Maryland's oldest winery and two of its newest are among the wineries of the Mason-Dixon Wine Trail preparing for an influx of visitors every weekend in March for the 10th Tour de Tanks. Boordy, Royal Rabbit and DeJon vineyards will offer tastings and special foods during the weekend events.
Most of the 17 wineries along the Mason-Dixon Wine Trail are in Pennsylvania. A few of them are only a short drive away from the Maryland wineries. Two other nearby wineries, Fiore Winery and Harford Vineyard and Winery in Harford County, are also participating. All the wineries will be open Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.
With the Pennsylvania border just two miles away, Royal Rabbit's owner, Roy Albin, said participation in the wine trail was a natural.
"I doesn't make sense to think of my customer base ending at the Maryland border," he said. What's more, he added, the Towson to York I-83 corridor leads wine lovers to a wide variety of vineyards and wineries in a 40-minute drive. "That, to me, is a wine trail," Albin said. "To me it's an exciting place to be located."
John Wilkerson, who owns DeJon Vineyards with his wife Denise McCloskey, said the Tour de Tanks event has been a great success for his young business.
"It's very popular," Wilkerson said. "We've gotten repeat business from it."
Wilkerson noted that about 75 percent of his customers are from Pennsylvania, so he's hoping to attract more local business.
Joining in the Mason-Dixon Wine Trail offered Boordy exposure to another market, said James Pritchard, director of winery sales.
"It was an obvious fit for us," he said.
A member of the wine trail for four years, Boordy has grown its Pennsylvania customer base, especially once it was legal to ship wine to Pennsylvania, Pritchard said.
During the Tour de Tanks weekends, visitors sample foods and wines — including wines straight from the barrel — a signature event of the Tour de Tanks, according to Brent Burkey, of the York County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
"Everybody does something different," Burkey said.
Visitors to Boordy will have an opportunity to sample the newest wines straight from the barrels.
"This is the only time we do this," Pritchard said.
Winemaking tours and music in the barn are also planned.
Royal Rabbit has planned several events to educate visitors about their wines during the Tour de Tanks. They'll introduce a freshly bottled albariño wine and pair it with wine-infused truffles from Parfections, in Cockeysville, and host a winemaker dinner.
Visitors to Royal Rabbit will also have an opportunity to compare oaked and unoaked Chardonnay, including wines aged in French and Hungarian barrels, Albin said.
DeJon will have live music, a food vendor and chocolates for each participants.
"We'll also be serving one of our nouveau wines," Wilkerson said.
Royal Rabbit, which grows 4 1/2 acres of wine grapes such as albariño and merlot, makes European-inspired dry red and white wines, said Albin, who added the winery also makes a wine from Granny Smith apples. Some 70 percent of the fruit used is grown on-site, "when I can I source from Maryland," Albin said. "When I can't, I source from close by in Pennsylvania."
Royal Rabbit, in operation for three years, has just started selling its wines beyond the tasting room in Parkton, according to Albin.
Boordy, which marks its 70th year in 2015, used to schedule lots of events on-site. "We do a lot fewer events than we used to," Pritchard said.
The winery, located in Hydes, replanted its vines in 2006 to develop high-end wines, as part of its Landmark series.
"We grow every grape that goes in that wine," he said. "For us, it's all about improving the image and quality of Maryland wine."
Boordy continues to make its popular sweeter wines, such as Spiced Wassail and JazzBerry, Pritchard added.
DeJon, a neighbor of Boordy, planted its vines in 2008 and opened its tasting room in June 2010. The winery makes primarily dry wines, along with a sweeter choice of red or white, Wilkerson said. Until now, they've had to buy all their fruit to make wine. This year their own vineyards may be ready to produce. "We're hoping this will be the first year," Wilkerson said.
Wyndridge Farms makes its wines, cider and beer 14 miles from the Maryland border. Its executive chef, Matthew Siegmund, was previously at the Oregon Grille in Hunt Valley.
Tickets for the Tour de Tanks — now in its 10th year — are $25 and cover all four weekends. Admission includes a wine glass, tastings, food samples and commemorative buttons. Designated driver tickets are also available. For information, go to http://www.masondixonwinetrail.com.