At Boordy Vineyards in Hydes, which has been making wine since 1945, children are welcome on Thursdays and Sundays and not the rest of the week. At Catoctin Breeze in Thurmont they’re never welcome, and at Big Cork near Antietam they’re welcome except during the big ticketed concerts. That’s the practical side of Maryland wineries: more than 80 of them, many within about an hour of Washington or Baltimore, each with its own rules on reservations, kids, dogs and picnics and its own idea of what a tasting should cost. Below are the ten best, the house rules at more than 20 wineries, the trails region by region, and the breweries and distilleries worth a detour.

Short answer: For the best wine and the easiest day out, go to the Frederick and Carroll county wine country, about an hour from DC and 45 minutes from Baltimore: Black Ankle and Linganore in Mount Airy, Old Westminster in Westminster, Catoctin Breeze in Thurmont and Big Cork near Antietam. Near DC, go to Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard in Dickerson; near Annapolis, the Vineyards at Dodon; on the Eastern Shore, Bordeleau. Posted tasting fees ran from $1 a pour to $50 in 2026, with most between $17 and $25, and fall weekends are worth booking ahead.

Tasting fees, hours, reservation, kid and pet policies and event dates here were checked September 23, 2026 against the operators’ and agencies’ own websites.

On this page: Maryland wine · The 10 best wineries · Trails and regions · Winery-by-winery rules · Reservations · Kids and dogs · Tasting costs and food · Day trips · Tours and drivers · Breweries · Distilleries and rye · Festivals · Buying and shipping · When to go · What to skip · FAQ

At a glance	Details (checked September 2026)
Wineries	More than 80, according to the Maryland Wineries Association, on nearly 1,000 acres of grapes
Wine trails	Frederick, Carroll, Piedmont, Antietam Highlands, Capital, Patuxent, Legacy, Chesapeake and First Landing, plus cider and mead trails
Tasting fees (2026)	From $1 a pour (St. Michaels Winery) to $50 (Great Frogs’ premium tasting); most posted tastings $17 to $25
Reservations	Required at Old Westminster; tastings at Bordeleau are booked and prepaid; none taken at Rocklands, Running Hare, Serpent Ridge or Sugarloaf Mountain
Kids	Welcome at many; never at Catoctin Breeze, Red Heifer or Springfield Manor; only Thursdays and Sundays at Boordy
Closest wine country	Mount Airy: about an hour from DC and 45 minutes from Baltimore
Big festival	Maryland Wine Festival, Carroll County Farm Museum, Westminster: now a single Saturday in June (June 6 in 2026)
Beer and spirits	132 craft breweries (2025) and about 35 member distilleries in the Maryland Distillers Guild
Best months	April to June and September to October

What is Maryland wine like?

Maryland is not Napa, and it doesn’t try to be. The state’s wineries are mostly small farm wineries, and the typical visit is a glass or a flight at a picnic table with a view of vine rows and a ridge line, not a marble tasting bar. The Maryland Wineries Association counts more than 80 wineries on nearly 1,000 acres of grapes, spread from the mountains of Garrett and Allegany counties to the sandy soils of the Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland.

The modern industry starts with Boordy. Philip Wagner, a Baltimore Sun editor, founded it in 1945 and helped introduce French-American hybrid grapes to East Coast growers, which handled humid summers and cold winters that were hard on classic European vines. Linganore followed on an old Mount Airy dairy farm, first planted in 1972. More recently, the most ambitious wineries have put their effort into European varieties and dry wines. Maryland now has three federally recognized wine regions: Linganore and Catoctin in the Frederick area, and the Cumberland Valley, which it shares with Pennsylvania.

What’s in the glass varies more than in most states. The ambitious wineries make dry reds from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Barbera, and whites from Chardonnay and Albariño. Plenty of others make sweet and semi-sweet wines, fruit wines, meads and ciders, and those sell well at festivals. Neither is wrong, but if you only drink dry wine, look at the list before you pay for a flight, and ask whether the tasting can lean dry.

The practical takeaway: Maryland wineries are day trips, not destinations you fly in for, and the visit is as much about the setting, the food truck and the house rules as the wine. Pick two or three close together, check each one’s rules the week you go, and you’ll have a better day than you would trying to tick off a trail.

The best Maryland wineries, ranked

We ranked on the whole visit: the wine’s reputation, the setting, the food, and how easy the house rules make a good afternoon, using each winery’s own published information as of September 2026. We didn’t taste on site, and no one paid to be included. Hours change by season, so check the week you go.

1. Black Ankle Vineyards, Mount Airy

Black Ankle is the benchmark for a Maryland winery visit: a farm in the Mount Airy hills with its own Terrace Kitchen, so a tasting can turn into lunch without a food truck line. You can book a table, or a picnic-style lawn reservation if you’d rather spread out a blanket. Snacks and non-alcoholic drinks from home are fine; outside alcohol isn’t, because of the winery’s license. Leashed dogs are welcome outdoors but not inside. In 2026 it opened at noon Monday to Thursday and closed at 5 p.m., with later hours on some days, and groups could prepay a Terrace Gathering at $18 a guest for dedicated seating and bar service.

