Brandywine, Maryland
August 2023
My girlfriends (Jessica, Jody, and Tina) and I went to two vineyards while we were visiting Tina in Maryland. The first vineyard we visited was Robin Hill Farm & Vineyards. Robin Hill is family owned and operated since 1955. All of the staff was friendly and knowledgeable. The location was lovely with picturesque views of rolling hills and southern charm. The guests were diverse, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. We saw that many of the guests brought their own picnics but there was also a food truck onsite. I ordered their wine tasting kit which included 12 samples of wine, a souvenir glass, and a small pack of crackers to cleanse the pallet for $18. The wines that I sampled are listed below:
Legacy - A unique dry white wine from their Vidal Blanc. A crisp tropical wine, with notes of honeysuckle, pineapple, and mango.
MD-32 - A sophisticated dry white wine from their estate Chardonel, a merger of Chardonnay and Seyval Blanc. This wine had nuances of citrus, lemon, and pear. *This was one of my favorites*
Vintage Blend - A unique dry white wine blend of Viognier, Chardonel, and Chenin Blanc. This creamy blend had notes of spicy tropical fruit and melon.
Rooted - A smooth off-dry white wine from their estate Chenin Blanc with notes of green apple and nectarine with just a hint of sweetness.
Bliss - A sweet white wine from their Vidal Blanc. A full-bodied wine with hints of apricot, honey, and peach, with a refreshing finish.
Pi 'Goat Blanc - A majestic, sweet rose wine blended from their Chambourcin and Vidal Blanc. A fun fruit forward wine with hints of strawberries and cherries.
Pier Pleasures - A dry red wine blend from their Chambourcin balanced with a dash of Cabernet Franc, with notes of black cherry and earth tones.
October Glory - A delicious dry red wine created from their Merlot, with just a taste of Cabernet Franc and Chambourcin. A dark blended red with hints of raspberries and spicy oak.
Russell's Reserve - Their finest dry red wine blend of estate Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Chambourcin. A bold bouquet of dark berry fruit and smoky oak, with notes of clove and black pepper.
Red Barn - A delicious off dry red wine blend from their Cabernet Franc with a hint of Chambourcin. This wine had a touch of sweetness with notes of jam, plum, and cocoa. *This was one of my favorites*
Home Sweet Home - A sweet red wine from their Chambourcin, combined with the natural flavors of blackberry and chocolate.
Hogshead - A red blend Port-Style wine fortified with grape spirits and flavored with raspberry.
My friends and I had a really fun time with our self-guided tasting! I highly recommend the tasting kit to get an idea of what this vineyard produces. After we finished, I ordered a frozen wine slushy (a frozen wine delight made with their Vidal Blanc) for $9. The slushy was delicious and refreshing! We took our slushies and walked around the grounds. The grounds were beautiful, and they had an area with a few goats which was actually the reason as to why we visited this vineyard in the first place. Overall, we had a very pleasant experience at Robin Hill, and I would gladly visit again in the future.
From Robin Hill, we drove a short distance to Gemeny Winery and Vineyards. This winery and vineyards are located on Gemeny Farms, a 200-acre working family farm. Gemeny Winery is the 2nd farm winery to open in the Southern Prince George's County. There are two acres of vineyards that are surrounded by fields of grain and woods. During our visit, I ordered the full tasting menu which was priced at $10 but they had it discounted at half off for a live music event. This was the best wine tasting deal that I have ever seen! The tasting included one ounce pours from white wine (Vidal Blanc 2018, Pinot Gris 2018, Chardonnay 2017, Jousters Jubilee 2019, and Traminette 2017), red wine (Merlot 2016, Pinot Noir 2017, and Zinfandel 2017), sangria (Blueberry Basil, Red, and Strawberry Lemonade), and slushees (Tropical Thyme and Watermelon Mojito). Overall, these were not my favorite wines, but I did like the sangria. I enjoyed the experience, and the price was incredible. The staff was friendly, and the atmosphere was inviting with live music and lawn games. We noticed that picnics were popular at this vineyard as well, but the location also offered an assortment of small plates. I am glad that we were able to check out this location in addition to Robin Hill.
There are lots of wineries and vineyards in this area! I think that it would be worthwhile to make a day or even a weekend of it to visit each unique location. I am so grateful that I was able to visit these two locations with my friends and expand my knowledge about local wines.
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