What a beautiful day trip to Big Cork Vineyards, MD! It’s such a gorgeous drive— only about an hour from D.C. (near Harper’s Ferry! 😍), so we made a day of it and sipped delicious rosé at Big Cork Vineyards, after an informative wine tasting (thanks, Janice!), taking in the lush, Maryland countryside. It’s a whole (beautiful) vibe at Big Cork, where everyone is welcome, from the dolled up crew to the hikers coming off of the Appalachian trail.
It’s the perfect place to relax after hiking the Appalachian trail, touring Harper’s Ferry, or simply shopping at cute antique stores along the scenic drive.
But let’s get to the wine..
It is absolutely delicious!! That can’t be said for a lot of local wines around the D.C.area haha, but these are truly tasty. Big Cork started planting the grapes vines in 2011, opening their doors in 2015, and they have a GREAT thing going.
All of the red wines are dry, aged French and American oak barrels, which they only use for 2-5 seasons, because it stops making the flavor pop if used for too long. The white wines are aged in stainless steel to bring out the true jammy, fruit flavors of the grapes. They decide how long to keep the wine in the barrels to create a unique concoction that is all their own.
My favorite wine from the tasting was probably the 2019 Cab Franc (they win most of their awards from this one), with its peppery spice and rich, earthy notes, followed by the 2019 Meritage, which is a blend of four delicious wines. I also really enjoyed their dry 2020 Rosé (and the 2021 Syrah Rosé), the Blanc De Blanc/Brut sparkling wine (I live for the bubbly!), the Black Cap Port (from their Heritage Series), and the 2019 Petit Verdot, which is smooth and mellow, with blueberry notes that pop because it takes much longer to ripen, making it more concentrated and flavorful. And, don’t leave without trying the Ice Wine (the 2019 Bank Road Vidal Blanc Ice)! They actually freeze the grapes in a truck to create this sweet dessert wine, and it is delightful.
Big Cork have plenty of upcoming events! We can’t wait to get back here, via a coffee run at my absolute favorite coffee shop (Beans in the Belfry), and also enjoy the nearby Harper’s Ferry (it’s SO cute). I think we may need to join their Wine Club and become a Big Corker! Check out their 3-tier membership options here.
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