New Vendor: Port of Leonardtown Winery

Cheverly Community Market is thrilled to welcome a new winery to our ranks: Port of Leonardtown Winery. The winery, located in southern Maryland's Port of Leonardtown Park, is a cooperative effort between the Town of Leonardtown, St. Mary's County, and the Southern Maryland Wine Growers Cooperative. It is one of a few cooperative wineries in the United States and their wines reflect the spirit of their pioneering member growers and depth of character drawn from the deep roots of our vines. 

image via Port of Leonardtown Winery

Winemaker Patrick Isles was one of the founding members of the Southern Maryland Wine Growers Cooperative, which was established with the goal of producing world-class wines and operates the Port of Leonardtown Winery.  He is a third generation grape grower and winemaker. At an early age, Patrick was mesmerized by his grandfather’s stories of the vineyard and life on the farm, and fascinated by the bubbling vats of grape and red raspberry wine in his grandmother’s basement. Patrick took over the vineyard at Summerseat Farm in 2001 – rescuing and restoring the original untended and overgrown vineyard. The next year he began working with the University of Maryland’s grape researchers by installing a trial planting of various grape varieties at Summerseat, where he gathers and reports data on vine growth, grape harvest, and wine quality. The increased vineyard size took his home wine making hobby to a nearly 200 gallons per year wine making obsession. Patrick has brought his award-wining wine making skills with him to the Port of Leonardtown Winery where the wines he has produced have won 44 awards since production began three years ago. 

Rich and Grace Fuller will bring six of their wines, five of which are 2013 Maryland Governors Cup Gold Medal winners and one is a Finger Lakes International Gold Medal winner - a basket full of Southern Maryland gold!

2011 Chardonnay

2011 McIntosh Run - Apple wine

2011 Chaptico Rose'

2010 Captain's Table - dry red blend

2010 Chambourcin Reserve - Finger Lakes Gold medal winner

2010 Autumn Frost - dessert wine

Help us welcome our newest vendor and another great Maryland winery to the Cheverly Community Market family this Saturday!