Plan it: about an hour from DC, 45 minutes from Baltimore. Check Black Ankle’s site for tasting prices; budget for wine by the glass or flight plus food.

2. Old Westminster Winery, Westminster

The winery drawing national attention. Old Westminster, in the Carroll County countryside, says it has been featured by Cosmopolitan, Wine Enthusiast and VinePair and was named one of America’s top winery destinations in 2026. It’s reservation-only, and bookings open two months at a time (December’s opened on October 1, 2026). A wood-fired kitchen led by chef Tae Strain cooks from Maryland farms, cheesemakers and watermen, which makes this a proper lunch or dinner stop rather than a quick pour.

Plan it: about 45 minutes from Baltimore and 1¼ to 1½ hours from DC. Book as soon as your month opens.

3. Big Cork Vineyards, Rohrersville

Big Cork sits in the Blue Ridge foothills of southern Washington County, a short drive from Antietam National Battlefield, and it’s the easiest top-tier winery to visit. The seated tasting of six wines at the indoor bar cost $20 a person in 2026, Thursday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the hour, for up to six people. Weekend reservations are optional; walk-ins get seated as soon as a spot opens. For more, a private tasting in the production room among the barrels and tanks cost $36, or $50 with a tour of the cellar and vineyards (Saturdays and Sundays, reservations required). Kids and leashed dogs are welcome except during the big ticketed concerts, which are 21+, and you can picnic anywhere on the property except the tasting room bar.

Plan it: about 1½ hours from DC and 1¼ hours from Baltimore. Pair it with Antietam in the morning.

4. Boordy Vineyards, Hydes

Boordy has been making wine since 1945, and the Deford family has run it for decades, now on a farm in the Long Green Valley northeast of Baltimore. The rules are specific: guests must be 21 or older on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, while families with children are welcome on Thursday and Sunday and at some weekend events. Only service dogs are allowed. Picnics are fine (Boordy sells its wine already chilled and will sell you a bag of ice for $4), weekends bring local musicians and food trucks, and guided tours of the vineyards, winery and barrel cellar run by reservation.

Plan it: about 40 minutes from Baltimore, 1¼ hours from DC and 2 hours from Philadelphia, the closest top winery to I-95 travelers.

5. Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, Dickerson

The classic winery day from DC. The tasting room fills a big red bank barn at 18125 Comus Road, below Sugarloaf Mountain in upper Montgomery County, with a patio and lawn outside. It’s open seven days a week and takes no reservations; larger groups are asked to get in touch ahead. Tastings and flights stop an hour before closing and the last pour is 30 minutes before, so don’t roll in at the end of the afternoon expecting a full flight.

Plan it: about an hour from DC and 1¼ hours from Baltimore. Check the site for the day’s hours; Monday ran noon to 5:30 p.m. in 2026.

6. Catoctin Breeze Vineyard, Thurmont

The adults-only winery with the mountain views. Catoctin Breeze sits below Catoctin Mountain outside Thurmont, and its Season Tasting of three current releases cost $20 in 2026 (free for club members). Walk-ins are welcome, parties are capped at six, and every guest must be 21 or older, with no exceptions for children. Leashed, friendly dogs are welcome everywhere except the Cru Lounge. It’s a good first stop on a Thurmont day that also takes in Links Bridge and Springfield Manor.

Plan it: about 1¼ hours from DC and Baltimore. Leave the kids with the grandparents or pick another winery.

7. Linganore Winecellars, Mount Airy

The big, festive one. Linganore’s first vines went into an old dairy farm in 1972, and the founder’s children run it now. It’s one of the most family-friendly wineries in the state: children are welcome in the tasting room, on the front patio, at the fire tables, in the outdoor pavilion and on the lawn, while the porch and deck tables are for guests 21 and older. Weekends bring food trucks and live music. From November through March the side porch is enclosed and heated, and a $5 deposit holds a table for up to five people for two hours. Seated, guided tastings of eight wines and a crush-to-bottle production tour are 21+ and booked ahead.

Plan it: about an hour from DC and 45 minutes from Baltimore, a few minutes from Black Ankle, Elk Run and Loew.

8. The Vineyards at Dodon, Davidsonville

The best winery near Annapolis, on a farm in Davidsonville, about 20 minutes west of the city. Dodon splits its grounds by age: the tasting room and deck are 21+, while the pavilion and the hillside around it welcome families with children and well-behaved, leashed dogs. You can bring a picnic or carryout for the outdoor seating (never indoors) or order local snacks at the pavilion bar. Reservations are requested, with up to eight guests per table; bigger outdoor groups can book a pergola.

