
On December 23, 2024, Drew, Lisa, and Ashli formed a new partnership and officially purchased Old Westminster Winery and Burnt Hill Farm from our parents, marking their well-earned retirement and the beginning of a new chapter. With the next generation at the helm, we’re doubling down on our commitments to regenerative agriculture, compelling Maryland wine, sustainable gastronomy, meaningful work, and warm hospitality.
In 2025, another chapter began as Chef Tae Strain joined Old Westminster as Culinary Director and chef-partner of the Burnt Hill project. A Maryland native and Korean American adoptee, Tae brings a deeply personal culinary point of view shaped by acclaimed kitchens in Baltimore, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. Together, we’re building a food program rooted in Maryland’s seasons, the Chesapeake Bay watershed, local farms, regional producers, and the simple joy of eating and drinking well together.
Our mission has grown with us: to cultivate joy, put Maryland wine on the map, and help build one of the most compelling food and wine destinations in the region. Through terroir-driven wines, seasonal wood-fired food, regenerative farming, and genuine hospitality, we hope Old Westminster can show what’s possible when a family, a farm, and a community commit to making something beautiful together.
Through every high and low, our family, partnerships, and team have only grown stronger. We’re still dreaming. We’re still working side by side. We’re still learning every day. And we’re deeply grateful for everyone who has walked this journey with us.
Our mission is simple: to cultivate genuine moments of joy through wine, food, hospitality, and the beauty of life together.
Cheers,
Drew, Lisa & Ashli