If you're looking for a winery experience in Maryland that feels a little more elevated, Old…read moreWestminster Winery is definitely worth adding to your list! I especially loved the private cabana experience, which made the visit feel extra special and was perfect for a date day, girls' day, birthday, or simply spending a relaxing afternoon enjoying good food and wine. The food was just as memorable. Some of my favorites were the Summer Caesar with citrus-marinated roasted chicken, Cheese & Prosciutto Board, and their wood-fired pizzas. The Zucchini Ricotta with Chesapeake jumbo lump blue crab was such a standout, and the Pepperoni with Hot Honey was another favorite. Definitely save room for dessert! The Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie and Crème Brûlée are both great choices. For wine, I recommend trying one of their wine flights. My personal favorite was The Fav Wines, featuring the 2025 Brine, Riesling, and Petit Manseng. If cocktails are more your style, the Rosé Sangria Spritz and Gold Rush are worth trying too. I also loved the 2025 Honey, which is sweet, nectary, and vibrant. It's a great bottle to take home and continue the experience. Overall, Old Westminster Winery offers much more than just wine. Between the beautiful setting, private cabanas, food, drinks, and welcoming atmosphere, it's easily one of the Maryland wineries I'd recommend visiting. Tip: Book the private cabana if you want to make the experience feel extra special!

Ventured here this afternoon to celebrate my aunts birthday…read more Was the perfect Sunday funday adventure!! Arrived on time for our 130p reservation. I arrived a little early to set up for our celebratory occasion. Our waitress Michelle was super sweet and attentive. She offered us a welcome pour of their "You are my Sunshine" which was lovely. I honestly could've done without the flight that I ordered and just had this! Our food was delicious! From the appetizers we shared to the selection of pizzas we ordered. For desserts we ordered the Lemon Tart Cheesecake, Pistachios Strawberry Macaroons and I was able to bring in an outside cake for the occasion. Which was absolutely delicious!!!!!! The almond/vanilla cake paired well with the rosè. Our cabana was clean and set up perfectly for our arrival. The grounds and views were absolutely amazing....they offer mini amplifiers to listen to music from your phones... Really was the perfect afternoon for a perfect occasion. Looking forward to my next wine adventure!! Cheers to more life! Happy Yelping!!

Charming country vineyard (with an even cooler name) that has to have some of the best wines in Md!…read moreIt's a little hidden but well worth the journey! Diane, the lovely owner is so gracious and sweet and was able to handle the flow of oenophiles quite effortlessly. They have the main tasting room and also an adjacent room that could accommodate a group tasting. Diane did a great job of giving us a detailed description of each wine and I was actually pleasantly surprised! I'm not a huge fan of Md wine but truly enjoyed the wines here. I purchased a bottle of the Estate Red and they had a wonderful sangria made with their Chambourcin which I also purchased. I love supporting local and especially such a great vineyard such as this one that is also a working farm. I would encourage anyone to venture out to this vineyard--but actually put the address in your gps and not just the name, you will end up at someone's home. I assume this family are use to people ending up at their home-they have a sign that has the address of the vineyard on it--thank you mystery family!

What a awesome winery. It was our last stop on the wine card. I must say we saved the best for…read morelast. My favorite was the Bordeaux and my wife loved the Barbara. What a cute tasting room and attached barn with a burning fireplace. It's a little out of the way but worth the visit. Don't follow Waze unless you type in the address and not the name of the winery. We'll be back.

I've been coming to JeannieBird for a number of years, spanning back to when the dearly departed…read moreJeannie was still running the business. It's not only a joy to see the business still enjoying good success, but to also taste the enhanced skill of the bakers here. Make no doubt about it, the croissant here are authentic and delicious. Just the right amount of butter to bring out their savory character, with just a kiss of natural sweetness. The ham and Gruyère is an absolute pleasure. They have actual content; not just a tease of baked in ingredients. The financier were also perfect! I'm very much looking forward to seeing any additional Parisian pastries added to their counter. The traditional stars of their menu remain outstanding: the iced tea and sweet potato biscuits. While JeannieBird isn't always on my way to my usual destinations, this business is always worth a special trip.