Plan it: about 45 minutes from DC and Baltimore. Combine it with an afternoon in Annapolis.

9. Running Hare Vineyard, Prince Frederick

Southern Maryland’s easygoing favorite, in Calvert County. Running Hare takes no reservations and has plenty of seating (groups of 30 or more should give notice). Supervised children and leashed dogs are welcome, a rotating lineup of food trucks parks on site, and you can also bring your own food and picnic in the vineyard. Weekends bring live music.

Plan it: about an hour from DC and 1¼ hours from Baltimore. Solomons is about half an hour south for dinner on the water.

10. Bordeleau Vineyards, Eden

The Eastern Shore’s most complete winery visit, near Salisbury on the lower Shore, and it brews beer too. Wine tasting flights ran $20 to $24 in 2026 and beer flights $12. Tastings are booked as two-hour reservations and paid in full in advance, and you’re welcome to bring your own food. It’s the natural wine stop on a trip to Ocean City, Crisfield or Assateague.

Plan it: about 2½ to 3 hours from DC and Baltimore over the Bay Bridge, and about 3 hours from Philadelphia through Delaware.

Also worth the drive

• Great Frogs Winery, Annapolis: a self-guided flight of eight decanted wines plus a glass for $35, or a $50 premium tasting (2026); leashed dogs welcome, kids discouraged.
• Elk Run and Loew Vineyards, Mount Airy: small, relaxed neighbors of Black Ankle and Linganore. Elk Run charged $20 for three wines with tented picnic tables year-round; Loew’s guided tasting of six wines was $25, and it welcomes kids and leashed dogs.
• Links Bridge Vineyards, Thurmont: $17 for about an ounce each of seven wines served at your table; kids and leashed dogs welcome; open weekends and by appointment.
• Rocklands Farm Winery, Poolesville: walk-in only, open every weekend, with Friday night music, a creek to put your feet in and food trucks, under an hour from DC.
• Red Heifer Winery, Smithsburg: adults only, with igloos and cabanas you can book.
• Serpent Ridge Vineyard, Westminster: no reservations, kids and leashed dogs welcome, picnics encouraged.
• Fiore Winery, Pylesville: a $10 tasting of five wines and an $8 spirits tasting in northern Harford County.
• Springfield Manor, Thurmont: a winery, distillery and brewery in one place, 21+ only.
• St. Michaels Winery, St. Michaels: $1 a sample in the middle of town.
• Layton’s Chance, Vienna: more than 14 acres near Cambridge with lawn games, a nature trail and a concert series.
• Port of Leonardtown and Cove Point wineries, Southern Maryland: easygoing tasting rooms near the Potomac and the Patuxent; Cove Point needs no appointment.

Maryland wine trails and regions, with drive times

The Maryland Wineries Association groups its members into self-guided trails. The Frederick and Carroll trails cover those two counties, the Legacy trail covers Prince George’s County, and the Antietam Highlands, Capital, Chesapeake, Patuxent, Piedmont and First Landing trails cover the rest, alongside separate cider and mead trails. You don’t need a pass or a plan to follow one: they’re simply a way to find neighbors. It’s more useful to think in regions, because the regions decide your drive.

Region	Wineries to know	From DC	From Baltimore	From Philadelphia
Frederick County (Mount Airy, Thurmont)	Black Ankle, Linganore, Elk Run, Loew; Catoctin Breeze, Links Bridge, Springfield Manor	About 1 to 1½ hours	45 minutes to 1¼ hours	2½ to 3 hours
Carroll County (Westminster)	Old Westminster, Serpent Ridge	1¼ to 1½ hours	About 45 minutes	About 2½ hours
Baltimore and Harford counties	Boordy (Hydes), Fiore (Pylesville)	About 1¼ hours to Hydes	About 40 minutes to Hydes	About 2 hours to Hydes
Washington County	Big Cork (Rohrersville), Red Heifer (Smithsburg)	About 1½ hours	About 1¼ hours	3 to 3½ hours
Montgomery County	Sugarloaf Mountain (Dickerson), Rocklands (Poolesville)	About 1 hour	About 1¼ hours	About 3 hours
Anne Arundel and Southern Maryland	Dodon, Great Frogs; Running Hare, Cove Point, Port of Leonardtown	45 minutes (Annapolis) to 1¼ hours (Leonardtown)	45 minutes to 2 hours	2¼ to 4 hours
Eastern Shore	St. Michaels Winery, Layton’s Chance, Bordeleau	1½ to 3 hours (Bay Bridge)	1½ to 2¾ hours (Bay Bridge)	2½ to 3¼ hours through Delaware

Times are free-flow estimates with no traffic; add a buffer for the Beltway, I-270 and summer Bay Bridge weekends.

