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Happy
New Year!
This year stands to be wonderful for
Maryland wine. Four new wineries will open to the public and five more
will begin production. The 2007 vintage was one of the best in our industry's
history, and the wines should be equally grand. We look forward to sharing
our wine and news with you throughout 2008.
Shoot! Photo Contest Deadline Jan 11
The 2008 Maryland Wine Photo Contest's deadline is January 11, 2008. So it's time to snap those photos and enter to win $500 and other awards. The first-prize winning photographer will receive $500 and have a photo selected for a “Maryland Wine Artist Series” poster. Learn more.
March 1: Winery/Grower
Annual Meeting
Whether you’re a commercial or grape grower or winemaker or grower or just someone interested in the industry the MGGA/MWA Annual Meeting will offer valuable and stimulating education and information for your special needs. This year's event will feature a keynote by New York Wine & Grape Foundation Director Jim Trezise, and includes winery and grower startup sessions. Read more and register for the meeting.
Save the date: March 12
"History of MD Wine" presentation and tasting
Come to the Baltimore Museum of Industry
for a guided tour of Maryland wine and the industry's history that brought
us to the current vintage. Read
all about it.
"Taste
of Maryland" Legislative Reception
As the Maryland General Assembly convenes another legislative session in Annapolis, MWA will keep watch to make sure Maryland wine lovers have the same opportunities as their peers in other states. The MWA is cosponsoring a legislative reception on January 21 download the registration form if you're interested in attending, meeting your legislators and speaking your mind over a glass of MD wine.
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"Vidal Blanc" by Jennie Schmidt.
GrapeView: Vidal Blanc
Very few grapes are as deliciously versatile as Vidal Blanc. Yet most of its fans are in the dark about its history and pedigree. Vidal Blanc is the basis of some of Maryland’s best-known white wines.
A French-American hybrid, this grape was developed in the 1930s by French breeder Jean Louis Vidal to combine the flavor and complexity of Trebbiano (a.k.a. Ugni Blanc) and the cold-hardiness and overall reliability of Rayon d’Or.
The grape is thick-skinned, which helps it stay disease-free even in the wettest growing seasons. Vidal Blanc has a reputation of being easy to grow and very productive…sometimes yielding up to eight tons of fruit per acre. Read more online.
Wine News Briefs
Weather. Wineries throughout East Coast report great
2007 vintage producing the best wines of the decade.
Laws.
Due to a law change, Pennsylvania wineries may now attend farmers markets
throughout the state.
Consumption.
The United States has moved ahead of Italy in per-capita consumption,
trailing only France, according to a 2007 wine market report.
Growth.
Four new MD wineries will open to the public this year in Calvert, Carroll,
Cecil and Harford counties.
Festivals.
Look for info about the Chesapeake Bay Wine Festival coming May 31-June
1, 2008.
Laws.
New Jersey wineries are fighting for the right to ship wine to customers
wholesalers citing "concern for public safety" as reason for
opposition.
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Learn More
There's so much more to learn about wine on our site!
• Food & wine pairings
• Know your limits
• History of MD wine
• Wine industry statistics
• Read or submit FAQs
• Host your own event
• MD wines winning awards
• Wine shipping: the facts
There's so much more information available on www.MarylandWine.com.
Wine Tastings
There's no better way to learn about wine than to organize a wine tasting, and the Maryland Wineries Association can host it for you as a social or fundraising event. Learn more.
Festivals & Events
Our wineries offer a variety of special events from barrel tastings
to concerts, many wineries host events each weekend. And be sure to mark
your calendars for our festivals around the state. See the full list of upcoming events.
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January 2008