Drew Baker Email & Phone Number

Clarksburg, Md (Washington Dc-Area)

We are chasing a dream: to put Maryland wine on the world map.Over the past six years, we’ve produced many beautiful wines at Old Westminster Winery. But our 17-acre family farm has limited capacity. To advance our vision, we need to grow beyond our existing property lines. So in January of 2016, conversations turned into action and we hired a distinguished geologist, Ernest “Bubba” Beasley, to guide our search for the perfect hillside to plant a new vineyard.Through advanced geologic mapping and weather data, Bubba helped us identify the key soil characteristics and microclimate of several prospects. No vineyard should be planted in unexplored ground.After many months of searching, we found it: Burnt Hill Farm. 117 acres located high in the hills of the Piedmont Plateau – 30 miles northwest of Washington, DC in Montgomery County, MD. At the end of a long day digging backhoe pits to examine the soil, Bubba concluded: “This place has the potential to yield brilliant wines.”The ancient dirt – formed from decomposing slate, phyllite and schist – is rocky and nutritionally poor, requiring the vines to dig deep for sustenance. The high elevation exposes the site to abundant sunshine and wind which are nature’s antibiotics. The steep hills quickly evacuate rainwater and cold air. All of these are characteristics of a promising vineyard site.The next few years will be spent getting to know the rhythms of the land. We will till the earth, cultivate cover crops and prepare the foundation for our vineyard. When we believe the ground is ready, we will plant an initial 30,000 vines. The exact varieties, clones and rootstocks aren’t yet known – in time the site will tell us that. This hillside – with all its elements in harmony – has the capacity to yield wines unlike anywhere else on earth.Burnt Hill Vineyard is a new chapter in our story.

Westminster, Md

Old Westminster Winery is the true story of one family’s determination to cultivate the best wines Maryland has to offer.In our vineyards, everything is done by hand. From winter pruning, to summer hedging, to harvest, it’s all powered by sweat, not oil. This method of farming offers our vines a level of care few others experience. Our fingerprints are on every vine, every grape and every bottle.Our Home Vineyard rests at 800′ above the sea on channery loam soils overlaying a bedrock of greenstone schist. As it turns out, greenstone is a favorite of white grape varieties in our region contributing intense aromatics and subtle minerality to the wines. Because our particular mix of soils are optimal for vibrant white wines, Albariño, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc make up 80% of our Home Vineyard plantings. The remaining 20% is planted to Cabernet Franc and Syrah in a corner of the vineyard where the soils are particularly gravelly and well-drained.In addition to managing 10,000 estate vines, we work closely with neighboring vineyards to source grapes. Grüner Veltliner, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot from a vineyard called Cool Ridge perched atop a limestone hillside on South Mountain. Cabernet Franc from a secluded vineyard called Links Bridge on a bank of the Monocacy River. Barbera and Pinot Grigio from a vineyard called Birchview perched on a rocky hill just a few miles north of our farm. Our multi-vineyard approach allows us to craft wines that reflect our region’s diverse geologies and variable climate.In our winery, the goal is to produce a balanced wine that reflects both the vineyard and vintage. Our winemaker achieves this by timeliness and attention to detail. Hand-sorting single berries as they run across the sorting table, using gravity rather than pumps to transfer must and fermenting with indigenous yeast are few practices we embrace. Our approach is not the easy way, but we believe a bottle of wine reflects its maker’s passion.

Westminster, Md

At Maryland Wine Cellars, we're putting Maryland wine on the world map.Everything we do is directed towards our goal of producing the best wines Maryland has to offer – wines that display depth, character and, most importantly, are a joy to drink. Maryland Wine Cellars is the first winery in Maryland to offer comprehensive contract winemaking and consulting services. Whether you are an independent grower, a winery with limited capacity, or an individual with the desire to create your own wine brand, we can get you from the vineyard to the bottle to the marketplace.Our collective expertise, meticulous attention to detail and thoughtful cellar practices enable us to produce distinctive wines. In our winery, the goal is to produce a balanced wine that reflects both the vineyard and vintage. Our talented winemaker, Lisa Hinton, employs state-of-the-art production equipment and a pragmatic approach. Every berry runs across a sorting table, we use gravity rather than pumps to transfer must and often ferment with indigenous yeast. Our approach isn’t the easy way, but we believe a bottle of wine reflects its maker’s passion.Contact us to learn more about what our team of experts can do for you.

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), Business Management

Advanced Level Certificate, Wine Expert/Sommelier