Frederick County: the heart of it

If you only have one day, spend it here. Mount Airy, on the county’s eastern edge off I-70, has four wineries close together (Black Ankle, Linganore, Elk Run and Loew), so you can do two or three with short drives between. Thurmont, 20 minutes north of Frederick at the foot of Catoctin Mountain, has Catoctin Breeze, Links Bridge and Springfield Manor, with better views and fewer crowds. Downtown Frederick, 20 to 25 minutes from each, is the natural base for dinner and a bed; our guide covers whether Frederick, MD is worth visiting for a weekend, and it is.

Carroll, Baltimore and Harford counties

North of Baltimore, the rolling Piedmont farm country holds Old Westminster and Serpent Ridge around Westminster, Boordy in the Long Green Valley at Hydes and Fiore up near the Pennsylvania line in Pylesville. It’s the quickest wine country from Baltimore (40 to 45 minutes) and from Philadelphia, which is about 2 hours from Boordy. The Carroll County Farm Museum in Westminster now hosts the Maryland Wine Festival in June.

Washington County and the Antietam Highlands

West of South Mountain, Big Cork at Rohrersville and Red Heifer at Smithsburg anchor the Antietam Highlands area. It pairs naturally with the battlefield at Sharpsburg, the C&O Canal and Hagerstown, and it’s the best choice if you’re driving in from Pittsburgh or the west on I-70.

Near Washington: Montgomery and Prince George’s counties

Upper Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve keeps farmland within an hour of the Capitol, which is why Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard in Dickerson and Rocklands in Poolesville feel far more rural than their drive time suggests. Prince George’s County has its own Legacy Wine Trail of smaller wineries. From DC, this is the low-stress choice: no Bay Bridge, no I-70 crawl.

Annapolis and Southern Maryland

The Vineyards at Dodon and Great Frogs put wine within about 20 minutes of Annapolis. Farther south, Running Hare in Prince Frederick, Cove Point in Lusby and Port of Leonardtown Winery in St. Mary’s County make a relaxed day that ends at Solomons or Leonardtown’s waterfront. Port of Leonardtown’s tasting room opened daily from noon to 6 p.m. in 2026, and its patio sits beside a public park with a walking trail and a kayak launch, so you can paddle before you pour.

The Eastern Shore

Shore wineries are fewer and farther apart, so fold them into a bigger trip: St. Michaels Winery in town, Layton’s Chance near Cambridge, and Bordeleau near Salisbury. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is tolled eastbound only and is cashless: in 2026 a car paid $2.50 with a Maryland E-ZPass, $4 with an out-of-state E-ZPass or Pay-By-Plate, and $6 by video toll. Philadelphia drivers can skip it by coming south through Delaware. For ideas on building a Shore itinerary around a winery stop, see our Eastern Shore day trips and town guide.

Tasting fees, reservations, kids and dogs: winery by winery

These are the published rules as of September 2026. “Not posted” means the winery’s site didn’t list it then; call or check its site before you go.

Winery (town)	Tasting (2026)	Reservations	Kids	Dogs	Outside food
Black Ankle (Mount Airy)	Not posted; kitchen on site	Table and lawn bookings	Not posted	Leashed, outdoors only	Snacks and non-alcoholic drinks
Old Westminster (Westminster)	Not posted; kitchen on site	Required	Not posted	Not posted	Not posted
Big Cork (Rohrersville)	$20 for 6; private $36, $50 with tour	Optional on weekends; private tastings required	Yes, except big concerts	Leashed, except big concerts	Yes, except at the bar
Boordy (Hydes)	Not posted	Tours only	Thursday and Sunday only	Service dogs only	Yes (ice $4)
Sugarloaf Mountain (Dickerson)	Not posted	Not taken	Not posted	Not posted	Not posted
Catoctin Breeze (Thurmont)	$20 for 3	Walk-ins welcome; parties of 6 or fewer	No, 21+ only	Leashed, not in the Cru Lounge	Not posted
Linganore (Mount Airy)	Guided tastings of 8 by booking; porch table $5 deposit	Porch and deck tables	Yes, except porch and deck	Not posted	Food trucks on weekends
Vineyards at Dodon (Davidsonville)	Not posted	Requested; up to 8 a table	Pavilion and hillside only	Leashed, on the hillside	Outdoors only
Running Hare (Prince Frederick)	Not posted	Not taken (notice for 30+)	Yes	Leashed	Yes, plus food trucks
Bordeleau (Eden)	Wine $20-$24; beer $12	Two-hour slots, prepaid	Not posted	Not posted	Yes
Great Frogs (Annapolis)	$35 for 8 plus a glass; premium $50	Encouraged for indoor seats	Discouraged	Leashed (note it when you book)	Not posted
Elk Run (Mount Airy)	$20 for 3	Groups of 8+, limos and buses	Not posted	Not posted	Tented picnic tables
Loew (Mount Airy)	$25 guided, 6 wines	Weekdays by appointment	Yes	Leashed	Not posted
Links Bridge (Thurmont)	$17 for 7	Weekdays by appointment	Yes	Leashed	Not posted
Rocklands (Poolesville)	Not posted	Walk-in only	Not posted	Not posted	Food trucks
Serpent Ridge (Westminster)	Not posted	Not taken	Yes	Leashed	Yes
Red Heifer (Smithsburg)	Igloo and cabana minimums $25-$35 a person	For igloos and cabanas	No, 21+ only	Leashed, patio and lawn only	Not posted
Springfield Manor (Thurmont)	Not posted	Not posted	No, 21+ only	Not during the lavender festival	No
Fiore (Pylesville)	$10 for 5; spirits $8 for 4	Not posted	Yes	Leashed	Yes
St. Michaels Winery	$1 a sample	Not required	Not posted	Not posted	Not posted
Layton’s Chance (Vienna)	Not posted	Not posted	Not posted	In the picnic area	Picnics welcome
Port of Leonardtown (Leonardtown)	Not posted	Not posted	Not posted	Not posted	Yes

