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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.
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