News

Oct 19, 2023

Upcoming wine camp is just one of the things that has Md. producer abuzz

Only a few tickets remain for wine camp at Loew Vineyards in Mt. Airy, Maryland.

Only a few tickets remain for wine camp at Loew Vineyards in Mt. Airy, Maryland.

Loew Vineyards is celebrating recognition for both its wines and meads.

The Mt. Airy, Maryland, producer entered the TEXSOM competition and heard recently that its Malka (a traditional mead in the Polish style) received a Judge's Selection (1 of 19 products to earn this medal) while its 2021 Cab Franc earned a platinum medal (1 of 76 to receive this). Three other entries also won awards.

TEXSOM took place April 30 to May 3 at Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas, Texas. The awards drew more than 2,300 entries representing 25 countries and 19 U.S. states.

Rachel Lipman, who is following in her grandfather's footsteps and carrying on the family tradition of making mead and wine, said Loew is the first winery from Maryland to have received these awards.

Loew Vineyards is a story about generations that PennLive focused on last year. Bill and Lois Loew bought a 37-acre parcel in Frederick County in March 1982, planted vines and by 1986 were selling their first bottles of wine. For several decades they continued to carry forward a family vocation that began in the mid-1800s, in Bursztyn, Poland, when Meilech Loew began making mead and his sons became involved in wine distribution and marketing.

Lipman, 30, remembers turning 18 and helping out at the winery before chasing other dreams.

Now, she's back filling a huge void left by Bill's death last April and working with Lois to keep many of the traditions while starting new ones. That including renovating the production area with plans to give the tasting room a fresh look at a spot in Maryland were several wineries (Black Ankle, Elk Run) are nearby.

The awards are gratifying, she said.

"Our meads are very special – I expected an award for either Klara or Malka. I did not expect Malka to receive the Judge's Selection because it really was the first time entering and I wasn't sure how meads were viewed in this type of competition," Lipman said.

"I’ve been pretty speechless about the Cabernet Franc. It's a beautiful wine, not like most Cab Franc on the East Coast. The clone reminds me of the Loire Valley."

The grapes were sourced from a vineyard in Myersville, Frederick County, and the honey came from "Apex Bee Company + a hobbyist in MD."

Both wines, she said, are exclusive to wine club members who can order them online or purchase them in the tasting room. The Cabernet Franc will be officially released to the public by the fall.

"After Malka runs out in the next couple of months, I won't have another traditional mead available until 2024. They take close to two years from start to finish to make. I’m altering my production plan this year so I can make more of them. Space is just an issue, which we are working on."

More than 40-year-old Chancellor vines begin another growing season at Loew Vineyards.

Lipman said the winery is anticipating 24 hives that will allow it for the first time to make mead from its estate honey, and that will correspond with the work on the tasting room that is expected to provide 400 square feet more of space for barrels and mead. She is also adding sparkling wine to her list of products, which will be sold under a private label by a store in Washington D.C. and soon will be available with the Loew label at the winery.

Finally, a few tickets remain for a wine camp that will take place June 10. The price of the tickets is $125/person for an event that will run from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will include a vertical tasting of wines and meads from the past 30+ years, a sneak peek at the 2022 vintage that will include tastings from the barrel, and lunch, in addition to a thorough education of Loew Vineyards, its history, and some of the sensory basics that go into appreciating wine.

"I’m really excited, it's my favorite experience I get to provide customers each year," Lipman said.

More:

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