Annapolis Area Wineries – A Saturday Well Spent

One of the best things about living in Maryland is that you can find a little bit of features from different climates throughout the state – there’s mountains and valleys that provide a breezy climate for some wineries, coastal climates, acres of farming, and more that different wineries can take advantage of to grow different grape varietals and experiment with new tastes. Often, visiting a winery in Maryland will give you a new story about how the winemakers had to overcome a specific challenge or found a unique use for a feature of their land. We are definitely fortunate that Maryland has a ton of wineries to visit, with each providing their own spin on Maryland wines – and we intend to visit all of them!

We decided to start out one Saturday at Great Frogs Winery in Annapolis, as neither of us had visited the winery before and hadn’t sampled their wine in a few years. Shannon’s husband Andrew was the designated winery chauffeur for the day (an important and respected position) and we set off towards Annapolis. Great Frogs is outside of the city of Annapolis, but not too far away, so to spend a day in the harbor town and then end your afternoon at the winery would be a great day trip! The winery itself is nestled into a spacious and quiet community that’s away from the hustle of the city.

The winery has a rustic, farm feel with barns, patio seating, and farm décor (think barrels, milk cans, and an old truck as a focal point). The vineyard surrounds the winery and lends to the laid back yet modern vibe of the experience. It’s very picturesque and trendy. The patio seating is all over the winery, and there’s both a barn for indoor seating and a barn for tasting and wine sales. The indoor seating and some of the patio seating is currently reservations only, so be sure to call ahead. There’s also bar tables in the actual vineyard if you are okay with standing and want some one-on-one time with the vines! We did not get a reservation, so we had to search a little for a table, as the winery was packed that day! Due to COVID, and like many wineries, Great Frogs doesn’t offer tastings right now, so you purchase a flight of wine instead in a cute to-go box with 8 2 ounce pours that you can take to your table. 

The one thing about Great Frogs that really stood out to us is that they are a little on the higher price point end than most wineries we’ve been to – a tasting for 2 cost $60, and although 8 wines is a lot of wine for a tasting, at $30 each we thought it was a little high. We shared a tasting and dove right in!

We sampled 3 white wines, 1 rose’, and 4 red wines in the flight. You can see a few of our notes in the picture above, but our favorite of the 8 was probably their Rose’ – it was very fruit forward, light, and tasty, and would probably be great as a sangria. The white wines were OK, but for us lacked a little flavor and didn’t stand out to us amongst other wines we have had. The red wines were more of a win, with Field Red Blend and Powatinika as the favorite amongst the group. However, for us, the value didn’t match the price points of the wine, as they varied in price from $25 to $55. However, if you’re a fan, there’s no price that’s too high for what you like!

The next winery we visited was The Vineyards at Dodon – a winery not often listed on the winery maps of Maryland! Dodon is in Davidsonville, MD, about 17 minutes away from Great Frogs. Dodon was very spacious, settled into a countryside community with plenty of trees, fields, and acres separating them from the community. We drove up a long, beautiful driveway that passed their acres of vineyards to their tasting room. Dodon has a completely different vibe than Great Frogs – it’s quieter, more stately and elegant yet very relaxed. They did require a reservation to visit the vineyard, but we were able to snag a last-minute reservation before the happy hour crowds started to roll in. Dodon is gorgeous, with tables for seating overlooking the vineyards on all sides of the tasting room. You can choose to sit under the large covered awning that looks towards the front of the vineyards, or you can sit at one of the tables under the trees to the right, or (the one we chose) on the patio that is surrounded by local flowers and looks towards the vineyard’s left-side and forest. There is a table reservation fee of $25, which was unexpected and also a little high, but the relaxed and lovely setting made the fee easier to pay. 

Dodon’s staff was nothing short of amazing – they were dedicated and knowledgeable in both the wines and the winemaking process. It felt like talking to a friend over a glass of wine, which is exactly what we love to do! Dodon normally does tastings, however, with COVID throwing a wrench into everyone’s plans, they only allow bottle sales at the time being. We bought a bottle of the 2017 Sauvignon Blanc for the table to share, and it was delightful – crisp, refreshing, and easy to drink. It was slightly fruity but had an acidic balance that was quite pleasant. Tara also bought a bottle of the 2019 Rose’ to take home, as the description intrigued her enough to try it. The bottle prices were middle range for whites, and higher for reds – but their reds seemed extremely complex, and we would definitely return to try some of those again!

The last stop for the day was Thanksgiving Farm Winery, about 15 minutes away in Harwood. A charming smaller winery, it has a very country and quaint feel. There’s plenty of seating, and they do require a reservation as well. Since this was towards the end of the day and they close at 5 p.m., we didn’t have much time to sit, so we decided to get a to-go tasting! To-go tastings are the best idea for 2020 – you can enjoy the wine tasting experience in the comfort of your own home, and pair the wines with food! The staff at Thanksgiving Farm is friendly and sweet, and they really go the extra mile to make you feel welcome and at home. The winery also is a very romantic setting – perfect for a date in the afternoon. We purchased our to-go kit and went back home to try the 6 wines out! We were happy to take home the wine, as now Tara’s husband Paul could join in on the wine tastings for the day.  

Thanksgiving Farm’s wines favor the red wines more, so we tried two whites and four reds. The red wines are differentiated by how long the wine aged in barrels, and the kind of barrels used for aging. Although the white wines weren’t a huge hit with our group, the reds were very complex and went PERFECT with chocolate – the pairing of the chocolate and the red wine was stellar! Our group liked the 2014 Meritage blend aged in new French Oak barrels best, as it was so smooth with the chocolate that we just had to write WOW! 

All in all, it was a successful and wonderful day sipping wine and trying out the Annapolis area wineries. We could definitely see ourselves returning to Dodon for the day, as we spent the most time there enjoying the sights and the wine, and chatting with their staff, and they really hit it out of the park with their Sauvignon Blanc. 

Have you been to any of the wineries we’ve visited? Let us know if you enjoyed them and what your favorite wines from the wineries are. We’ll also take suggestions on where to visit next! 

Cheers,

Shannon and Tara