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| Serpent Ridge Vineyard Tasting Room |
We were met as we entered the tasting room by Janell, who exhibited enthusiasm about the wines and also in depth knowledge of the vineyard. She expertly took us through the tasting and answered my myriad of questions. Most of the wines are produced from grapes grown on the estate.
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| Serpent Ridge Vineyards |
The day we visited, six wines were being tasted. They represent a good mix of white and reds. The vineyard uses a unique closing system for the bottles--a zork resealable wine closure. They are the only winery that we have visited using this system and I like this much better than screwtop bottles, although I do remain a cork-o-phile. The zork does have many advantages including potential use on other bottles after the wine bottle is came on is long empty.
The tasting room is nicely situated providing a beautiful setting for sipping good wine, relaxing and enjoying a summer afternoon. As we sat talking over wine, cheese and crackers; Karen Smith, one of the owners, came and spent some time taking about the history of the vineyard and their plans for the future. I was impressed with her realistic vision and approach to winemaking. She recognizes that there are opportunities for winemakers and is definitely looking to fill a niche which will attract others to Maryland wines.
The wines were tasting very well and we were especially impressed with the 2011 Albarino and the 2011 Cab Franc Rose. The dessert wine, appropriately named Slither, was also very nice.
The 2011 Albarino was crisp with some minerality. It had nice fruit on the nose and hints of peaches and pears. The nose was full and enticing. This is a good sipping around the pool wine and was our favorite of the day.
The 2011 Cab Franc Rose was especially interesting because the nose and the taste seemed to be very different from each other. The bouquet was full of jammy fruit, but the tastes were of light strawberry in a very dry interpretation. I enjoyed alternating between enjoying the bouquet and then finding the flavors as I sipped the wine. This wine definitely needs to be served chilled.
Slither, the dessert wine, is one of those wines that needs to be in everybody's cellar. It is a very well done combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Sangiovese. With its 5 percent residual sugar and 19 percent alcohol, this wine is meant to be enjoyed very slowly and we could think of many ways to enjoy it, from over ice cream, to even on its own in a glass as a dessert on its own--chilled, of course.
The vineyard has a solid schedule of events planned throughout the summer--to further attract people. Check out their events calendar. There is ample parking and the tasting room is spacious and pleasant, as is the on lawn seating for the enjoying the summer evenings ahead.
RECOMMENDATION: Check this vineyard out. We found Serpent Ridge to be a very enjoyable foray into Maryland wines and winemaking and the setting provides a great way to spend a summer afternoon. Be sure to check the website for hours of operation.
-- Bob and Christina Doan, Elkridge, MD
The tasting room is nicely situated providing a beautiful setting for sipping good wine, relaxing and enjoying a summer afternoon. As we sat talking over wine, cheese and crackers; Karen Smith, one of the owners, came and spent some time taking about the history of the vineyard and their plans for the future. I was impressed with her realistic vision and approach to winemaking. She recognizes that there are opportunities for winemakers and is definitely looking to fill a niche which will attract others to Maryland wines.
The wines were tasting very well and we were especially impressed with the 2011 Albarino and the 2011 Cab Franc Rose. The dessert wine, appropriately named Slither, was also very nice.
The 2011 Albarino was crisp with some minerality. It had nice fruit on the nose and hints of peaches and pears. The nose was full and enticing. This is a good sipping around the pool wine and was our favorite of the day.
The 2011 Cab Franc Rose was especially interesting because the nose and the taste seemed to be very different from each other. The bouquet was full of jammy fruit, but the tastes were of light strawberry in a very dry interpretation. I enjoyed alternating between enjoying the bouquet and then finding the flavors as I sipped the wine. This wine definitely needs to be served chilled.
Slither, the dessert wine, is one of those wines that needs to be in everybody's cellar. It is a very well done combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Sangiovese. With its 5 percent residual sugar and 19 percent alcohol, this wine is meant to be enjoyed very slowly and we could think of many ways to enjoy it, from over ice cream, to even on its own in a glass as a dessert on its own--chilled, of course.
The vineyard has a solid schedule of events planned throughout the summer--to further attract people. Check out their events calendar. There is ample parking and the tasting room is spacious and pleasant, as is the on lawn seating for the enjoying the summer evenings ahead.
RECOMMENDATION: Check this vineyard out. We found Serpent Ridge to be a very enjoyable foray into Maryland wines and winemaking and the setting provides a great way to spend a summer afternoon. Be sure to check the website for hours of operation.
-- Bob and Christina Doan, Elkridge, MD
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