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Maryland (MD)
Mount Airy
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Linganore Winecellars
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Linganore Winecellars

See all things to do
See all things to do
Linganore Winecellars
4.5
#1 of 15 things to do in Mount Airy
Wineries & Vineyards
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
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About
Linganore Winecellars is a family operated vineyard and winery nestled on 230 acres of picturesque rolling countryside, 4.5 miles northeast of historic New Market, Maryland. Established by Jack and Lucille Aellen in 1971, our first 6 acres of vineyards were planted in 1972 and the winery opened in 1976 in the lower half of a 19th century post and beam barn which previously housed the farm’s dairy operation. Using Lucille’s father’s hand winemaking equipment, we processed 6 tons of grapes our first year. In 1977, we held Maryland’s first wine festival as a way to introduce our first vintage to the public. In 1978, to meet consumer demand, we introduced the state’s first semi sweet grape wines, an off shoot of our German-Swiss winemaking heritage. With the knowledge and experience in the production of these lighter style wines came the introduction that same year of our honey and pure fruit wines. By the early ‘80s, the winemaking responsibilities were taken over by Jack and Lucille’s son Anthony. Also in the early ‘80s, new experimental grape varieties from the grape breeding program at Cornell University were planted in test plots in our vineyards. The success of many of these new hybrids has been shown in expanded acreage and dedication to winery production. As the winery grew, so did our commitment to our customers. In 1982, we redesigned our tasting and sales facility to make it larger and more accessible to the public. That same year saw the expansion of both the festival grounds and the picnic areas. Since then our schedule has expanded to include 5 major festivals and more than 20 smaller indoor events throughout the year. In 1983, recognizing the growing interest in regionally produced wines, Jack Aellen worked to establish the first federally designated grape growing area in Maryland, the Linganore Viticultural Area, which encompasses 90 square miles of land around the winery in the heart of Maryland. In 1989, we introduced our custom label program for special occasions, private and corporate functions, and weddings. In 1990, Anthony introduced dry fruit wines to our customers as an alternative to dry grape wines. Also in mid 1990, Jack and Lucille’s youngest son, Eric, took on the management of the vineyards. By 1997, expansion was in the works again with the addition of a new 5,000 sq. ft. warehouse and bottling facility which moved this part of the production out of the original dairy barn where the winery operation remained. This move saw the upgrade of bottling equipment from an all manual system which could handle 12 bottles per minute to a semi automatic line at 22 bottles per minute. In 1999, expansion was in the works again with the addition of a 6,000 sq. ft. state of the art tank room and processing facility. This addition increased our capacity to over 100,000 gallons with enough expansion room to take us to close to 200,000 as we grow. We installed a German membrane press and numerous refrigerated tanks in the press room and banks of refrigerated fermentation tanks in the tank room which increased juice quality and in turn increased the quality of the finished wine. In 2000, with over 40 acres of vineyards, we purchased the state’s first mechanical grape harvester. This machine greatly increased the speed at which the grapes can be harvested. We could now harvest in one hour what an eight man crew could harvest in one day, reducing time from harvest to processing to about 30 minutes. Decreasing the time from harvest to crush greatly increased overall juice and wine quality. 2003 saw the addition of a new bottling room to house a state of the art fully automated Italian bottling line, handling 60 bottles per minute; this was a substantial increase from the 22 bottles per minute with our previous bottling system. Additional new tanks were installed which increased capacity to just under 150,000 gallons. In the fall of 2004, we started renovation of the 19th century bank barn which housed the winery in the lower level for its first 23 years. Completed in 2006, this grand structure with its black walnut beams and towering ceilings is now the home of our cask aging cellar, a new tasting/sales room and a spectacular banquet facility. In 2005, we installed a centrifuge to clear the wines of sediment after fermentation. Centrifuging the wine eliminates the use of settling chemicals for clarification before aging and bottling. This process has significantly increased wine quality. In 2011, power supplied to the winery was converted to 100% wind power, leading us to win 2011 Green Business of the Year, in the small to midsize business category, from the Baltimore Business Journal. We also received a grant from the Department of Agriculture which allowed for the installation of 2 Electric Car Charging Stations, that are powered by a sun tracking solar panel. Our most recent endeavor was the installation of a wind anemometer, which will record wind speed to determine if we can install our own wind turbines further reducing our carbon footprint. In looking toward the future, the third generation of Aellens is already hard at work around the winery forming their base for taking the winery into the future. Melding Jack’s German-Swiss winemaking heritage with Lucille’s Italian winemaking roots and ever conscious of our customers tastes, Anthony has created a splendid variety of wines which have won over 200 medals in national and international competitions. Producing over 30 wines, ranging from stylish white and red dinner wines to elegant semi-sweet grape, fruit, and honey wines, our winery enjoys a reputation as a fun place to visit and a relaxed place to sample wines in a casual setting. Lucille’s cookbook about serving and cooking with wines has consistently wetted our customers’ appetites. We welcome visitors 361 days a year to experience a fun filled afternoon in a country setting where winemaking really is a family affair.
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
166 reviews
Excellent
93
Very good
48
Average
14
Poor
4
Terrible
7
MDMommy113
Clarksville, MD10 contributions
Good wine, Good Times
May 2022
Linganore Winecellars is a nice little vineyard in Frederick Maryland and I highly recommend for anyone who just wants to enjoy a nice relaxing day trip to enjoy a glass of wine and charcuterie with friends or with loved ones. Great place!
