FALL HOURS: By Reservation, please. 301-746-4349
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 11am – 6pm
If you arrive without a reservation, please just call us. We're usually able to accommodate parties of 2-3 people, unless we are awaiting guests who have reserved or our parking lot is full.
• SAMPLING IN OUR TASTING ROOM: Due to the small size of our facility, we prefer to welcome parties of no more than 6 in our tasting room. Come on in to sample at the bar, or to shop! We are not offering seated sampling in our Tasting Room at this time. For everyone's safety, we prefer not to combine groups for extended times in our small indoor space.
• OUTDOOR SEATED TASTINGS for groups up to 6, or for guests who prefer to be outdoors. This is the best way to enjoy our beautiful, 3-state view.
Drive-up tastings also available, carhop-style, by reservation. This can be a good alternative in the event of bad weather.
Drive up sales are welcome — without reservations, but given our rural location, it's wise to confirm time and availability, especially during hours outside our normal service hours.
Masks are always welcome in our Tasting Room and on our premises. We value keeping our guests safe.
To learn about rates and to schedule a tasting, please call 301.746.4349 during regular business hours.
Outdoor tables for extended visits are also available; charges apply. We cannot guarantee service to groups who do not call ahead.
You can learn more about our artisanal wines by visiting the Our Wines page. And don't forget our wines may be purchased from select wine retailers across Maryland, DC, and Virginia, including shops near Deep Creek Lake. Or talk to us about delivery options.
Cheers, everybody!
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 11am – 6pm
If you arrive without a reservation, please just call us. We're usually able to accommodate parties of 2-3 people, unless we are awaiting guests who have reserved or our parking lot is full.
• SAMPLING IN OUR TASTING ROOM: Due to the small size of our facility, we prefer to welcome parties of no more than 6 in our tasting room. Come on in to sample at the bar, or to shop! We are not offering seated sampling in our Tasting Room at this time. For everyone's safety, we prefer not to combine groups for extended times in our small indoor space.
• OUTDOOR SEATED TASTINGS for groups up to 6, or for guests who prefer to be outdoors. This is the best way to enjoy our beautiful, 3-state view.
Drive-up tastings also available, carhop-style, by reservation. This can be a good alternative in the event of bad weather.
Drive up sales are welcome — without reservations, but given our rural location, it's wise to confirm time and availability, especially during hours outside our normal service hours.
Masks are always welcome in our Tasting Room and on our premises. We value keeping our guests safe.
To learn about rates and to schedule a tasting, please call 301.746.4349 during regular business hours.
Outdoor tables for extended visits are also available; charges apply. We cannot guarantee service to groups who do not call ahead.
You can learn more about our artisanal wines by visiting the Our Wines page. And don't forget our wines may be purchased from select wine retailers across Maryland, DC, and Virginia, including shops near Deep Creek Lake. Or talk to us about delivery options.
Cheers, everybody!
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Sunset tasting, lit by the "fireplace" on screen in a Tesla. Many thanks to Jocelyn from Annapolis for sharing your excellent photo! Thanks for visiting!
No matter what the weather, we're happy to do a drive-up tasting if you prefer to be served in your car. By reservation, of course!
If you have photos of your Deep Creek visit that you'd like to see featured here, please share by email: deepwine@deepcreekcellars.com.
"NATURAL WINE IS ANCIENT, AND THE LATEST TREND."
We're excited to share yet another major media story—this time from Vox.com's Marian Bull—about something we've been doing at Deep Creek Cellars for 20 years. Come visit us to learn why natural wines are so good, and why they're also good for you.
A master sommelier is quoted (in the third link) as remarking about natural wine's “fizziness” and “weird smells.” It sounds like she got some bad wine! Wine flawed due to technical problems is — natural or not — a bad wine. Such wines should not end up in the bottle at any winery.
However… in the same way that consumers in the last decade have come to appreciate the incredible diversity of flavor and style in American craft beer — it’s starting to happen with wine, too. The key is to have an open mind. As we like to say, at Deep Creek Cellars “we make wine for the worldly and adventurous palate."
We use as few interventions and agricultural inputs as possible in the vineyard — “great wine starts in the vineyard” holds true most of all for natural wine — and we follow through in our cellar.
We want our wines to express the age-old, mysterious bond between the winemaker, his crop, and his site — as affected each vintage by the season’s weather.
Fundamentally this requires avoiding excessive oak aging, which can easily mask the genuine fruit flavors of the grape and the year’s unique conditions. We also use native yeasts during fermentation, then allow our wines to age in our cellar according to nature’s meandering processes. Even our secondary fermentation during aging — in which harsh acidity is softened through metabolic action — occurs only on nature’s schedule. Finally, we never, ever filter; such high-tech maneuvers may make the wine perfectly clear in appearance, but doesn’t it only stand to reason that subtlety of flavor will be lost?
