I love the summer months, especially the weekends when I can take a road trip adventure. Last Saturday, I went on a wine tasting adventure with another foodie friend and we visited two Maryland wineries about an hour outside of the city. Our first stop was Black Ankle Winery & Vineyard in Mt. Airy, MD. Driving up to the property was breathtaking – just to see the clear blue skies, the rolling hills filled with grape vines and the beautiful rustic tasting room with lots of outdoor seating…what a sight to behold. My friend and I got on the road around 11:30 am, stopped at Starbucks for a coffee and arrived at Black Ankle around 1:00 pm., we timed this perfectly because the first tour began at 1:30 pm. The tasting room wasn’t full yet, there were about six people there at the tasting stations sampling wine. My friend and I tried two wines and decided on which one we would buy later after the tour. There were only four of us on the tour which I liked because we had more time to talk to each other and ask more questions. We toured the grounds and learned about the planting process, harvesting, pressing, fermentation and aging. My favorite was to see the grapes up close and personal growing on the vine. I also liked how organized this vineyard was, they labeled each row of vines with the type of wine to be created and everything was neat and tidy inside the building press and store the wine.
The tour was over in about an hour but it didn’t feel that long because our tour guide kept the conversation going and the tour moving smoothly to each designated area. He was very knowledgeable about the wine making process… as he should be. After the tour was over we went into the tasting room and looked around a bit for a bite to eat. This winery doesn’t have a large food selection, they offer pre-packed cheese and meat trays that are stored in a large fridge compartment… it’s basically a self serve option. Also, although the wine was delicious, it was a bit pricey for a glass. The lowest price I believe was $11 for a glass of wine and I ordered a Rose’ which was $15 a glass – I sipped and savored every drop. And let me just say, I enjoy wine but I’m not a wine snob. I know the good stuff is pricey so bear with me while I build my palate for the best wine.
After we grabbed our glass of wine we went out side on the patio/grass area to find a seat to enjoy it. The tasting room has seating areas on both sides. One side was heavily populated with people who were in large groups. This is a perfect trip for a birthday party or bachelorette weekend. We sat on the less populated side and enjoyed the breeze and the view. This winery is family friendly as I noticed a lot of families having picnics and playing in grass. I also noticed a number of people brought their own food (mental note for next time, food is allowed) and purchased wine inside.
Once we finished our wine we were off to our next stop, Old Westminster Winery just 20 minutes up the road. Pulling up to this winery I noticed it was much smaller but equally beautiful. There were lots of people sitting outside enjoying their afternoon, talking and listening to music coming from the speakers.
We arrived around 4:00 and there was a sign posted outside that the winery was closing at 5:00 for a wedding. We quickly went in and looked over the menu because we needed food and more wine. I noticed a Well Crafted Pizza truck parked outside but our server told us that was for the wedding…womp womp. We decided to order the large cheese board which included a some meat and a baguette. Because I had Rose’ at the first location, I ordered it again. We went outside and grabbed a seat and our cheese board came out within 10 minutes.
Because we took a tour at the first winery and because we were on limited time due to the 5:00 pm wedding, we decided to just eat our cheese board and drink our wine. It was a nice cheese board indeed – it included three cheese slabs and a soft goat cheese, butter, preserves, meat and a baguette… perfect for two people. We also sat in the “Adults Only” section which I loved! I don’t have anything against kids but I would prefer that they aren’t screaming, running around or horse playing when I’m drinking. We left around 5:00 and headed back to Baltimore, just in time to beat the rain.
If you’re looking for a something to do on the weekend, definitely consider visiting one or both wineries. It was a great day trip just outside of the city. Also check out my previous post about Vino 301 a great company that specializes in wine and brewery tours.
As always, follow my eating adventures at @ArlisAppetite on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.