Where's Marty? Celebrating Maryland Wine Month At Linganore Winecellars

Hi everyone!

To give some publicity to Maryland Wine Month, we ventured out to Frederick County and a small town near Mt. Airy called Linganore, home of Linganore Winecellars. It's a 230-acre property, and 90 of those acres are used for growing the grapes used to make that wine. A lot of folks I know visit on weekends to enjoy live music in the outdoor setting and some "fruit of the vine." Right off the bat, let me give you their website for more details about the winery's offerings.

On Thursday morning, we met Anthony Aellan and his daughter, Melissa. They are the second and third winemakers of their long family business. Melissa, who holds a degree from Cornell University in winemaking, is one of a select few women winemakers in Maryland. As you likely know, Maryland produces its share of wine--this is no cottage industry. The Aellans told me that Maryland's vineyards produce roughly 500,000 gallons of wine each year. The climate during the growing season is great and that Mid-Atlantic soil makes it work.

Here's an interesting nugget: do you know what the hottest thing to pair with wine these days is? If you guessed popcorn, then you're spot on.

That's fitting, too, since Thursday is National Popcorn Day. The Aellans told me that flavored gourmet popcorns--pizza, chili, cheese and such--make for easy tasting with a glass of "the good stuff." Melissa said buttered popcorn and champagne is a life-changing combo. Who knew? At vineyards, popcorn makes for easy hand food on visiting days. At home, it's the perfect snack to prepare for gatherings, whether it's a well-deserved night in or you're having friends over. So the next time you have the crew over, why not give it a try?

Maryland wine and hometown popcorn might just be the key to impressing your guests. Cheers!

Marty B.