September/October 2002
MARYLAND FARM BUREAU SPOTLIGHT
PAGE 21
Maryland Grape and Wine Industry
Growing on the Vine
By Joseph A. Fiola, Ph.D.; Specialist in Viticulture and Small Fruit
University of Maryland Western MD Research & Education Center
Maryland may not be the first
place that comes to mind when
people think of fine wines, but that
could be changing in the not too
distant future. The tremendous
local markets in the metro areas
have created a climate where the
current demand for winegrapes by
the wineries exceeds the quantity
of grapes produced in the state.
This high demand, coupled with
the local demographics, is leading
to a significant boon in the
planting of winegrape vineyards.
Significant Wine History.
Maryland’s wine history is rich
and diverse, dating back to the
1600s. Many types of grapes and
locations have been tried with a
range of success and failure. There
has been continued progress
thanks to the tireless effort of
many “pioneers” who have blazed
the trail. Governor Charles Calvert
planted 200 acres of European
grapes and John Adler of Havre de
Grace wrote the first book in
America on viticulture and
winemaking. However, it was
Philip Wagner who put Maryland
viticulture on the map, planting
hybrid varieties and opening
Maryland’s first bonded winery
(Boordy Vineyards). He also
wrote America’s first book on
modern wine making, Grapes Into
Wine, that even today, is
considered the definitive book on
winemaking in the East. Dr. G.
“Ham”
Mowbray
produced
internationally acclaimed wines,
and he and Wagner received the
Merite Agricole award from the
French Embassy, one of France’s
highest honors for agricultural
endeavors. Maryland wines have
continuously fared well in
regional, national and international
wine competitions.
Site Opportunities. Maryland
has many geographic and climatic
attributes that favorably compare
to many of the great grape
growing areas of the world. Most
of
Maryland’s
macroclimate
classification
is
“humidcontinental,” corresponding to
significant grape growing areas of
France, Northern Italy and Eastern
Europe, where the mesoclimate
temperature
averages
and
extremes are very similar.
The west mountain sites of the
Maryland Piedmont promote cool
night temperatures, beneficial for
ripening and developing desirable
varietal flavors and aromas. The
elevation, slope, and aspect are
also important for overcoming
early fall and late spring frosts that
can limit the growing season.
Another significant plus for
vineyard
site
selection
is
proximity to large bodies of water.
This can be critical to moderate
extreme winter cold and hot
summer temperatures, as well as
to
reduce
the
temperature
fluctuations that can cause winter
damage to vines. The Potomac
River (and its tributaries), the
Chesapeake Bay, and the Atlantic
Ocean have significant capacity to
reduce the risk of minimum cold
winter temperatures and extending
the ripening season of vineyard
sites on the Eastern Shore and
Southern Maryland.
Soil types interact with slope
and climate to create the “terroir”
(highly touted in France) that
gives wine regions their distinctive
character. Maryland’s geology has
created a diversity of soil types,
including gravel, shale and
limestone soils, similar to the
prized vineyards of Bordeaux and
Burgandy in France.
The diversity and contrasts of
potential sites in Maryland allow
for considerable opportunities but,
as with any agricultural venture,
also come with limitations. The
challenge is to find sites that
combine the maximum number of
desirable characteristics, and then
plant specific adapted varieties
and utilize progressive cultural
practices that minimize site
limitations.
Value-Added
Marketing
Opportunities. High quality
grapes can definitely be grown din
the state, and with current
demand, vineyards can be very
profitable. However, the real
economic potential lies in the
opportunity for the grapes to be
processed into “locally produced
value added products.” The
proximity to large population
centers of savvy consumers
provides significant marketing
opportunities to sell direct retail to
a high-end market. This takes
advantage of the significant and
rapidly expanding agritourism
trade. For example, Virginia wines
control about 4 percent of total
state wine sales – Maryland wines
are currently only 0.5 percent of
the total, with room to expand.
New Marketing Programs.
The Association of Maryland
Wineries has just launched a new
marketing program, “Ask for
Maryland Wines,” aimed at
increasing the exposure of the
high quality Maryland wines
currently being produced. A new
“Maryland
Quality
Wine
Alliance” program has also been
instituted to evaluate and set
standards for commercial wine
quality and increase consumer
confidence.
A combination of “family
farms” looking to diversify and a
significant
group
of
new
“entrepreneur” growers has fueled
a significant rush in the planting of
new vineyards in the state. With
the current demand for grapes,
good potential profitability per
acre, and the “romanticized aura”
of winegrowing, this trend is
expected to continue as has been
noted throughout the region. The
one missing link to significant
expansion is economic support the
state for promotion and research
that has allowed the other states in
the East to significantly increase
their percentage of the market
share.
If you are interested in growing
grapes locally, there is a
significant boy of information.
Maryland Cooperative Extension
offers Extension Bulletin 242, The
Maryland Small Fruit Production
Guide, and a vineyard start-up
packet is available from the
author. The Internet is also a great
source of information. The
Maryland
Grape
Growers
Association (MGGA) web site,
www.marylandgrapegrowers.com
contains basic information on
economics,
planting
and
marketing. The Association of
Maryland Wineries just revamped
their
site,
that
www.marylandwine.com
represents the 12 wineries in the
state. If you are interested in
considering planting a vineyard in
the state, as always you can
contact your local County
Extension Educator or the author
to discuss your options and plan
your venture.
And always remember to “Ask
for Maryland Wines.”
(Dr. Joseph A. Fiola can be
reached for more information at
the Research and Education
Center
located
at
18330
Keedysville Road, Keedysville,
MD 21756-1104; (301) 432-2767
ext. 344 or by emailing
jf204@umail.umd.edu.