Do you need reservations at Maryland wineries?

It depends on the winery and the day, and the trend is toward booking. At one end, Old Westminster is reservation-only, Bordeleau sells its tastings as prepaid two-hour slots, and Big Cork’s private tastings, Linganore’s porch and deck tables and Red Heifer’s igloos and cabanas all have to be booked. At the other end, Rocklands, Running Hare, Serpent Ridge and Sugarloaf Mountain take no reservations at all, Cove Point needs no appointment, and Catoctin Breeze and St. Michaels Winery welcome walk-ins.

In between, a booking is a good idea rather than a rule: Big Cork will seat walk-ins at its bar, but a weekend reservation guarantees you a slot; the Vineyards at Dodon asks you to reserve so it can hold a table. Weekdays are their own trap, since Loew and Links Bridge open on weekdays only by appointment.

Groups need to plan most of all. Catoctin Breeze caps parties at six, Big Cork’s bar tasting takes up to six, Dodon seats up to eight a table, and Elk Run requires a reservation for any group of eight or more and for anyone arriving by limo or bus. Running Hare, with plenty of room, only asks for notice from groups of 30 or more.

Can you bring kids and dogs to Maryland wineries?

Kids: Maryland wineries split three ways. Adults only: Catoctin Breeze, Red Heifer and Springfield Manor admit no one under 21, and Great Frogs recommends leaving children at home. Split by day or area: Boordy welcomes families only on Thursdays and Sundays, Linganore welcomes children everywhere except its porch and deck, and Dodon keeps its tasting room and deck 21+ but opens the pavilion and hillside to families. Kid-friendly: Big Cork (except big concerts), Running Hare, Loew, Links Bridge, Fiore and Serpent Ridge all welcome supervised children, and Linganore’s lawn and pavilion on a food truck weekend are about as easy as it gets.

Wherever kids are welcome, the wineries ask the same thing: keep them with you and out of the vines, the flower beds and the neighbors’ tables. Bring lawn games or a ball for the grass, and pack drinks and snacks for them.

Dogs: leashed dogs are welcome outdoors at most wineries: Big Cork, Catoctin Breeze (not in its Cru Lounge), Running Hare, Loew, Links Bridge, Fiore, Serpent Ridge, Great Frogs and Dodon’s hillside all say yes. Black Ankle keeps dogs outside, Red Heifer allows them only in the parking, patio and lawn areas, and Layton’s Chance welcomes them in its picnic area. Boordy allows service dogs only, and Big Cork and Springfield Manor ask you to leave dogs home for their big events. Bring water and a bowl; summer afternoons on an open hillside are hot.

What does a tasting cost, and can you bring food?

Posted tasting fees in 2026 clustered between $17 and $25:

• Under $15: St. Michaels Winery ($1 a sample), Fiore ($10 for five wines, or $8 for four spirits).
• $15 to $25: Links Bridge ($17 for seven), Big Cork ($20 for six), Catoctin Breeze ($20 for three), Elk Run ($20 for three), Bordeleau ($20 to $24 a flight, beer $12), Loew ($25 guided, six wines).
• Over $25: Great Frogs ($35 for eight decanted wines and a glass, $50 premium), Big Cork’s private tastings ($36, or $50 with a tour).

Watch for the extras. Linganore takes a $5 deposit for a two-hour porch table, Serpent Ridge charges $15 for a heat lamp or fire table, Red Heifer’s igloos and cabanas carry minimum purchases of $25 or $35 a person plus an 18% gratuity, and Black Ankle’s group Terrace Gatherings are prepaid at $18 a guest. Club members often taste free or book first: Catoctin Breeze’s Season Tasting is free for members, and Rocklands members get table reservations at an otherwise walk-in farm.

