| Home Tasting Room Woodhall Wines Events Case Club Retailers Other Services Directions Contact Us |
Woodhall produces a full range of table wines from Maryland grown grapes, including dry, sweet, and dessert styles. The wines are segmented into three groups, each delivering good value: inexpensive everyday wines; mid-priced premium wines; and rich, complex super varietals. Woodhall wines carry recommendations for use with food, generally through the use of a back label.
Three Woodhall wines, Seyval, Riesling, and Copernica Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon have been selected as Best-of-Show wines at the Maryland Governor's Cup Wine Judging. Woodhall Riesling was selected by the Goddard Space Center as one of three "40th Anniversary" wines. Maryland Public Television selected Woodhall's Cabernet Sauvignon as its "30th Anniversary" wine. Woodhall Seyval was the "Aquarium White" of the National Aquarium in Baltimore and most recently, the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon was selected by the National Federation for the Blind as the dedication wine for it's new training center in Baltimore.
Woodhall wines are fermented in small lots, keeping the fruit from each vineyard separate, so that Woodhall's blending program can take maximum advantage of "terroir" (the effects of climate and soils on fruit, hence wine, quality). The wines are aged in barrel and bottle until ready for consumption - they are never released prematurely. All Woodhall wines but two are blends of grapes from different sources or of different varieties depending on which gives the best aroma, flavor, and taste characteristics. The two exceptions, so far, are a single vineyard Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Copernica Vineyard in Northern Maryland and a single vineyard and Reserve Vidal Blanc from Golden Run Vineyards in Sudlersville.
Each Woodhall wine must be impeccably good to reach market. Therefore, not every varietal is vintage-dated every year (e.g. there was no 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon). Sound varietal wines with non-varietal characteristics become blending components of generic wines. On the other hand, when certain years produce superior fruit, the wines from that fruit receive special recognition as "Reserve" wines (1991, 1995, 1997, 2002, 2005, and 2007 Copernica Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon); a 2004 Copernica Reserve Cabernet Franc; and a 2006 Golden Run Reserve Vidal Blanc, and "Estate Bottled" wines (the 1999 and 2001 Gunpowder Falls Chardonnay). In both the red and white wine programs, a certain hierarchy of decision making takes place. Barrels are tasted first for individual quality, then a decision is made as to the presence of a Reserve quality wine. Then the quantity and blending balance of the varietals is decided. Any wine still remaining finds its way into the non-varietal red blends. Tours and tasting include barrel samples of various wines upon request. Each year during February's Barrel Tasting, Woodhall selects wines for a special "Futures" offering, affording the public an opportunity to taste and purchase wine not yet bottled at less than market prices.
Patricia's White: A plesant dry wine dedicated to Patricia Lang, wife of Chris Lang, a co-owner of Woodhall.
Gunpowder Falls White: Fine structure with no oak, vineous, smooth texture. Great food wine; especially nice with poultry, fish and lighter dishes.
Seyval: Well balanced, typical fruit, with subtle oak flavor. Spicier and lighter than Chardonnay. A bit like Sauvignon Blanc. Try it with veal, pork, chicken, and even steamed crabs.
Chardonnay: Fruity, subtle oak; European in character; Nicely complex with great depth. Nice finish. Also great with steamed crabs.
Rose of Sangiovese: A dry pink wine from Sangiovese grapes;
perfect for pate, picnic and parlor sipping.
Pinot Noir: A 1960's Burgundiau-style Pinot. Light bodied, great flavors and a good balance.
Cabernet
Sauvignon: Balanced fruit, tannins and oak in a barrel-aged Cabernet.
Enjoy it with beef, veal, lamb, or just plain pasta. Compliments grilled
foods.
Chambourcin: Mid purple color, full of flavor with
medium body. Great party wine, and the wine for grilled salmon and
tuna.
Sangiovese: The grape of Chianti, flavors of cherries, herbs and spices. Nice good weather wine.
Gunpowder Falls Red: Soft
tannins, full flavor. A nice everyday dinner wine when you wish to impress
for less.
Tuscano: This delightful light-bodied,
full-flavored red has soft tannins and a nice finish. It compliments pate,
veal, lamb, and most pasta dishes. Available only at the winery.
Cabernet Franc: A light bodied wine in the
"chinon" style. Soft and luscious.
Angler White: Woodhall's standard semi-sweet
table wine. If you are a blush wine fan, you will like Vidal
Blanc.
Angler Red: Our sweeter red wine. Blush fans will
also like this one.
Vignoles:
Wonderful Bouquet, nice sweetness in the Germanic style.
Party Garnet: An entertainingly sweet
wine for those who consider most wines too dry.
Party Harmony:
Sweeter than Party Garnet. One of the "party in a bottle" wines.
Vintner's Prestige Wines
Golden Run Reserve Vidal 2006: Lemon/straw pit fruit (maybe nectarine), with a little honeydew melonadded...honey-like texture without sweetness, although a hint of sweetness is detectable, probably from the higher alcohol. Nuances of a dessert wine. Compare to pinot blanc.
Jubilee Reserve Barbera 2007: Deep blueberry/red color...herbal/black cherry aroma...earthy, terroir-like flavor...soft on the palate...silky with finesse compare to Pinot Noir (Burgundy) or Nebbiolo.
Parkton Prestige 2006: Claret-like color...not very deep. Kind of a deep ruby color...aroma of a young wine i.e. closed. Needs time to open up...very Bordeaux like flavors...a wine that needs some cellaring.
Copernica Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2005: Deep ocher/brick red color...site specific aroma of eucalyptus/mint, with varietal character of cassis/black fruit and pepper...tannic...harmonious...a very fine eastern Cabernet Sauvignon.
Jubilee Reserve Merlot 2007: Deep blueberry/red color...almost opaque...aroma of sweet oak/cocoa/coffee/vanilla (Starbucks Merlot)...very fruit forward wine...soft mouthfeel juxtaposed by a boatload of tannins...some cellaring might be in order...The Greatest Eastern Merlot of all time!
Late Harvest Vignoles 2005: Very straw-like color...very pineapple/baked sugar aroma...flavors match (pineapple upside down cake) with hints of coconut...very balanced between acid and sweetness...a nice alternative to more syrupy late harvest wines...should age very well.