The Vineyards at Dodon – an exceptional winery that isn’t even in an American Viticulture Area (An AVA is a wine grape-growing region in the United States designated by the federal government)!
I stumbled across this jewel while visiting family in Maryland, and it rocked my world. Maryland isn’t known for wine after all – think more crab cakes and football. After a few days in the area I needed to scratch the wine itch, so I booked a visit to The Vineyards at Dodon located in Davidsonville Maryland without much research or any idea what I’d be getting into (they accept reservations online, which is almost unheard of outside California). The tasting included a winery tour as well.
I was a bit skeptical at first, but came away very impressed with the staff’s in-depth knowledge and personal touch. They gave a wonderful tour of the vineyards, their processing equipment, and the barrel room. My experience ended with a relaxed seated tasting, overlooking their property. I was the only person in my tour group (remember: early-in-the-day visits are the best!), but the staff was so friendly I’m sure larger groups would feel just as special.
Ladies and gentleman this winery is a rare gem! You don’t come across this overall quality very often (in Maryland of all places!), and when you do, it’s worth remembering.
1) Wine = 4.5
2) Price Point = 3.1
3) Service = 4.8
4) Decorum / Scenery = 4.1
5) X factor = 4.2
Overall: 4.2
(0-5 scale, anything above 2.5 you will have a good time)
This winery does several things to ensure their wine is superior, and respectful to the environment. They have excellent growing, cultivation, and process practices (check out their website, listed at the bottom of the page for all of the details). They hand-pick and hand-sort their grapes and only use the top quality barrels to age their wine in. They bring in experts to advise throughout every step of the process, including soil and agriculture specialists to assist on how best to grow the vines. They also let their reds age well – evident in their 2014/2015 red blends I was able to taste (they age reds at least three years before release).
My tasting included 5 wines:
2017 Sauvignon Blanc $26.48
2015 Chardonnay $27.47
2015 South Slope (red blend) $30.41
2014 Dungannon (red blend) $51.99
2014 Oronoco (red blend) $59.84
All of the wines were superb, but the ones that really caught my attention were the Sauvignon Blanc, Dunbgannon, and the Oronoco. The Sauvignon Blanc is a steal at that price, and honestly among the top 3 Sauvignon Blancs I have ever tasted. The Dungannon and Oronoco are top-self high caliber wines as well, of which my only issue is their relatively high price points – though frankly this is a minor quibble, considering they’re better then many $100 Cabs from Napa I’ve had. My preferred price for this style and quality of wine would be more in the $38-$48 range, but with that being said, I would still gladly pay the $50.
They don’t ship outside Maryland, but if you find yourself at BWI, Vino Volo sells their wines (South Slope, Drum Point – a Chardonnay / Sauvignon Blanc Blend, and of course the Sauvignon Blanc).
The days I find an amazing winery outside of the major five (Washington, Oregon, California, Texas, and New York) are truly memorable, and one of the reasons I love traveling so much. The Vineyards at Dodon embodies everything a winery should and can be. Go book your tour and tasting now.
Make great wine and they will come!
(https://www.dodonvineyards.com/)