Preparing for New Growth
As I look out the window, I can still see remnants of last night’s flurries resting quietly along the vineyard rows. In true Mid-Atlantic fashion, we’re moving through what feels like three seasons in a single week. Just days after snowfall, temperatures are forecasted to climb toward 80 degrees.
This is March in Maryland — unpredictable, transitional, and full of anticipation.
Before we know it — or feel entirely ready for it — the growing season will begin again. The vines, which have stood dormant and disciplined through winter, will awaken. Bud break will arrive, and with it, the first beautiful signs of a new vintage.
I’ve often said that there are few things about winemaking and grape growing that are actually romantic. The same can be said about running a small business. I’m not sure there is much romance in taxes and marketing. But springtime at the vineyard? That’s different.
During bud break, the vines push out tiny green shoots from what, just weeks earlier, looked like lifeless wood. It is subtle at first — a swelling bud, a hint of green — and then suddenly the entire vineyard begins to burst with possibility. Every vintage begins that way.
And this year, that feeling extends beyond the vineyard.
At the end of this month, we are preparing to release our first Star-K certified (Kosher) mead — a milestone not only for our family, but for the state of Maryland. This release represents years of planning, coordination, and deep intention. Becoming Maryland’s first Kosher winery was not a small undertaking, and seeing this next chapter come to life feels especially meaningful in a season defined by new beginnings.
There is something poetic about launching our first Star-K mead as the vines prepare to wake from winter dormancy. Both represent continuity — of tradition, of faith, of our family’s practices that passed down and revived. Mead-making is part of our roots, a practice that dates back generations before our family ever arrived in Maryland.
Entering a new market for our products creates a sense of unpredictability, just like entering a new growing season and vintage. As a small producer with limited inventory, we have started our pre-orders in anticipation of the release of this mead. To ensure you will have access, we suggest you join the Kosher List (or our wine club).
New growth. New beginnings. And a new chapter for our family’s story.
We can’t wait to share it with you.