JeannieBird is honestly worth a drive out to Westminster. We've been here a couple times, and it's…read morejust a delight. There's no better word to describe the experience. It's a fairly small cafe with excellent food choices. This isn't a fancy coffee experience, but they do have all you can drink when dining in. JeannieBird is often very busy, but they move through the line quickly. Seating can be challenging, but folks who are leaving aren't dillydallying and will offer you their spots. Husband got a biscuit sandwich and loved it. I got an everything croissant with feta and spinach. And we split a monkeybread. Everything is so, so yummy. Parking is pretty easy, with a small lot beside the building. Free parking Sundays. What sets this place apart, though, is the owner and staff. The owner pops around to each table to chat. Sure, he asks how the food is, but then he stays to connect -- and it feels sincere. This place is a rate gem.

We are long-time members and things have changed consistently at Black Ankle and always for the…read morebetter! The vineyard always will be a beautiful place to enjoy great wine, people watch, enjoy well behaved dogs, and break bread with friends and family. The creation of the patios through and beyond the pandemic was a great move. The vistas never disappoint, the charcuteries boards with fresh baked bread have always complimented the wine well, the food trucks and various vendors have always been fun, but a piece was missing. That piece has been added! We were pleasantly surprised to find The Terrace Kitchen by Chef Tony Castellon delivering an elevated menu with options from homemade chocolate chip cookies to The Amalfi Toast featuring a personal fav boquerones. There are options on that menus that are to die for including veg options as expected. Note: There are chilled vegan options inside ask the desk. We enjoyed the Mediterranean inspired with Japanese twist Char-Siu Skewer with ponzu aioli, and lemon wedge dipped in a (chili, paprika, cumin dust?) was perfect to balance out the skewers. Damn tasty lamb and beef the squeeze of the lemon and spice perfected it. The Crispy Potatoes were a delight, not too heavy or greasy, nice char, and full of flavor delivered by the lardon, green onion, and melted Gruyere . Very satisfying, would order again. The Amalfi Toast is a do not miss IMO. For the uninitiated, boquerones are Spanish white sardine filets cured in acid then packed in olive oil. Unlike the premium salty boney tinned sardines available in the US, the result is a delicate cured white sardine filet over toasted focaccia coated with whipped buffalo milk garlic butter and fresh herbs. Outrageous food my friends, just delicious. Thank you Chef! Your CA roots are showing. The chocolate chip cookies were very good. We missed the duck taco special on the board which I would have tried no matter what. If it was a confit duck taco, well IYKYK. So kudos to Black Ankle Vineyards and Chef Tony Castellon. The future is bright with this new partnership. Looking forward to returning more often to catch live music and enjoy it all. P. S. Heather Aubrey Lloyd performing solo on guitar and playing many 79's and 80's covers was a great addition to our experience. Please tip these performers, you can hit her up on her website if you did not bring cash: https://heatheraubreylloyd.com/tipping

Representing the DMV runner-up to out of town pick for letter B for 2025, B is for Black Ankle…read moreVineyards. My girlfriend & I visited Black Ankle on a Saturday in September 2025. We were out somewhat in this direction, and there was a Meetup group going here, so we thought to check it out as it's rare we ever go to a winery as it's normally out of the way, more likely of an occurrence when on a vacation. We took some crazy back roads from where we were in western Howard County, through Carroll, & into eastern Frederick County, where Black Ankle is. We went to the bar inside to get wines. I got a white wine; I think Chardonnay, and I think my girlfriend got a sweeter Rose or something like that. Both were delicious, but we preferred our own more. We sat outside in a nice patio area. We were in the hot Sun on that sunny day, but that was cool with me. We learned of a tour going on, which we got in on. The tour guide who wore an Italian flag bowtie was entertaining and informative. We walked around the vineyard, going inside the cooled storage areas, centrifuge area where the wine is mixed, etc. We even saw some of the old wines they had made from years earlier. We saw sheep dogs, which protect the vineyard from pests, which were cute. Overall, this is a high quality winery with plenty of nice outside & inside seating.

Let me set the scene: tucked away in what feels like the middle of nowhere is this beautiful winery…read morewith an equally beautiful landscape. The vibes are peaceful, scenic, and honestly the perfect backdrop for a festival day out. They host several festivals throughout the year, and I had the pleasure of attending the Caribbean festival yesterday. Even with the rain and cooler weather, it was STILL a great time. The energy never dropped. Everything was very well organized from parking, to the wine samples, vendors, dance floor, and stage setup. You could tell a lot of planning went into making the experience smooth and enjoyable for guests. The music, food, and overall atmosphere made it easy to forget about the weather completely. This was my second time here, and it definitely will not be my last. I'll 100% be returning.

