Vintage Vidal tasting. Knob Hall crafts a dry Vidal.

Thursday evening, January 8, 2015 marked the third annual event of Maryland’s Winter Wine. The event, in the B & O Railroad Museum, began with an hour long tasting of Vidal wines from six wineries. This area of the museum  has glass enclosed cases, showcasing various aspects of the train history. Maryland wineries included in the Vintage Vidal tasting included Knob Hall Winery,  Crow Vineyards, Boordy Vineyards, Cygnus Wine Cellars, Big Cork Vineyards and Great Shoals. Both Cygnus and Great Shoals offered sparkling Vidal wines. Knob Hall and Crow were pouring dry Vidal wines. Boordy’s Vidal was off dry with a touch of sweetness while Big Cork’s Vidal was a dessert wine. Vidal is a winemaker’s dream. Winemakers can craft many different styles of wine with this grape.

B&O Railroad Museum’s Roundhouse houses many locomotives.

At 7pm we were encouraged to enter the Round House a large enclosed room with a high roof. Large US flags hang down decorating the empty space above the train cars. Underneath the flags, Maryland wineries were pouring their specialty wines.

A wide range of wines were available in the round house for visitors to taste. For a sweet wine, Kathy’s favorite was a mead from Orchid Cellars. Her favorite dry white wine was a Chardonnay from Catoctin Breeze. Terry also tasted many of the wines. His preferences pointed to a cider from Millstone Cellars that was made with hops. Terry also liked Orchid Cellar’s The Hunter, a  capsicumel made with honey and red chili peppers.

The event included appetizers. Special fried crab rolls, turkey sliders, fresh fruits, nuts and an array of desserts were  available to enjoy while tasting numerous wines.

We met many wine lovers, and renewed acquaintances while enjoying the Maryland wine tasting. The event was low keyed and several winemakers and owners were serving wines. They had time to speak with the wine enthusiasts and there was no sense of being rushed. We would encourage people to attend Winter Wine next year. It was a wonderful evening of great food and wine.

Cheers,
Kathy and Terry

Wine Tasting in the B &O Roundhouse

Maryland Winemakers Showcasing their Wines