Vineyard Tours in Western Maryland near Deep Creek Lake, Pittsburgh, and Washington D.C. and Baltimore

The Vineyards of Deep Creek Cellars

Vineyard tours by the winemaker are available during peak summer months. Visitors are invited to take advantage of our outdoor seating and picnic tables or to throw down a blanket in the vineyard and spend an afternoon in the refreshing mountain air. Day-time highs in July average 82 degrees, with cool cotton-sweater evenings throughout the summer.

Robins find a peaceful sanctuary within
our vineyards.

We are the first to attempt winegrowing in Garrett County. Our vineyards are some of the highest in North America, at 2,100 feet above sea level. The steep hillsides provide plenty of reflected sun and warmth in summer and fall. Cool evenings provide the firm acids typical of cold-climate viniculture. Heavy snow insulates the vines from extreme mountain temperatures in winter.

Our 8-acre estate, planted in 1997, is a mix of classic European grapevines with hybrid varieties. We grow primarily Cabernet Franc for red wines and Vidal for white wines. The winery also helps manage a 3-acre vineyard nearby in Garrett County, producing mainly Cabernet Franc and St. Croix (a red hybrid grape first grown in Minnesota), and Vidal and Chardonnay for white wines.

We also purchase grapes from California, Pennsylvania, and other regions of Maryland, though this need lessens each year as our vines mature.

Although the mountain climate is generally a cool one, Mediterranean plant species such as lavender and rosemary thrive in our vineyard because of its orientation to the sun. As in many famous wine districts, our vineyards are intentionally situated on a steep hillside with a southwestern exposure. This provides excellent air circulation, so that grapes may be grown without the intensive use of chemicals needed to ward off fungal diseases born in still air. The angle of the sun on the hill also intensifies light and warmth during the growing season, which begins 10 days earlier and lasts 10 days longer than at our nearest neighbors in the valley just 150 feet lower.

We use biodynamic, sustainable farming practices -- primarily organic techniques -- to reduce our impact on the Earth and to protect watersheds. Our vineyards are beautiful gardens, offering unique, exciting, and educational experiences at all times of the year.