Dove Valley Vineyard

We saw a sign for Dove Valley while driving on 95, so we decided to stop by on our way home from a girl’s weekend. At first we weren’t sure if we were in the right place, but found our way inside for a $ 5 tasting of 15 wines, which were all pretty good. Wyatt took great care of us and his grandfather gave us a tour of the vineyard telling us all about the types of grapes they grow. The property is adorable and very relaxing. We were pleasantly surprised to find out they had a very reasonably priced wine and paint class ($ 30 which included a glass of wine) in the afternoon in which they were able to make space for us to join. We had an amazing time and can’t wait to go back!

I had the pleasure of visiting this beautiful vineyard this past weekend. The tasting was only $ 5 a person and they had a large selection. We ended up hanging out for a while and they provided complimentary cheese and crackers. The staff is very friendly, is a family owned and operated winery so the atmosphere if very casual and comfortable. They are professional but they don’t come off as stuffy like some wineries. We liked the wine so much we ended up buying 6 bottles to take home. They provide a wine tote if you choose to do this and when you bring it back up on your next visit you get an additional discount. We look forward to returning during the summer to hang out!

We saw the sign for the winery off rt. 95 and decided to stop in. It’s tucked between houses and farms, a cute small wooded cabin is where we did our tastings. $ 5 tasting for all their wines and you get to keep the cute stemless glass and they gave us complimentary cheese and crackers. We walked out with 6 bottles!!! The wine was sooo good and tasted like a cool day in the summer the only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because when we went there was no entertainment (music, bands, etc.) there were papers that said certain dates had certain fun entertainment so I guess it depends on the weekend.

Finally I get a chance to write my review of this place.
Stopped by here with a friend, looking for a bottle of sweet white. There was only one worker, probably the owner, who offered us to try his special white, which was red. Just to be polite, I tried the wine. My friend, who doesn’t drink, declined. I asked about sweet white wine, and the guy poured me some to try, which I didn’t like. He also poured some for my friend, despite him previously refusing wine. Neither of us liked the wine, however, the owner then proceeded to charge us for wine tasting. And he charged both of us! What kind of wine tasting is this? Especially, if one customer specifically told you he doesn’t drink? I’m glad this place is in the middle of nowhere so not many customers will suffer this type of service!

We came here for a grape harvest day and then did tastings/​purchased some wine. The grape harvest was fun, with us learning about some of the different varieties of grapes they use for each wine. In addition, tasting was encouraged, which was neat to taste the different notes of grapes instead of your generic green or red produce aisle types.
The tasting itself was nice, however we didn’t get very much information on each wine. Other wineries are more enthusiastic when describing each vintage and grapes, which I felt detracted from our experience here. The wine we bought had a slightly crumbly cork which left pieces in the wine when being poured, maybe they just had bad corks that year. It’s still a nice vineyard with friendly folks and good wine.

I hate having to do this, but some constructive criticism needs to be done for Dove Valley. I work at another winery so I like to stop at other wineries and taste. We pulled off the freeway following signs to this winery as a break from driving. I kind if wish we hadn’t. This was the worst tasting experience we’ve ever had. But I know it can get better because the property is adorable and with a little help the tasting experience could be much better.
We walked into the small tasting room and said hi to the young female tasting host (no name tag) and then used the restroom. We both walked out of the restroom and the host was nowhere to be found. A few minutes later she shows up with a mouth full of cookie and tries talking to us with her mouth full. So I introduce myself and tell her I work at a winery. She doesn’t really say anything and then tells us that the tasting will be $ 5. No acknowledgement that I work in the wine industry (most others will do a free tasting. I wasn’t really upset about this, just disappointed that she seemed completely disinterested.)
She poured the first wine. Which was a red. And all she told us was that it was a dry red. That’s it. My mom said she didn’t like it and the host said she could pour it out in the sink. Umm really? You want us to do your job for you? How hard is it to put out an extra cup to pour into? She poured another, with little explanation and then answered the ringing phone. She talked to the caller in front of us and then rolled her eyes to the caller. So rude to us as customers.
She poured a couple more in the same fashion and then checked her Twitter. So incredibly unprofessional. She told us a little about the winery but never really asked us about ourselves or talked with us at all. The only thing she really said was that she accidentally let the dog out earlier and that since the last customers had said she could blame it on them, she said she would. Really? You’re going to tell us that? What are you going to blame on us after we leave?
On top of all this, the tasting was done backwards, from heavy reds to whites. And the pours were basically just her wetting the bottom of the glass.
My tip would be to check out a few wineries and do some tastings to get a feel of a proper tasting and build from there. I know they can get better.

On our way to Philly for a birthday party, we realized we forgot the Birthday Girl’s present at home. Not wanting to turn around and not wanting to get a generic gift, we noticed a sign for Dove Valley from the expressway and decided to hop off. The vineyard is way in the country in Rising Sun, tucked away behind residences and farmland.
When I arrived, an older gentleman greeted me warmly right away, telling me about their specials and to get on their email list, which I told him I would. He then directed me to the tasting room where his granddaughter was conducting a tasting for a small group. Not wanting to interrupt, I sort of hovered there until there was a natural pause, at which time, she happily assisted me in picking out the most popular wines so I could gift them.
I quickly made my purchases ($ 16 a bottle) and went on my way. «Grandpa Dove Valley» (as I call him now) made me promise to come back for a tour, which I am looking forward to. Had I not forgotten my friend’s present, we would have never stopped here. Serendipity at it’s finest. Can’t wait to come back with great customer service like this one. I am so used to the vineyards in Upstate NY, it’s exciting to know a little slice of the familiar is right here as well.

Date of visit: 14 July 2012
Military Discount: 10%
My wife n I just finished visiting Plumpton Park zoo in Cecil cnty and decided to use Unilocal to find something else to do and to our delight we found several wineries listed nearby.
Dove Valley is a small family run budding vineyard with a rustic log cabin style tasting room/​house. They are in the middle of building a covered pavilion on a large lot overlooking the closest grape fields.
We sampled 7 or 8 wines for $ 5. We were also allowed to re-​sample several of the wines to narrow our choices down. Now we happened to mention earlier that it was Sheri’s b-​day and the owner gave Sheri a full (to the rim) glass of wine for free. They also gave us Maryland State winery passport for free, normally if sells for $ 2 to $ 5.
I should have asked sooner, but at check out, I asked about Military discounts, and they gave me 10% of purchases, so I don’t know if they give free tastings or not.
Nice place, not as big as Boordy, but they hold events as well (concerts n festivals, etc). I’m looking forward to their hot air balloon festival!!! Generally there is no food available (vendors during festivals), but you’re welcome to pack a picnic lunch
This is definitely a place we will visit again.

Decided to stop in since I have seen the signs and heard about the place. The log style buildings and decorations make it worth the visit regardless. The wine was very good and we will be back to buy more. They do events so we plan on visiting for some music and take some pictures (forgot this time). For sure stop by!

We stopped by this winery after buying the MD Wine passport at a nearby winery — motivation!
It felt like a close-​knit family-​run operation, down to some wines named after the two dogs lounging around the log cabin tasting room. There was a nominal fee for the tasting. The wines weren’t bad — I think my favorite was called Sweet Summer Hill. I really liked the free tour (even though it started ~20 minutes later than we were told). It included a walk through the vineyard and the cellar, and everyone got a free taste of wine straight from the barrel. The guide (also a family member) was very knowledgeable since he works all parts of the operation.
There was a small craft fair while we were there. None of the vendors really appealed to me, but the live music was nice,