Food: most Maryland wineries let you picnic. Big Cork (anywhere but the tasting room bar), Boordy, Running Hare, Serpent Ridge, Fiore, Bordeleau, Port of Leonardtown and Layton’s Chance all welcome your own food, Dodon allows it outdoors only, Elk Run has tented picnic tables year-round, and Black Ankle allows snacks and non-alcoholic drinks. Springfield Manor bans outside food and drink. For a meal you don’t have to pack, Black Ankle and Old Westminster run their own kitchens, and Linganore, Running Hare, Rocklands, Springfield Manor and Boordy bring in food trucks. One rule is universal: don’t bring your own wine or beer, because the wineries’ licenses don’t allow outside alcohol.

Four winery day trips

1. Mount Airy, the easy classic: start at Black Ankle for a tasting and lunch from the Terrace Kitchen, then pick one or two of Linganore, Elk Run and Loew nearby. Finish with dinner in downtown Frederick, about 25 minutes west. About an hour from DC and 45 minutes from Baltimore.
2. Thurmont and the mountain: Catoctin Breeze for the views (adults only), Links Bridge on a weekend for a $17 flight at your table, and Springfield Manor for a lavender gin or a beer (21+). Swap in Big Cork, south of Boonsboro, if you’re coming from Antietam.
3. Southern Maryland by the water: Running Hare in Prince Frederick for a food truck lunch, Cove Point in Lusby, then Port of Leonardtown and, on a weekend, a $15 tasting at Tobacco Barn Distillery in nearby Hollywood. Dinner in Solomons or Leonardtown.
4. St. Michaels on the Shore: $1 samples at St. Michaels Winery, then Eastern Shore Brewing and Lyon Rum’s tasting room in the town’s Old Mill complex. Add Layton’s Chance near Cambridge on the way south; our guide to the Eastern Shore has the rest of the day.

Wine tours, drivers and getting around

Maryland wine country is rural, and public transit doesn’t reach most tasting rooms, so the real question is who drives. The simplest answer is a designated driver; even the Maryland Wine Festival sells designated-driver passes at a reduced price. The second is a hired driver or tour. Private chauffeurs, limousine companies and small-group tour operators run winery trips out of Frederick, Baltimore, Annapolis and the DC suburbs. Before you book, ask which wineries are included, whether tasting fees are included, and whether the company makes the winery reservations.

That last point matters. Elk Run requires a reservation for any limo or bus arrival, and caps at Catoctin Breeze (six), Big Cork’s bar (six) and Dodon (eight a table) mean a party bus of 14 can’t just walk in. Call each winery if your group is bigger than six.

Don’t count on ride-hailing apps to get you home from a vineyard outside Mount Airy or Thurmont at 5 p.m.; cars can be scarce in the countryside, and the wait can be long. And keep the day realistic. The wineries within one cluster are minutes apart, but the clusters are 30 minutes to an hour from each other, so two or three wineries is a full, pleasant day, and a fourth mostly adds driving.

Maryland breweries

Beer is the bigger industry. The Brewers Association counted 132 craft breweries in Maryland in 2025, 23rd among the states, with an economic impact of about $955 million. Baltimore’s brewery scene belongs in a Baltimore trip, and Frederick’s cluster of taprooms along Carroll Creek and in the old factory district is covered in our Frederick, Maryland guide. Flying Dog, long Frederick’s best-known name, stopped brewing there in August 2023. Beyond the two cities, these were operating in 2026:

• Burley Oak Brewing, Berlin: the busy taproom about 15 minutes from Ocean City; children are welcome until 9 p.m., though most ticketed events are 21+.
• RAR Brewing, Cambridge: one of the Shore’s best-known craft breweries.
• Eastern Shore Brewing, St. Michaels: in the Old Mill complex, and by its own account the oldest continually operating brewery on the Eastern Shore.
• Cult Classic Brewing, Kent Island: just over the Bay Bridge, with long weeknight hours (4 to 10 p.m. Mondays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday in 2026).
• Mully’s Brewery, Prince Frederick: kid-friendly, with giant games, leashed dogs welcome and partner food trucks; its cans and kegs go all over the state.
• Heavy Seas, Halethorpe: the big Baltimore County brewery southwest of the city; no table reservations, a family-friendly taproom and leashed dogs welcome in the Taproom and Game Room.
• Bordeleau and Springfield Manor: two wineries that brew too, so a mixed group can split flights.

Plan it: brewery taprooms keep later hours than wineries, which close around 5 or 6 p.m., so a winery afternoon that ends at a brewery is an easy way to stretch the day. Check each taproom’s kid and dog rules the same way you would a winery’s.

Maryland distilleries and Maryland rye

Before Prohibition, Maryland was one of the country’s great rye whiskey states. Pikesville Rye, for one, is a Maryland name that is now made in Kentucky. The craft distillers who arrived in the last decade or so have been bringing Maryland rye back, and the Maryland Distillers Guild now has about 35 member distilleries. Its site has a member map, a Rye Curious section for whiskey fans and a Spirits of Maryland event series.

