Best places for Wine near Clarksville, MD

Here in Clarksville, Maryland, there are some special local places where you can find an excellent bottle of wine. If you’re a wine connoisseur, you’ll love to sample the fine wines at a tasting room. Or maybe you want to learn about the process of wine-making from an award-winning instructor. Whatever your wine interests are, you can experience some truly world-class offerings here in the Clarksville area.

Tin Lizzie Wine Works

Have you ever wanted to try your hand at wine-making but weren’t sure where to start? Tin Lizzie Wine Works offers premier classes where you can make wines in just four sessions of approximately one hour each.

Founder and instructor Dave Zuchero loves to share his passion for great wine. With a degree in wine-making from the University of California at Davis and 40 years of wine-making experience, he has the skills, equipment, and expertise to ensure you make a truly delicious bottle of wine.

All materials and ingredients are provided in the class. You’ll have access to fresh grapes, a selection of yeasts, and equipment like fermentation vats, barrels, and wine bottles and labels. You can choose what grapes to use, select your yeast with expert guidance from Dave, and choose the amount of wine you want to make, up to a full barrel. You’ll enjoy personal instruction from Dave as he guides you through each step, using the same production equipment he uses to make award-winning wines.

The first session is in the autumn when the grapes are ripe. You’ll learn to prepare the fresh fruit and start the fermentation process in the tanks. One week later, you will return to separate the liquid from the pulp and transfer the wine to oak barrels to age. The third session will commence after a few months, once the wine has aged the correct amount. Now is the time to taste the wine and show off what you’ve created. Then in summer, after a few more months of aging in the barrel, it’s time to bottle and label your very own wine!

Olney Winery

Located in Olney, Maryland, Olney Winery specializes in crafting local wines from grapes grown all over the world. California supplies their domestic grapes, while on the international front, grapes come from classic wine regions in Spain, Italy, and Germany. Other grapes come from as far away as Chile, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. The wines are made at their nearby facility and are available to sample and buy in their centrally located Olney tasting room where you can relax with friends, try wines, and have a great time.

Olney Winery’s impressive collection of over 34 wines includes red, white, blush, fruit-infused, and dessert varieties. Their special fruit-infused wines are a fan favorite, mixing natural fruit flavors with premium grapes. What sets these apart from other fruit wines is the higher alcohol content and less syrupy, more refreshingly sweet taste. You’ll find delightful flavors such as black cherry, citrus, green apple, and tropical fruit, to name just a few. Their grape wines cover the classics, from merlot to cabernet, pinot noir and pinot grigio, Chilean malbec, Italian Barolo, and many more.

That’s not all Olney Winery has to offer, though. If you have had a taste of wine and now want a taste of wine-making, they also offer classes where you can try your hand at making your favorite Olney wine. You will get to create a custom label at the end of the process, which you can use to commemorate a special occasion. You can also join Olney Winery’s monthly wine club and receive an exclusive dry red or white wine plus a second bottle of your choice from their wine shelf! Alternatively, you can opt for their exclusive fruit wine and get a second fruit wine of your choice.

Iron Bridge Wine Company

The Iron Bridge Wine Company is not just a wine bar featuring hand-selected small-production wines from all over the world. It’s also a cafe and gourmet coffee shop. The people here are dedicated to combining good wine with delicious meals in an inviting, non-pretentious setting, blending high-class food and beverages with the dressed-down comfort of your favorite corner bar. Opened by Rob and Steve Wecker in 2003, the Iron Bridge Wine Company wasted no time in drawing attention. It has appeared on Baltimore Magazine‘s “Top 50 Restaurants” list eight times and has even received mentions in USA Today and The Wine Enthusiast.

At Iron Bridge Wine Company, you can create memorable moments while enjoying world-class wining and dining in a casual, relaxed atmosphere. You are sure to feel cozy and at home while sampling great wines from small vineyards, modern American meals with international influences, and gourmet coffees. This establishment boasts a delectable brunch menu, dinner specials, and monthly wine deals. They love to take advantage of the many local ingredients available in central Maryland, including fresh produce, meats, and seafood. Everything is prepared fresh daily with attention to detail by highly trained chefs.

At the heart of Iron Bridge Wine Company, though, is a love of great wines. In this department, they have a highly-curated selection of unique, small-batch wines from sunny California, classics from France and Italy, smooth South African wines, and even varieties from less well-known places like Bulgaria. Their 300-bottle inventory is constantly changing to provide the best of the season to their discerning customers. The friendly staff will happily provide recommendations to accompany your meal. You will also find a selection of local craft brews and house-made cocktails with fine spirits.

We hope you have enjoyed learning about the best places to enjoy wine in the Clarksville area. You can try your hand at wine-making with Tin Lizzy Wine Works, enjoy sampling a delicious selection of wines at Olney Winery’s tasting room, or sit down for a gourmet meal with an expertly paired beverage at Iron Bridge Wine Company. Which of these are you going to try first? Have you got a favorite wine spot you’d like us to know about? Contact us at Koons Clarksville Chevrolet Buick GMC and let us know!

*Image via Flickr by shixart1985

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