by Michael Vyskocil, photography by Nikola Tzenov
Over the last decade, a family-owned winery in Carroll County has been producing some of the finest wines crafted in Maryland. It’s difficult to imagine that the site of a former juniper nursery — neglected and overgrown with tangled shrubs — would today be a premier winemaking operation and visitor destination, Old Westminster Winery.
For siblings Andrew Baker, Lisa Hinton and Ashli Johnson, the hard work of transforming the property into a full-scale vineyard and winery has been nothing short of miraculous.
In 2011, with a loan from their grandfather, they planted 10,000 grapevines by hand. Two years later, they bottled and sold their first wines.
In 2016, Old Westminster Winery was named a top 100 winery in the United States. That same year, the family purchased Burnt Hill, a 117-acre property in Clarksburg, which serves as a regenerative farm, farm-to-table restaurant and organic winery.
Last year, Cosmopolitan named Old Westminster Winery a top 10 winery in the United States, and Wine Enthusiast recognized Baker, Hinton and Johnson as the newest generation of American winemakers.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Old Westminster Winery has been expanding, with several new additions to the winery debuting this past spring.
A newly expanded kitchen now holds ovens that bake some of the most delicious wood-fired pizzas. A new seating area lets guests watch all the kitchen action as they sip and savor some extraordinary wines. Additionally, new leadership behind the kitchen operations is elevating Old Westminster Winery’s culinary profile in the mid-Atlantic region.
Culinary Director Chef Tae Strain brings an extensive portfolio of experiences with him. He’s managed the kitchen at the former Demi restaurant in Baltimore’s Belvedere Square and served as the chef de cuisine at the Michelin-starred Progress in San Francisco and executive chef at David Chang’s Momofuku in Washington, D.C.
“I was a huge fan of the wines long before I started here,” Strain says. “They drink so well and are very pairing-friendly. There is so much diversity in the wine list, and that allows for easy pairing with a wide range of dishes and flavors.”
Strain said he isn’t planning to make any significant changes to the menu at Old Westminster.
“I want to keep the integrity of the food and make fun changes around the edges,” he says. “Summer is the most beautiful time to cook, so our August and September should be full of beautiful local produce.”
The menu’s inspiration comes from the products of many family-owned farms, including Caputo Brothers Creamery, Migrash Farms, and Whispering Breeze Farm. The wood-fired pizzas — with flavor combinations such as pineapple and prosciutto as well as pepperoni and hot honey — pair with the diverse selections of reds and whites made from the winery’s Albariño, Cabernet Franc, Chardonel and Chardonnay grape varieties.
As Baker reflects on the development of Old Westminster Winery from a “crazy ‘save-the-family-farm’ idea” to an award-winning business, he says it’s been the “privilege of a lifetime to work on projects I love with people I love. My sisters and I bring out the best in each other — we challenge, support and encourage one another to keep growing.”
Baker is also grateful for the support from Carroll County’s community. To acknowledge this gratitude, Old Westminster Winery continues to donate $1 from every bottle sold to charity, supporting organizations such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carroll County, the Westminster City Food Bank, the Carroll County Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and more.
“The future of Old Westminster Winery feels bright,” Baker says. “At the end of last year, my sisters and I purchased the farm from our parents, and with that comes a sense of ownership and momentum. The table is set to raise the bar across the board. We’re focused not on getting bigger, but on getting better — executing every detail of wine, food, hospitality and leadership with intention and care.”
Old Westminster Winery
1550 Old Westminster Road, Westminster, MD
410-881-4656 • www.oldwestminster.com
Reservations are required, and reservations are released two months at a time.
