Deep Creek Cellars

Wine: Winery: Ambiance: Jul 07, 2012

Favorite Wine: Ursa Major

Vacationed in the Deep Creek resort area for the last two years and have visited this winery both times. Owner/winemaker is friendly, knowledgeable and he makes some very good wines. He's also very honest about his offerings. He'll tell you the truth about his own wines. Every year is not a success with some and he's upfront about. I like his reds the best especially what was for me a real find,Norton a variety that until I visited Deep Creek I had never hear of. He blends this native grape with Zin and or Cab Franc. Tasty! These are not wines for the long haul but why wait? Give Deep Creek Cellars a visit if you're ever in western Maryland.

Wine: Winery: Ambiance: Jul 13, 2010

Norton Wine Review: Upon crisscrossing the scenic intersection of West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania one can find Friendsville, Maryland and a small, but an important winery which has commanded the respect by many for its Norton wines and its owner’s research and understanding of the background of the Norton grape. Paul Roberts, author of From This Hill, My Hand, Cynthiana's Wine, and his wife are more than happy to graciously meet you, but their wine production centers on producing wines for a local distributor. Though the Norton grapes used until this year came from Virginia (Chrysalis Vineyard), next year will mark the first time all wines from Deep Creek Vineyard will come from Maryland grown grapes. Fine examples; as, a Vidal blend, a bone dry pink Pinot Gris which sits in glass with an onion skin color, and Ursa Major (Norton blends) are to be found here. We opted for the ’07 Ursa Major (84% Norton 16% Zinfandel) over the ’08 Ursa Major which was predominantly Zinfandel blended with some Norton grapes. Though credible, we did not find the ’07 Norton robust, but rather more reserved in hiding its normally found character. We will let our Ursa Major bottles “hide” away in the cool dark corners of our home hoping that the other Norton characteristics will appear in a few years.