From left, Southern Maryland Wine Growers Cooperative President and former Winemaker Patrick Isles, Lauren Zimmerman, winemaker, receive Best in Class award in DC from the ASWC President Grant Crandall and Vice President David Barber.
Leonardtown, MD – Port of Leonardtown Winery has a niche not many local wineries have been able to claim: Their wines are made with 100 percent Southern Maryland-grown grapes.
And for those who think that may be no big deal, consider this–Since the Southern Maryland Wine Growers Cooperative formed in 2007 and began serving in 2010, their wines have won hundreds of awards.
At the International East Meets West Wine Competition, hosted in Santa Rosa, CA Feb 7-8, five Port of Leonardtown red wines were honored with medals.
The Port of Leonardtown 2013, a port wine, won gold at the competition, while four other red wines, Vintner Select Red Lot 15; Barbera Reserve 2014; Chambourcin Reserve 2014; and Old Line Red 2014 all won silver medals in the competition.
The International Eastern Wine Competition, launched in 1975, is one of the oldest and longest running wine competitions in the nation. Port of Leonardtown Winery showed well in an event where nearly 1,300 wines were tasted by professional wine judges.
“Maryland is still a young wine industry and it’s cool to see wines made with grapes grown in Maryland soils win top awards,” Lauren Y. Zimmerman, POL winemaker, said. “People are recognizing Maryland as a premium wine region.”
Port of Leonardtown also won a Gold Medal July 23-24, 2016 at the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition Gold in Washington, D.C. for the Best Red Blend, Port of Leonardtown Winery’s 5th Anniversary Red.
The Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition accepted more than 500 wines from 100 wineries in 17 states. Zimmerman said The Best in Category Award that POL’s 5th Anniversary Red wine won, was a significant win for the winery as this wine was a blend of multiple wines from the first five years since the winery first opened its doors in 2010.
“We are excited and proud to have our Black Label wines show so well in International Competitions,” she said
Port of Leonardtown Winery is operated by the Southern Maryland Wine Growers Cooperative and is located in the Port of Leonardtown Park off Route 5 on Newtowne Neck Road in Leonardtown.
The winery features live music every Saturday and First Friday. The tasting room is open Wednesday through Sunday.
Call 301-690-2192 or check the web site for hours and special events.
Contact Joseph Norris at joenorris@thebaynet.com