In Depth

Wine, Maryland Style -- The state has an array of wineries, from Western Maryland to north of Baltimore City to the Eastern Shore. New wineries open every year.

Visit the wineries either in summer, while the grapes are growing, or in September, when winemaking begins. The tours are most interesting when you see those vats brimming with fermenting grape juice. On weekends, several wineries host festivals with live music, food, and their own wines. All are in picturesque country, characterized by rolling hills and fresh air, and all have tastings and can help you choose a bottle or case to take home.

In Western Maryland, Deep Creek Cellars, 177 Frazee Ridge Rd., Friendsville (tel. 301/746-4349; www.deepcreekcellars.com), is a tiny family-run operation near Deep Creek that uses mostly organic techniques. Tours are offered Wednesday through Saturday from 11am to 6pm between April 20 and November 20. Take I-68 west to Exit 6. Go north on Route 42 and turn right on Frazee Ridge Road; the winery is on the left.

In Frederick County, Berrywine Plantations/Linganore Winecellars, 13601 Glissans Mill Rd., Mount Airy (tel. 410/795-6432; www.linganore-wine.com), Elk Run Vineyards, 15113 Liberty Rd., Mount Airy (tel. 410/775-2513; www.elkrun.com), and Loew Vineyards, 14001 Liberty Rd., Mount Airy (tel. 301/831-5464; www.loewvineyards.net), are all close enough to each other to visit in a day. Make a day trip by combining the wineries with a stop in New Market for lunch and antiques shopping. Take I-70 to Route 75 and follow signs to New Market and Berrywine; then continue north to Route 26 East to reach nearby Elk Run and Loew. Berrywine is the largest winery in the state, with a yield of 300,000 bottles yearly. Elk Run and Loew are much smaller, but friendly and fun. On weekends, all three have tours Saturday from 10am to 5pm and Sunday from noon to 5pm. Elk Run also has tours Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 5pm, and Berrywine offers weekday tours from 10am to 5pm. Berrywine hosts festivals with lots of music about twice a month.

In Carroll County, Cygnus Wine Cellars, 3130 Long Lane, Manchester (tel. 410/374-6395; www.cygnuswinecellars.com), has tastings and tours on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5pm. It specializes in late-harvest vidal and sparkling wines. It's located near Westminster.

In northern Baltimore County, Basignani Winery, 15722 Falls Rd., Sparks (tel. 410/472-0703; www.basignani.com), produces varietals such as cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, and Riesling. It's open Wednesday through Saturday from 11:30am to 5:30pm, Sunday from noon to 6pm. Take I-83 north to Exit 24B, Belfast Road. Follow signs to the winery; turn right on Route 25; the winery is on the left.

An easy drive from Basignani Winery is Woodhall Wine Cellars, 17912 York Rd., Parkton (tel. 410/357-8644; www.woodhallwinecellars.com), farther north on I-83 off Exit 27, next to the Gunpowder River. One of the oldest wineries in the state, Woodhall makes a wide variety of wines, including Gunpowder Falls Estate Chardonnay and Parkton Prestige, a red wine. Woodhall has festivals twice a month. Tours are offered Monday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm, Sunday from noon to 6pm.

Also in northern Baltimore County, Boordy Vineyards, 12820 Long Green Pike, Hydes (tel. 410/592-5015; www.boordy.com), is one of Maryland's most highly regarded wineries. It hosts regular festivals and tastings. Tours are offered daily on the hour from 1 to 4pm, though the winery is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm, Sunday from 1 to 5pm. From the Baltimore Beltway (I-695), take Exit 31 North and go 4 miles to Long Green Pike.

About a half-hour drive from Woodhall or Boordy is Fiore Winery, 3026 Whiteford Rd., Pylesville (tel. 410/879-4007; www.fiorewinery.com), run by a winemaker whose family made wine in Italy for 400 years. Wines range from chambourcin to merlot and chardonnay. Get here by driving through the countryside or taking I-95, Exit 74. Turn left on Route 152, then right on Route 1 North to Route 24 North to Route 136 to Whiteford Road.

In Montgomery County, southwest of Baltimore, Catoctin Winery, 805 Greenbridge Rd., Brookeville (tel. 301/744-2310), is known for its cabernet sauvignon, Riesling, and especially Eye of the Oriole. Tastings are Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5pm. Take I-95 south to Exit 38B, Route 32 West. Turn left on Route 108, right on Ten Oaks Road, left on Brighton Dam Road, right on New Hampshire Avenue, and right on Greenbridge Road to the winery.

Also in Montgomery County, Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, 18101 Comus Rd., Dickerson (tel. 301/605-0130; www.smvwinery.com), is one of Maryland's newest, opened in 2006. It produces cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and chardonnay. Call for visiting hours. Take I-270 south to Exit 22, Route 109 to Comus Road.

In Calvert County, Cove Point Winery, 755 Cove Point Rd., Lusby (tel. 410/326-0949; www.covepointwinery.com), specializes in ice-style wines, along with merlot and gewürztraminer. Located on Route 4 toward Solomons, it's open Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5:30pm.

Over on the Eastern Shore, St. Michaels Winery, 605 S. Talbot St., St. Michaels (tel. 410/253-2552), opens for business in mid-2006 in the old Flour Mill Complex, which also houses a bakery, art studios, and shops. Call for visiting hours.

Also on the Eastern Shore, Tilmon's Island Winery, 755 Millington Rd., Sudlersville (tel. 443/480-5021; www.tilmonswine.com), has tastings of its cabernet franc and chambourcin on Saturdays from 11am to 5pm. It uses primarily Eastern Shore-grown grapes. Call for directions.

In addition to the wineries, Maryland has two festivals celebrating the grape. The largest -- drawing more than 20,000 people -- is the Maryland Wine Festival, held on a mid-September weekend, Saturday from 10am to 6pm and Sunday from noon to 6pm, at the Carroll County Farm Museum in Westminster. There's music and food to accompany the 10 tastings of Maryland wines. Wine in the Woods has a lovely setting, under the trees of Symphony Woods in Columbia, about 45 minutes west of Baltimore. The festival is usually held on Preakness Weekend in mid-May, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6pm. Admission includes 10 tastings. For exact dates of both, call tel. 800/313-7275 or visit www.marylandwine.com.