In general, the flavors of natural wine are more “complete.” Other descriptors that we hear most often in our tasting room include “pure,” “deceptively complex,” “I wasn’t expecting that!” and “wow! — how yummy.”
So, despite certain misconceptions about some aspects of the wines featured in the first story— it is still very gratifying to see more wine lovers who now understand that there is a reason natural wines (like ours) DO NOT taste like a Cab grown in Napa Valley, and it's actually intentional. Cheers!
•Natural Wine, Explained What makes a wine natural? In this comprehensive feature, Marian Bull of Vox.com tells us what natural wine is, and also, what it is not. To understand natural wine requires a basic understanding of the wine-making process, which is thoroughly covered, as well as history of wine marketing, how scoring systems affect wine sales, the perceived need for consistency in mass produced wines, and ultimately the "Parkerization" of wine, leading to "a homogenization of what people thought good wine was.” Ball interviews Jenny Lefcourt, a leading proponent of natural wines who spirited a few spray-free estate vintages from Deep Creek Cellars' hillside estate production to wine markets in NYC in the early 20-teens.
•Has Wine Gone Bad? The Guardian's Stephen Buranyi reports that 'Natural wine' advocates say everything about the modern industry is ethically, ecologically and aesthetically wrong - and have triggered the biggest split in the wine world for a generation.
From the story: The rise of natural wine has seen these unusual bottles become a staple at many of the world’s most acclaimed restaurants – Noma, Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Hibiscus in London – championed by sommeliers who believe that traditional wines have become too processed, and out of step with a food culture that prizes all things local. A recent study showed that 38% of wine lists in London now feature at least one organic, biodynamic or natural wine … – more than three times as many as in 2016. “Natural wines are in vogue,” reported the Times last year. “The weird and wonderful flavours will assault your senses with all sorts of wacky scents and quirky flavours.”
•The Taste Trends Powering Natural Wine's Perfect Storm
Check out this informative account, by VinePair's Betsy Andrews, on the rising appreciation for natural wine, especially among those who seek out craft-made beers and spirits, or healthy, whole, minimally processed food. 65 percent of wine drinkers ages 21 to 35 are interested in natural wines, according to a 2015 Nielsen survey. Whereas their parents might have gone for jammy Cabs and Zins, younger drinkers are embracing the bitterness that balances out the fruit in natural wines.
“That savory aspect is delicious and makes it far more food-friendly,” says Alice Feiring (author of “The Dirty Guide to Wine”). “Millennials into food maybe also view wine as food and not as soda.” (emphasis ours!)
•The Next Big Trend in Wine…
And finally, Business Insider speaks with Master Sommelier Alpana Singh, a multi-restaurant owner and past TV personality and food critic, at the James Beard Leadership Awards in Chicago this month about wine trends within the industry. Aside from rosé, Singh noted the growing popularity and controversial nature of natural wine. "Natural wine is very controversial, if wine can be controversial," she said. Though many of her clients still seek precise, traditional taste in wines, there are those who say wine is supposed to be "…made without intervention and being true to the earth and soil."
We're excited to share yet another major media story—this time from Vox.com's Marian Bull—about something we've been doing at Deep Creek Cellars for 20 years. Come visit us to learn why natural wines are so good, and why they're also good for you.
A master sommelier is quoted (in the third link) as remarking about natural wine's “fizziness” and “weird smells.” It sounds like she got some bad wine! Wine flawed due to technical problems is — natural or not — a bad wine. Such wines should not end up in the bottle at any winery.
However… in the same way that consumers in the last decade have come to appreciate the incredible diversity of flavor and style in American craft beer — it’s starting to happen with wine, too. The key is to have an open mind. As we like to say, at Deep Creek Cellars “we make wine for the worldly and adventurous palate."
We use as few interventions and agricultural inputs as possible in the vineyard — “great wine starts in the vineyard” holds true most of all for natural wine — and we follow through in our cellar.
We want our wines to express the age-old, mysterious bond between the winemaker, his crop, and his site — as affected each vintage by the season’s weather.
Fundamentally this requires avoiding excessive oak aging, which can easily mask the genuine fruit flavors of the grape and the year’s unique conditions. We also use native yeasts during fermentation, then allow our wines to age in our cellar according to nature’s meandering processes. Even our secondary fermentation during aging — in which harsh acidity is softened through metabolic action — occurs only on nature’s schedule. Finally, we never, ever filter; such high-tech maneuvers may make the wine perfectly clear in appearance, but doesn’t it only stand to reason that subtlety of flavor will be lost?
In general, the flavors of natural wine are more “complete.” Other descriptors that we hear most often in our tasting room include “pure,” “deceptively complex,” “I wasn’t expecting that!” and “wow! — how yummy.”
So, despite certain misconceptions about some aspects of the wines featured in the first story— it is still very gratifying to see more wine lovers who now understand that there is a reason natural wines (like ours) DO NOT taste like a Cab grown in Napa Valley, and it's actually intentional. Cheers!
