When Rebecca Gushen started planning the Maryland Wineries Association’s annual Winter Wine Showcase—a gathering meant to be more intimate than most large-scale wine festivals—three years ago, she admits it took some effort to get participants on board.
“It was something that was so different for the industry at the time,” says Gushen, event manager for Grow & Fortify, a consulting firm for various local craft beverage organizations. “A lot of people didn’t know what to make of it.”
But now, as the association gears up for its fifth annual celebration of Maryland wine, Gushen says that organizers are forced to be more selective: “The local scene has taken a huge turn in the right direction,” she says. “And now with new wineries popping up every year, they’re setting the bar even higher.”
On Thursday, January 26, more than 200 enthusiasts will pack the roundhouse at the B&O Railroad Museum to experience the return of the yearly showcase, which will feature varietals from more than 50 local vintners, stationed light food pairings by Zeffert and Gold Catering, and live tunes by jazz musician David Bach.
The gathering was initially conceived as a tool to spread to the word about the vast array of local producers, but now Gushen says it’s also an ideal way to dispel the common misconceptions people have about the state’s selection.
“Sometimes Maryland wine gets a bad rap,” she says. “So this event is all about changing those preconceived notions that grapes can’t grow in Maryland.”
Adds Grow & Fortify’s marketing coordinator Callie Pfeiffer: “Before the industry started to grow, people would say that Maryland wine is either too sweet, or if it’s not sweet then it’s bad.”
The event aims to further discredit that sentiment with its wide range of local varieties on display from old standbys like Boordy Vineyards and Linganore Winecellars, as well as newbies like Old Westminster Winery (which recently topped The Daily Meal’s list of Best Wineries in America) and Big Cork Vineyards in Western Maryland. A VIP pre-reception will emphasize sparkling wines (think rosé and Vidal Blanc), and the actual tasting will highlight a number of sauvignon blanc, cabernet, chardonnay, syrah (dark-skinned grape varietals) and merlot options, as well as a collection of dessert wines.
It’s no secret that wine can be intimidating, and Gushen says that the event’s interactive atmosphere is a plus for beginners and experienced oenophiles alike.
“I’m a wine nerd,” she says. “I love asking all of the crazy-specific questions, and what’s really cool about this event is that you get all of the answers from the makers themselves.”