Open: Year-round
About:
Our small farm winery has 10 acres of vineyards. Along the driveway there are nearly 2 acres of Cabernet Franc planted in 2002. Further up the hill we have 8 acres of vineyards, planted in Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Elderberry on land that we lease from the Carr estate. Our land used to be part of a larger farm owned by the Carr's.
All of our wines are crafted entirely by hand. No mechanical pumps are ever used to handle the fermented pulp or wine during aging to preserve the true character of the variety. Our wines are all aged in French oak barrels to further enhance them during the aging process. Our winemaking philosophy values quality over volume, so we reduce the grape crop by hand before it is fully ripe to intensify the flavors. This year we are pleased to offer a new selection of Elderberry products.
The farm structure which houses our tasting and barrel rooms adjoins our large, old bank barn that will be restored. A word about the barn -- the barn was built using post and beam construction and mortise and tenon joinery. Some of the heart pine floorboards are 18" wide. From the barn cellar (in the back), you can see hand-hewn oak joists supporting the floor above, and the stone foundation and cellar walls which were put together using lime and sand mortar. The barn's stone foundation is smaller than the barn structure you see above it. We believe that an older, smaller barn previously existed on this foundation, possibly burning down around the time of the Civil War; and that a larger barn was rebuilt over the original stone foundation, as you see it now.
A spring-fed creek runs year-round behind the barn and winery down towards Catoctin creek, which flows past the Mill in Waterford. There is also a natural spring which runs underneath the barn that has been piped down to feed into the creek.