•Natural Wine, Explained What makes a wine natural? In this comprehensive feature, Marian Bull of Vox.com tells us what natural wine is, and also, what it is not. To understand natural wine requires a basic understanding of the wine-making process, which is thoroughly covered, as well as history of wine marketing, how scoring systems affect wine sales, the perceived need for consistency in mass produced wines, and ultimately the "Parkerization" of wine, leading to "a homogenization of what people thought good wine was.” Ball interviews Jenny Lefcourt, a leading proponent of natural wines who spirited a few spray-free estate vintages from Deep Creek Cellars' hillside estate production to wine markets in NYC in the early 20-teens.
•Has Wine Gone Bad? The Guardian's Stephen Buranyi reports that 'Natural wine' advocates say everything about the modern industry is ethically, ecologically and aesthetically wrong - and have triggered the biggest split in the wine world for a generation.
From the story: The rise of natural wine has seen these unusual bottles become a staple at many of the world’s most acclaimed restaurants – Noma, Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Hibiscus in London – championed by sommeliers who believe that traditional wines have become too processed, and out of step with a food culture that prizes all things local. A recent study showed that 38% of wine lists in London now feature at least one organic, biodynamic or natural wine … – more than three times as many as in 2016. “Natural wines are in vogue,” reported the Times last year. “The weird and wonderful flavours will assault your senses with all sorts of wacky scents and quirky flavours.”
•The Taste Trends Powering Natural Wine's Perfect Storm
Check out this informative account, by VinePair's Betsy Andrews, on the rising appreciation for natural wine, especially among those who seek out craft-made beers and spirits, or healthy, whole, minimally processed food. 65 percent of wine drinkers ages 21 to 35 are interested in natural wines, according to a 2015 Nielsen survey. Whereas their parents might have gone for jammy Cabs and Zins, younger drinkers are embracing the bitterness that balances out the fruit in natural wines.
“That savory aspect is delicious and makes it far more food-friendly,” says Alice Feiring (author of “The Dirty Guide to Wine”). “Millennials into food maybe also view wine as food and not as soda.” (emphasis ours!)
•The Next Big Trend in Wine…
And finally, Business Insider speaks with Master Sommelier Alpana Singh, a multi-restaurant owner and past TV personality and food critic, at the James Beard Leadership Awards in Chicago this month about wine trends within the industry. Aside from rosé, Singh noted the growing popularity and controversial nature of natural wine. "Natural wine is very controversial, if wine can be controversial," she said. Though many of her clients still seek precise, traditional taste in wines, there are those who say wine is supposed to be "…made without intervention and being true to the earth and soil."
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Wine and good food, cooked in cast iron...
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Wait! Stay Right There!
If it's local wine-sampling and wine appreciation you want, but visiting the winery doesn't fit into your group's tight schedule while at Deep Creek Lake, then let winemaker Paul Roberts come to you for a special "custom tasting." With over 30 years of experience, Paul creates fun and rewarding wine-education experiences for groups — corporate retreats, family reunions, or friends just sharing a few days away from work — at your party's DCL home or cottage. Contact us to discuss the options! |
Wines made by hand that speak to the heart and mind…
We are a small winery in the mountains of western Maryland emphasizing wines made from grapes that reflect their soil and site, mostly dry in style and meant to pair with good food. The winery is located near major mid-Atlantic tourism destinations: Maryland's Deep Creek Lake and the scenic Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania. We practice "natural wine-making" — relying on wild yeast fermentation, and no filtering. Many of our bottlings contain no sulfites. We make low-tech wines from grapes grown in several Maryland climate zones: classic Pinot Grigio and Cabernet Franc from a limestone ridge-top near Cumberland, unique native American Norton from quartz-rich soils in Carroll County, and versatile Chambourcin from clay-over-limestone in Howard County.
Our wines are sold in the best shops (and in a few fine restaurants) in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and in past vintages, in New York City and Chicago.
When visiting Maryland’s popular mountain vacation region, husband and wife team Paul Roberts and Nadine Grabania invite you to plan a stop at their boutique winery. Deep Creek Cellars is unusual among Eastern U.S. wineries in that it is not primarily an entertainment venue. Built long before wineries became known for chilly cook-offs, live music, and live-streamed bachelorette parties, our focus is on crafting fine wines for adventurous and worldly palates. We like to say: we make wine like most of the world drinks.
Our wines are sold in the best shops (and in a few fine restaurants) in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and in past vintages, in New York City and Chicago.
When visiting Maryland’s popular mountain vacation region, husband and wife team Paul Roberts and Nadine Grabania invite you to plan a stop at their boutique winery. Deep Creek Cellars is unusual among Eastern U.S. wineries in that it is not primarily an entertainment venue. Built long before wineries became known for chilly cook-offs, live music, and live-streamed bachelorette parties, our focus is on crafting fine wines for adventurous and worldly palates. We like to say: we make wine like most of the world drinks.
