Soil on the Eastern Shore of Maryland is sandy and well drained. The climate is temperamental and moderated by the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. The warm days and cool nights are memorable, enjoyable, and perfect for growing grapes.

The Chesapeake Wine Trail weaves its way around the Eastern Shore and offers visitors a chance to experience wines grown on the coast of Maryland. One little bar in Berlin, MD serves up local wines on the regular and features wines from all local vineyards represented. The Maryland Wine Bar on Main Street in historic Berlin represents and serves wines from 40 of the 55 wineries in the state of MD.
 
“It’s like having all of the Maryland Wine Tour and Chesapeake Wine Trail wineries in one spot,” said Maryland Wine Bar owner, Deborah Dashiell Everett.
 
Wineries and representatives from across the state visit the Maryland Wine Bar to hold tastings. The Wine Bar features a room dedicated to tasting new wines. A wine class, known as Wine 101, is also taught in the tasting room.
 
On February 27th, Black Ankle Vineyards will be visiting the Maryland Wine Bar. At 7 pm, Black Ankle will serve eight different wines as Dashiell Everett pairs them with delicious cheeses, appetizers and desserts. Hailing from Mount Airy, MD, Black Ankle Vineyards is known for their complex wines that compare to those from Europe. Guests at the pairing event will enjoy samples of the following Black Ankle wines: Rolling Hills (a Cabernet blend), Passegiata (a light bodied red), Vioginier and a VDV (a Vioginier-Gruner-Veldliner blend), and a port style wine. Each wine will be paired with food that balances and enhances the natural flavor of the wine. The cost to attend the tasting and pairing is $50 per person. Tickets must be purchased at the Maryland Mine Bar in advance.
 
 Black Ankle Vineyards MD Wine Bar Berlin MD
Dashiell Everett is excited to have many of Maryland’s premier wineries visit the bar and take advantage of the intimate setting. Initially, the Wine Bar occupied only one small room. It was filled with 90 varieties of wines and perfect for small gatherings and tastings. Just a few months ago, the Wine Bar expanded; the tasting room and club room were added. The lounge is often occupied by local musicians, acoustic bands, bachelorette parties, those celebrating birthdays, and locals looking for a place to relax.
 
“People can come in and taste any open bottle of wine for just $1,” said Dashiell Everett as she sat perched next to the fireplace in the club room last Friday.
 
“Before someone buys an entire bottle of wine, I want them to make sure they really like it first. The $1 samples are perfect.”
 Maryland Wine Bar Main Street Berlin MD Wine Tasting

A small food menu is available and selected specifically to match well with particular wines. Like all of their wines, the Maryland Wine Bar serves mostly Maryland delicacies.

“All of our cheeses are from Alleghany County’s Firefly Farms. The crab dips we serve are from Cambridge. The candy we have was made locally by my friend, Denise, in Berlin.”
 
Keeping with the Maryland theme, the artwork covering the walls of the Wine Bar was created by local artists, Jim Adcock. Adcock created a series of pin-up style women draped in Maryland flags holding glasses of wine. All of Adcock’s paintings and prints hanging in the tasting room are available for purchase. Soon, the Maryland Wine Bar hopes to feature one of the pin-ups on a T shirt.
 
“Only 3 out of ever hundred bottles of wine sold in the state are bottles of Maryland wine,” said Kevin Atticks, the Executive Director of the Maryland Wineries Association in a recent press release.
 
“It’s not a lot, but its growing, and if you buy more local wine, you create more local jobs, grow more vineyards, and help preserve our rural economy,” Atticks added.
 
The Maryland Wine Bar is doing their part to help small businesses, our local economy, support the economy of Maryland and educate individuals about wines created locally. Grapes really do grow well in this sandy Eastern Shore soil.
 
 Visit the Maryland Wine Bar on Main Street in downtown Berlin for an intimate evening of wine sampling and food pairing. For more information about the Maryland Wine Bar, visit them on Facebook.
 

Want to attend the Black Ankle Vineyards tasting and pairing at the Wine Bar?

  • Wednesday, February 27th, 2013
  • 7 pm
  • 103 North Main Street, Berlin, MD
  • $50 per person
  • Ages 21+ only
  • Purchase tickets in advance by calling 410-629-1022

Photos by Ami Reist.