I've been coming to Linganore Winecellars for reggae festivals so long, a whole row in my kitchen…read morecabinet is filled with the wine glasses that's included in the ticket price. Why haven't I written a review until now is a mystery but, oh well.. Lol This past Weekend, they did something totally different. They had a tribute to 50 years of "go-go" instead of the aforementioned reggae fest. With that said, Rare Essence performed Saturday and the Junk Yard Band did their thing Sunday. Me and my crew grew up on Essence so Saturday we converged. The forecast for severe afternoon t-storms almost made me stay home, but I've been given a lot of flack from my homies for bailing because of weather so I was determined to push through :) I'm glad that I did. It rained STRONG for about an hour in the middle of the festival, but after that, the headliner performed and cranked like it was 1990! Talk about nostalgia.. Omg!! We had a ball! Full disclosure, it was about half the normal size crowd, so I'm not sure Linganore will take that type of money loss in the future, but thanks for the memories.. I definitely needed that!!!

The customer service (LOVE Molly), the live band (Lost and Found), the award-winning wine and even…read morethe Boar's Head charcuterie and crackers were top notch!! This hidden gem is tucked away off liberty road in Frederick County. If you blink, you might miss it. I've passed this winery a few times in route to Linganore festivals, so when my cousin secured a Groupon for wine tasting, I gladly accepted the invite. We spent our Friday evening sipping away and listening to a live band. It's so quaint and pet friendly! They have a few friendly pups just waiting to meet you. Tonight was unseasonably cool for August but after the heat wave we've had it was a welcomed treat. There is plenty of seating, in open areas or under a large tent. Bring your own food! Otherwise they have some small bites (charcuterie, cheese, crackers, pizza) for purchase. The wine we tried was delicious and the sunset over the grape vines was stunning. I'll definitely be returning - and with my goldendoodle this time!

We were greeted my Molly the winery dog at our car, so this winery immediately got a 10/10 from me!…read moreIt somehow only got better from there. My husband and I shared 3 flights to try as many wines as we could. We enjoyed each and every one of them but the syrah was our favorite. The Blanc de noir was also remarkable and I will be back for it!

This unassuming vineyard is worth noting! They have a small tasting room with a few tables, so…read morenothing fancy. However, they have wonderful wines. On top of that, they're about to become the first Maryland winery to have kosher wine! I'm happy to support this vineyard and am excited for what's to come for them.

Visited here for our first time on a Saturday during Memorial Day weekend, spending the day picking…read morestrawberries and then visiting wineries in the Mt. Airy area. Setting is beautiful, shaded tables spread widely on a hillside lawn next to vineyards. We purchased one tasting flight. Servers climbed the hill carrying one bottle at a time to pour each glass! Every wine we tasted was good, and the servers were lovely, friendly and warm.

For a friend's bachelorette event, I booked a wine tour with Vino 301 Wine Concierge, and I'm so…read moreglad I did! What a great company! Booking was super easy and once that was done, I received regular emails from Vino 301 and texts until the day of the tour. We were picked up this past Saturday (4/20) at the appointed location and time. We boarded a very well appointed van with about 4 rows of seats that accommodated us all. I felt very safe on the rides to and from the wineries. Our host and driver were super friendly and treated us like royalty. Prior to arriving at each venue, we were provided some background and things we should know in advance. She more or less herded us from place to place, which was actually quite comforting. I felt very well taken care of AND seen as I was the only one on the tour not drinking, but I was provided water and other beverages over the course of the day. Oh, and the lunch we received was AMAZING. So much food! I had the roast beef BLT, which came with a bag of chips, pasta salad, and a dessert. Definitely recommend!

This tour does not disappoint! My gal pal booked Vino 301 for my bachelorette party for a group of…read moresix ladies. I had by far, the BEST time ever! Pro's -Transportation provided and your choice of music (Bluetooth connection to phone) -The girl's and I felt like royalty! -Carla our tour guide was amazing! She and our driver, Patrick, were on time, and very friendly when I first met them. Carla was very knowledgeable. She knew the history of the wines, taste, pairings, and the owners of each winery. -Carla and Patrick made us all feel like family -Each winery we visited didn't feel rushed and we were allotted plenty of time for tastings, enjoying the ambiance (live music), and purchases. -Each guest was gifted a wine holder bag, bottle of water, wine tumbler, and snacks. All the essentials!! -Got to tour three different wineries in the Chesapeake Beach area (Robin Hill, Romano, JaneMark) -All of us were wiped from the tours, tastings, and fun we had. We would definitely do another tour! Con's -I just didn't want the experience to end!