Robin Hill Farm & Vineyards

We are a little embarassed to admit that this was a winery we had never heard of until we were driving to Two Lions Vineyard and saw the sign. They were right up the street so they were quickly added to the list of wineries to check out while we were in the area. Now we are very happy we did on April 6, 2024. This farm has some very rich history going back to 1955 when it was purchased by Russell and Shirley Watson. The first crop grown was tobacco. In 1960, hogs were added. In 1969, trees and shrubs were grown for a nursery. By 1970, the family was also growing pumpkins and hosting a fall festival. This all sadly came  to a halt around 2005 when Russell fell ill and passed away. The farm shut down to the public. Luckily around 2012, decisions were made to re-open the farm to the public as a winery and wedding venue. After taking the necessary steps to make that happen, the first plantings were done in the spring of 2014 and farm was officially open to the public in the fall of 2017. Currently owned and operated by daughter, Susan Watson White with partner and winemaker,  Bob White, Shelby Waston-Hampton is also a part of the family business as a partner and  marketing director. Robin Hill won best in class and double gold at 2022's Maryland Governor's  Cup for their white blend Vintage Blend 2021. Their MD-32 2019 also got a gold medal. We were lucky enough to try both during our visit. MD-32 was great and is made from the chardonel grape, a hybrid of chardonnay and seyval blanc. MD-32 we learned is a type of tobacco so named this as a nod to their history. One of our favorites here was definitely the Pet Nat MD-32 semi-sparkling version of this wine. Made and fermented only in the tank and bottled while still a little bubbly with no second fermentation in the bottle like a champagne would be, this was moderately effervescent, with notes of lemon, pear and toast. The Legacy vidal blanc was also great with floral aromas and pinapple and lemon on the palate. This was a great, unplanned visit to one of  Maryland's more interesting wineries.