Crow Farm & Vineyard
by
Kathy Sullivan
Summary: Judy and Roy Crow have spent eight years turning a 365-acre farm into a sustainable enterprise that includes the 3rd generation farm, vineyard, winery, and a farmstay bed and breakfast. Wines and frozen grass-fed beef cuts are available in the tasting room.
The Crow Farm
Judy and Roy Crow grew up on neighboring farms, about six miles apart in Kent County, Maryland. They understand the mechanics and hard work of farming and producing wine. Roy’s parents purchased the farm in 1948. Today the farm specializes in grass-fed Angus beef and has vineyards and a winery.
Crow Vineyards and Winery
Currently the vineyards, that were started in 2010, occupy 10.5 acres of the 365-acre farm. The vineyard soil is silty and sandy with loam.The varieties growing in the vineyard include Barbera, Vidal Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah. Their son, Brandon Hoy, is the vineyard manager. Roy Crow plans to continue planting grapevines. Grapes are also sourced from Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. During our January visit, the vineyards were asleep; wine enthusiasts can observe the vines' architecture.
Judy and Roy produce 2,000 cases for Crow Farm and Vineyard wine and about 3,000 cases of wine for other wineries. Eventually they would like to produce 6,000 cases of wine for Crow Farm. The winery production is in a modern steel building that was renovated to allow for the winemaking process. Roy uses stainless steel tanks from South Africa. In addition to French oak barrels, he also uses stainless steel kegs.
The tasting room is located on the farm in a renovated milk barn. The tasting room is homey with two small tables in the center. Visitors are welcome to purchase a glass of wine and enjoy it at the tables.
Wines
In the tasting room we tasted the Crow line of wines. The Crow wine labels say “transforming farm wine.” We began our tasting with a sparkling wine produced from Vidal grapes. The Sparkling Vidal Blanc 2011 was a golden yellow color with numerous bubbles. The sparkling wine was pleasantly dry with notes of pear and apple accompanied with minerality. Sparkling wines at Crow are made using encapsulated yeast for the secondary fermentation. After the secondary fermentation, the sparkling wine is disgorged by hand and hand capped.
Sauvignon Blanc 2013 was a pale gold color with a mouthful of flavor. The wine was crisp with notes of lemon grass, lemon and tropical fruit. The taste was dry and tart. Chardonnay 2012 was produced with grapes from Maryland’s Kent County. The wine was a light yellow with notes of leather, pear and oak. The mouthfeel was smooth. The wine had a long finish.
The Barbera Rosé 2013 was a light orange with notes of red berries and floral. The taste was refreshing. Pair this wine with a rocking chair on a porch. Rosé 2013 was produced with Merlot grapes from Pennsylvania and Virginia. The color was light orange with a gold hue. The wine offered floral and red berry fruit notes. Merlot 2012 was produced with fruit sourced from Virginia. The wine was a translucent red with a ruby hue. The wine was earthy and offered notes of dark fruit, leather and violets. Barbera 2012 was a translucent ruby color with notes of cherries and cedar. The wine had chewy tannins.
We finished with the Vidal Blanc Dessert Wine 2013. This wine was produced in an icewine-style as the grapes were cryogenically frozen. The aromas was wonderfully sweet (yes, I can smell sweetness) with hints of butterscotch. The wine was full bodied with notes of brown sugar. The finish was sweet with a hint of tartness. This is a mouthwatering dessert wine.
Crow Stayfarm Bed & Breakfast
On our way to the Crow Stayfarm B&B, we passed by several farm buildings. One of the farm buildings was painted with several large quilt patterns covering the side of the building. We later learned that a university provided the quilt designs and that a poem is located in the bottom lefthand corner of the barn siding.
Judy Crow, a former teacher, had a dream of owning a bed and breakfast. Today visitors can arrange to stay at the Crow Bed & Breakfast located in the renovated 1847 Crow family farmhouse.
The farmhouse has three rooms available for travelers and for visitors who want to experience a little life on a farm or among vineyards and winemaking, walking trails and more. Early in the morning at 5:30 am visitors may accompany Judy to the barn to feed the animals. Since we’ve had those experiences before and the morning of our visit was chilly and rainy, we decided to stay under the warm, comfy blankets a while longer.
The bedrooms, all on the second floor, are decorated in great detail with vintage furniture, pillows,and comfortable padded chairs. Frilly curtains add to the comfortable feel. Two bedrooms have private baths and the other bedroom has a bath just across the hall.
In the morning a delightful and filling breakfast created by Judy is served in the dining room. A sideboard has tea and coffee available for early risers. At the far end of the room a fireplace with an insert plus a small sofa provides a pleasant conversation spot. On a coffee table an album offers information including newspaper articles about Crow Farm & Vineyard. To take advantage of all of the things the farm offers, plan to stay a couple of nights.
Events
Events for the winery take place at the winery and at Molly’s Inn about four miles from the farm. Watch the winery website for special dinners prepared by Chef Matt Whitehair at Molly’s Inn paired with Crow wines. Other events at Crow Farm & Vineyard include wine pairings and pizza nights,
Crow Farm & Vineyard
12441 Vansants Corner Rd.
Kennedyville, Maryland 21645
GPS: N39º 19.068’ W75º 55.661’
Article written January 2015
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