Written 19 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AGGlobalTraveler
Rockville, MD539 contributions
Very good experience
Sep 2022 • Couples
Had an outstanding experience at Linganore. We reserved the blended tasting and upon arrival we were taken to the barn, where the magic happened. Lorrie had a table prepared for us with a charcuterie board we ordered ahead and a nice welcome card. She was very knowledgeable and took her time to explain to us each wine we tasted. Most them were actually good, we ended up taking home a few bottles. Even if it was pouring rain outside, there were a lot of people enjoying the live music and the food truck food. Definitely a place to try!
Written 25 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mia J
5 contributions
Bad customer service
Sep 2022 • Friends
Lingamore had a table set up at a Caribbean Wine Festival in Howard County. I was excited to see their table because I love their wine. Well, after buying 3 bottles, I was handled a plastic cup. I didn’t think much of it until I went to another table and saw them give actual wine glasses to everyone who purchased a bottle. I asked the organizer of the festival why everyone vineyard was giving out glasses with the purchase of a bottle and was surprised. The organizer and I went to the table and asked if they had wine glasses to give out with select purchases and we were told they only brought plastic cups. Wow. One vendor actually brought wine glasses to hand out when a bottle of wine was purchased but Linganore only bought disposable plastic cups for a Caribbean festival even when a bottle was purchased. I only support businesses that treat everyone the same. Take my money and hand me a plastic cup with a smile.
Written 3 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Khoi N
Washington DC, DC2,378 contributions
Fun winery with plenty of open seating and pizza options
Jun 2022 • Friends
My friends came here last minute on a busy Saturday afternoon. We arrived around 5 PM and the parking lot was almost full. Linganore has plenty of space to have a picnic, enjoy some wine, food trucks or just take in the great ambience. There is also a huge field up the hill that is great for photos and to catch the sun. The cheese, sangria and wines in general inside the main shop were delicious. The pizza at the food truck was delicious. Cant go wrong with their brick oven pepperoni or margarita pizzas. I love the spacing around the grass here. You have plenty of room between the chairs and tables. Even with a party of 20 we were close enough to rub elbows with anyone. The tables can easily be moved around and the space overall was very clean. Definitely one of my favorite new wineries in Maryland. I'd recommend going early and trying to find an area that has shade.
Written 11 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Macybear
Fort Lauderdale, FL107 contributions
Surprisingly good dry wines here
Jun 2022
While most Maryland wineries I've visited focus on sweet wine, Linganore has very good dry wines (the kind you'd drink with a meal) to sample as well. Our wine host was very knowledgeable about the various wines, and my family learned a lot. We bought 3 bottles and would like to return.
Written 1 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
parkerpr
Wilmington, DE180 contributions
A Shining Star in Maryland
May 2022 • Couples
Last weekend we wanted a day to get away and enjoy spring. I’m originally from California and enjoy visiting wineries and tastings. We’ve tried wineries in VA, DE, and PA. We decided to drive over to Maryland.
The drive through hills on winding country roads was beautiful. The drive into Linganore Vineyards was beautiful, well tended vineyards and nice facilities. The staff were very friendly and welcoming.
They have a variety of wines available from dry to sweet. We went for a dry tasting. Amanda our hostess that poured was engaging and very knowledgeable about what she poured.
First the whites. We had a great unoaked Chardonnay, tried the Albariño, and finished with a Dry Rose made from Chambourcin, it was clean and crisp like a fine French Rose.
Next we’re the reds. Had an awesome dry red made from Chambourcin and a great red blend.
We commented that we had never had a tasting from a single vineyard and enjoyed each wine, Linganore blew us away with so many great wines.
Will definitely make the 2 hour drive from Wilmington back to this fine winery.
Written 6 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael B
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We're really glad that you enjoyed your experience and look forward to having you visit us again soon!
Written 23 May 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
T P
Chicago, IL1,392 contributions
Just go
Oct 2021 • Couples
This place is nice place for wine tasting. Large outside space to relax from the world. The staff is knowledgeable and engaging. As we were either in the middle of the week, it was very uncrowded and relaxing.
Written 23 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael B
It's true that the winery is less busy during the workweek, but we do have live music and food trucks on weekends. Thank you so much for the awesome review and we hope to see you again soon!
Written 9 March 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
SparkleGoth
Annapolis, MD556 contributions
Perfect Picnic Spot
Jul 2021 • Couples
I love the winery’s sprawling, tree shaded lawns and hills, which are perfect for picnicking. The wines are nice, but I’m also a huge fan of their ciders (sold at the winery under their brewery’s Red Shedman label).
Written 20 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael B
We're glad that you enjoy the variety of libations offered and hope to see you again soon. Thank you for the review!
Written 9 March 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Melaine805
Dinwiddie, VA72 contributions
Great Atmosphere to Relax with Friends.
Aug 2021 • Friends
First time visiting from out of town. We did a wine tasting at the bar with Alex. He was great. He explained the wines to us and gave suggestions based on the type of wines we said we normally like. There was a band outside playing and the tables were spaced out in a manner that made us comfortable. We will definitely be back
Written 22 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael B
Thank you so much, Melaine!
Written 9 March 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stephen M
West Chester, PA287 contributions
Wonderful Winery to Visit for a few Hours
Apr 2021 • Couples
We visited and spent a couple of hours relaxing and sipping wine. They have a great selection of fine and reasonably price wines. Highly recommended. Suggest bringing your own food.
Written 29 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael B
Thank you for the review. We do allow patrons to bring food to the winery, but we also have charcuterie (meats & cheeses), and food trucks & music on weekends.
Written 9 March 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Linganore Winecellars (Mount Airy) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos) - Tripadvisor

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