• Sagamore Spirit, Baltimore: the rye whiskey distillery on the Baltimore Peninsula waterfront. Tours last 45 minutes to an hour, with tastings for guests 21 and older, and the visitor center has its own whiskey cocktail bar, Nineteen O’ Nine.
• Tobacco Barn Distillery, Hollywood: in St. Mary’s County, at 24460 Hollywood Road. Tastings of four products cost $15 and take 40 to 45 minutes; walk-ins are welcome on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Wednesday to Friday is by appointment. It’s 21+ with ID.
• Lyon Rum, St. Michaels: rum made in St. Michaels since 2012, with a rum room in the Old Mill complex.
• Springfield Manor, Thurmont: the winery-distillery-brewery known for its lavender gin and vodka; its lavender festival ticket includes a spirits tasting.
• Fiore Winery, Pylesville: a winery that distills too, with a four-spirit tasting for $8.

In Southern Maryland, Visit St. Mary’s launched a St. Mary’s Craft Beverage Trail in 2023 that strings together the county’s wineries, breweries and distilleries, a useful map for a Leonardtown weekend.

Wine, beer and spirits festivals

The Maryland Wine Festival is the big one, and it has changed. It’s now a single Saturday in June instead of the old September weekend: the 42nd festival ran June 6, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S. Center Street in Westminster, under a “Bottles & Blooms” theme with flower vendors. More than 30 Maryland wineries poured across the Main Field and the Explorer Village, joined by a distillery, a mocktail vendor and beer. Tickets come in several pass levels, designated drivers pay less, and you can buy at the gate. The festival started in 1984 in Union Mills and has been at the Farm Museum since 1985. Carroll County’s announcement has the 2026 details; watch for the next date early in the year.

At the wineries: Big Cork’s large ticketed concerts (21+, no dogs), Layton’s Chance’s Concerts in the Country, weekend musicians and food trucks at Boordy and Linganore, Friday night music at Rocklands and Springfield Manor’s lavender festival fill the calendar from late spring into fall. These are the busiest days of the year at each winery, so book early or pick another day if you want a quiet tasting.

Elsewhere: Havre de Grace’s Susquehanna Wine and Seafood Fest, held in September (the sixth ran September 19, 2026), pairs local wine with Chesapeake seafood. Frederick hosts the Maryland Craft Beer Festival, and the Distillers Guild runs its Spirits of Maryland series. Dates move from year to year, so check each organizer before you plan a weekend around one.

Buying, shipping and taking wine home

The best place to buy Maryland wine is at the winery, where you’ll find the whole range, including small-batch bottles that never reach stores. Many wineries run clubs with perks such as free tastings or member reservations. Don’t count on the supermarket back home in Maryland: in most of the state, wine is sold in liquor stores rather than grocery stores, and in Montgomery County the county government runs the liquor stores.

Shipping depends on the winery and where you live. St. Michaels Winery, for example, ships by FedEx and UPS, and the carrier needs an adult 21 or older to sign on delivery, so send it to an address where someone will be home. Ask at the counter what the winery can ship to your state before you buy a case.

If you’re driving, keep opened bottles recorked and in the trunk rather than the cabin, and don’t leave wine in a closed car on a summer afternoon, because heat damages it quickly. Flying home from BWI or Reagan National, pack bottles in checked bags, since the 3.4-ounce liquids limit applies to carry-ons.

When to go and where to stay

Best months: April to June and September to October. Spring brings green vines and mild afternoons before the heat; fall brings the harvest, changing leaves along Catoctin and South Mountain, and the busiest weekends of the year, so reserve where you can. July and August are hot and humid, which is fine under a pavilion but tough on an open hillside at 3 p.m.; go early in the day. Winter is quiet and underrated: Linganore heats its enclosed porch from November through March, Serpent Ridge rents fire tables and Red Heifer rents igloos.

Days and hours: most tasting rooms close by 5 or 6 p.m., a few stay open into the evening for music or dinner, and several small wineries open on weekdays only by appointment (Loew and Links Bridge among them). Saturday is the busiest day everywhere; Thursday and Friday afternoons are calmer.

Where to stay: for Frederick County, stay in downtown Frederick, which has chain hotels near the interstates and historic inns and bed-and-breakfasts in town. For Carroll County and Boordy, Westminster and the Baltimore suburbs work. For Dodon, Great Frogs and Southern Maryland, stay in Annapolis or Solomons. For the Shore, St. Michaels, Easton and Cambridge have the inns. Rates swing most with fall weekends and big events, so book early for October.

How much time: a half day covers two wineries in one cluster; a full day covers three with lunch; a weekend lets you pair wine country with Frederick, Annapolis or the Shore without spending the whole trip in the car.

What to skip

Frequently asked questions

What are the best Maryland wineries?

Our top five are Black Ankle in Mount Airy, Old Westminster in Westminster, Big Cork in Rohrersville, Boordy in Hydes and Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard in Dickerson, followed by Catoctin Breeze, Linganore, the Vineyards at Dodon, Running Hare and Bordeleau. The Frederick and Carroll county wineries, about an hour from DC and 45 minutes from Baltimore, make the easiest day trip.

