Maryland Wine Passport Experience

During the last two weekends of February, wine enthusiasts can break out of winter’s doldrums and visit Maryland wineries. The wineries on the state’s seven wine trails will off exclusive access to holders of the Passport.  Passport ticket holders will receive free wine tastings and a behind-the-scene experience at each winery. Also included with the passport is a wine glass and a ten percent discount on wine purchases. You can purchase passport tickets on the Maryland Wine website. Tickets cost $25 plus a $2.37 fee.

Ticket holders can use the passports on February 20th, 21st, 27th and 28th. With four days to visit Maryland wineries, how many of the wine trails can you experience? Last year we attended some of the participating wineries that had a similar program. We met a couple that were also attending the passport event and they said it was a Christmas gift. With Valentine’s Day coming up, you can surprise a loved one with Maryland Wine Passport and enjoy four days of wine tasting.

There is plenty of flexibility during this event. You can attend one of the four days or all of them. You can visit wineries along one of the wine trail or several of the wine trails. You do not have to visit all of the wineries along any particular wine trail.

Maryland’s Wine Trails

Winter’s rest

The furthest west wine trail is the Antietam Highlands Wine Trail. It includes six wineries west of Frederick. North and east of Frederick there are five wineries along the Frederick Wine Trail. The Carroll Wine Trail has three wineries in Carroll County. Maryland’s newest wine trail is the Capital Wine Trail with four wineries in Montgomery County. The Piedmont Wine Trail includes wineries north of Baltimore along Interstate 83 and Interstate 95. In Southern Maryland, ten wineries are members of the Patuxent Wine Trail. The wineries range from south of Annapolis to south of Saint Mary’s City. The Chesapeake Wine Trail includes 15 wineries along Maryland’s eastern Shore from Rising Sun to Eden. Check the Maryland Wine Passport website for the wine trails and the list of wineries participating in the event.

Want to learn about Maryland wine? Visiting the wineries and tasting the wines is one of the best ways to learn about wine. Another is to read about Maryland wine and wineries. Wine Trail Traveler has written several articles about Maryland Wineries and Wine. Check them out.

–Misconceptions 1 examines some of the misconceptions about Maryland wine.
–Misconceptions 2 looks at some of the misconceptions about Maryland wineries.
–Maryland Grape Varieties mentions the most widely planted grapes in Maryland and the hard to find grape varieties.
–Where are Maryland Wineries? Wine regions and wine trails in the state are presented.
–Maryland Fruit Wines lists the Maryland wineries that produce fruit wines and presents the different methods of producing fruit wines.

Cheers,
Terry