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Whether it's a current hobby or a romantic fantasy – opening a winery or planting a vineyard in Maryland can be an exciting – and profitable – business opportunity. In 2004, Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich convened an exploratory task force to investigate ways of helping the state's wine/grape industry. This group produced a 52-recommendation report [616kb pdf] outlining how the state, the wine/grape industry associations and the university can help grow Maryland's industry. That task force is now a permanent body that will meet quarterly to discuss issues facing the industry and work to ensure Maryland becomes a leader in winegrowing. REMEMBER: Wineries and vineyards are agriculture, pure and simple. Your hands will get dirty in this business, and it's only through hard work and dedication that your winery/vineyard project will succeed. Both can be very costly to start, and even more costly to "fix" if you employ poor planning. ADVICE: Talk with the industry groups, the University and current growers and winemakers to learn about the industry, its current challenges and needs. If you're planting a vineyard – find out what grapes the wineries need most, BUT REMEMBER that your site will not sustain all varieties. If you're starting a winery, conduct an initial market study to learn which wines are most widely marketable, and then which grapes are most readily available. LEARN, LEARN, LEARN: We're sponsoring many courses and workshops to help prospective, new and experienced growers and wineries expand their knowledge. Check out our education section to get a schedule of upcoming workshops. There are three sections of this site devoted to helping you get started. Part 1: Starting a Commercial Vineyard deals with vineyard-only operations, while Part 2: Starting a Winery focuses on the business and regulatory considerations of opennig a winery in the state. In Part 3: Resources, you will find business plans for wineries and vineyards, as well as a recommended reading list of magazines to subscribe to, as well as books to read before diving into the planning process. You'll also find a list of industry VIPs – get to know these folks immediatly. E-mail or call them with questions. When you're confident of your plans, join the industry groups to get "hooked-in" to the industry. Cheers, Kevin Atticks PART 1: Starting
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