Do you need reservations for Maryland wineries?

Sometimes. Old Westminster is reservation-only, Bordeleau sells prepaid two-hour tasting slots, and Linganore’s porch and deck tables and Big Cork’s private tastings must be booked. Rocklands, Running Hare, Serpent Ridge and Sugarloaf Mountain take no reservations. Groups should always call: Elk Run requires a reservation for eight or more and for any limo or bus. Policies as of September 2026.

Are kids allowed at Maryland wineries?

At many, yes. Big Cork, Running Hare, Loew, Links Bridge, Fiore and Serpent Ridge welcome supervised children. Boordy allows families only on Thursdays and Sundays, and Linganore and Dodon keep some areas 21+. Catoctin Breeze, Red Heifer and Springfield Manor are adults only, and Great Frogs suggests leaving children at home. Rules checked September 2026.

What does a tasting cost at Maryland wineries?

Most posted tastings cost $17 to $25 in 2026: $17 at Links Bridge, $20 at Big Cork, Catoctin Breeze and Elk Run, and $25 at Loew. The range runs from $1 a sample at St. Michaels Winery and $10 at Fiore to $35 and $50 at Great Frogs. Private or guided tastings cost more, such as $36 to $50 at Big Cork.

How many wineries are in Maryland?

More than 80, according to the Maryland Wineries Association, on nearly 1,000 acres of grapes from the western mountains to the Eastern Shore. The biggest cluster is in Frederick and Carroll counties, with smaller groups near DC, around Annapolis, in Southern Maryland, in Washington County and on the Eastern Shore.

When is the Maryland Wine Festival?

It’s now a single Saturday in June at the Carroll County Farm Museum in Westminster. The 42nd festival ran June 6, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with more than 30 Maryland wineries pouring. It used to be a September weekend. Watch Carroll County’s announcements early in the year for the next date; designated drivers get cheaper passes.

Can you bring food to Maryland wineries?

Usually. Big Cork, Boordy, Running Hare, Serpent Ridge, Fiore, Bordeleau and Port of Leonardtown welcome picnics, and Dodon allows them outdoors only. Black Ankle allows snacks and non-alcoholic drinks. Springfield Manor bans outside food and drink. Don’t bring your own wine or beer anywhere: the wineries’ licenses don’t allow outside alcohol.

Are dogs allowed at Maryland wineries?

Many welcome leashed dogs outdoors: Big Cork (except big concerts), Catoctin Breeze (not in the Cru Lounge), Running Hare, Loew, Links Bridge, Fiore, Serpent Ridge, Great Frogs and Dodon’s hillside. Black Ankle keeps dogs outside, and Red Heifer allows them only in the parking, patio and lawn areas. Boordy allows service dogs only.

Related Maryland guides

• Frederick, MD: the base for Maryland’s main wine country, with breweries and dinner downtown
• Eastern Shore of Maryland: towns, day trips and the Shore’s wineries in context

Sources and verification

Everything on this page was checked on September 23, 2026 against the organizations listed below, and the guide is compiled from their published information rather than from first-hand visits.

• Maryland Wineries Association
• Carroll County Government: 42nd Maryland Wine Festival
• Brewers Association: state craft beer statistics
• Maryland Distillers Guild
• Big Cork Vineyards: plan your visit
• Boordy Vineyards

Also consulted: the websites of Black Ankle Vineyards, Old Westminster Winery, Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, Catoctin Breeze Vineyard, Linganore Winecellars, the Vineyards at Dodon, Running Hare Vineyard, Bordeleau Vineyards, Great Frogs Winery, Elk Run Vineyards, Loew Vineyards, Links Bridge Vineyards, Rocklands Farm Winery, Serpent Ridge Vineyard, Red Heifer Winery, Springfield Manor, Fiore Winery, St. Michaels Winery, Layton’s Chance, Port of Leonardtown Winery and Cove Point Winery; Burley Oak, RAR, Cult Classic, Mully’s and Heavy Seas breweries; Sagamore Spirit and Tobacco Barn Distillery; and the Maryland Transportation Authority for Bay Bridge tolls. Drive times are free-flow estimates from open routing data.

Maryland Tourism Guide is an independent publication. It is not affiliated with Visit Maryland or any agency or business named here, and no one paid to be included.

Photo credits

• Vineyard rows in June (featured image): photo by Don Kasak, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
• Barrel room at the Vineyards at Dodon: photo by Maryland GovPics, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
• Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, Dickerson: photo by R london, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
• The Vineyards at Dodon tasting room: photo by Maryland GovPics, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
• Farmland below Catoctin Mountain: photo by Acroterion, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• American Brewery building, Baltimore: photo by Onore Baka Sama, Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
• Vineyards at Dodon in early spring: photo by Maryland GovPics, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)