NEW VINEYARD AND WINERY IN PRODUCTION IN LUSBY

PRINCE FREDERICK, Md.  - September 13, 2004 - The Calvert County, Maryland Department of Economic Development announces that Calvert County’s first winery, Cove Point Winery located in Lusby, Maryland, is now producing its first selection of red, white and dessert wines. Near Cove Point Lighthouse, Maryland’s oldest operational lighthouse, the micro-winery is family owned and managed by Tim and Sheryl Lewis.

Currently, this small experimental vineyard is growing a wide variety of grapes to determine the best selections to be planted in larger quantities in the near future. Some of the most promising selections are Symphony, developed by UC Davis in California (Symphony is a French-French hybrid of Grenache Gris and Muscat of Alexandria), and a red variety known only as NY73, developed by the Geneva Breeding Program in New York. Other selections include Foch, Seyval, Vidal Blanc, Cayuga White, Cabernet Franc, Chardonelle (a hybrid of Chardonnay and Seyval), Neptune, Chambourcin, Merlot, Niagara and Catawba. Many grape varieties will be tested over the next couple years to add to the selection of wines. 

In addition to grapes, the Lewises grow strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, dewberries, currants, and other fruits such as apples, peaches and plums, and they also obtain from other local growers in Southern Maryland, as well as from Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Washington, Oregon and California. Cove Point Vineyard will produce approximately 1,400-1,500 gallons of wine this year, with approximately 900 gallons to be bottled by the end of this year.

Tim Lewis’ love for vineyards and wines began many years ago and developed into a passion for homebrewing and winemaking. Like many professional winemakers, he started making wines from kits, juice and eventually from whole grapes and other fruit. As this passion grew, he began to research and study Viticulture and Oenology. Tim and Sheryl visited many other wineries and vineyards in the region to learn best practices and this experience helped Tim develop techniques in winemaking that would become the foundation of his future business as a professional vintner. His goal is to produce a wide variety of delicious wines that will impress both novices and experts. “With wines like Raspberry White Zinfandel to ‘wow’ non-wine drinkers, to Cove Point Red that can satisfy even the most finicky wine connoisseurs, Cove Point Winery has something sure to please everyone,” said Lewis.

Cove Point Winery, a Class 4 winery, is bonded and licensed by the State Comptroller’s Office, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Calvert County Government, and is registered with the Food and Drug Administration. Cove Point Winery and Vineyard is also a member of the Maryland Grape Growers Association, the Maryland Association of Wineries, and Wine America (National Association of Wineries).

For wine tastings and tour appointments, contact Tim or Sheryl Lewis at 410.326.0949 or visit www.covepointwinery.com <http://www.covepointwinery.com/>. For additional information, please contact the Calvert County, Maryland Department of Economic Development 410.535.4583, 800.331.9771 or 301.855.1880, via email info@ecalvert.com <mailto:info@ecalvert.com> Web site: www.ecalvert.com <http://www.ecalvert.com/>.