Beer, Wine & Spirits in Frederick

In early September, just as the first signs of fall nip at the landscape around the quiet pond and the rolling vineyard—that's when the time is right for Miracle Valley Vineyard to harvest the grapes that will become its estate-grown cabernet franc. But as is so often the case with wine, patience in consuming it is rewarded. The cabernet franc's enticing bouquet of raspberries and violets gives way to a rounded mouthfeel, which balances the ripe fruit flavors with its restrained tannins. During the rest of the year, customers could stick to one of the vineyard's half-dozen other wines, including an off-dry rosé with a lingering sweetness to match its pink hue.

The wine is the main attraction at Miracle Valley, but the grounds are just as enticing. The winery frequently hosts graduations, rehearsal dinners, and other gatherings for up to 50 people, not to mention group tastings in a tasting room that overlooks the lush scenery. While guests are there, they can stroll the territory, perhaps stumbling across bullets from the Civil War raids that took place in the area.

A 30-acre swath of lush, Red Oak Mountain terrain surrounds Capitol Vineyards' historic facilities, where owners Lauren Shrem and Matthew Noland forge an eclectic collection of French-style wines from Virginia grapes. With help from a resident French winemaker and vintners across the state, they press an array of vintages, dispensing the elixirs during events inside the facility's historic, rustic tasting room. Constructed as a post office in the 1800s and used as a general store in the early 1900s, the site still bears its original wooden bar, floors, and grizzled prospector.

On February 1, 2011, Linganore Winecellars' staff members celebrated with a barrel tasting. They had just finalized the winery's transition to operating on strictly sustainable wind power.

Founded in 1971 by the Aellen family, Linganore has since expanded in every way, from its grape selection to new bottling rooms to a renovation of the offices in the 19th-century barn on the grounds. Today, the sustainable winery stocks more wines than ever before, with its award-winning selection including traditional grape varietals, fruit wines, and specialty bottles. The idyllic winery routinely hosts events as well, with concerts, tastings, and tours taking place 361 days out of the year, granting the grapes four days to just hang out.

Named one of the 5 Best Places to Study Wine in the country by Food & Wine magazine, Washington Wine Academy has something for novices and experts alike. The school’s offerings include professional-certification classes, tours of local wineries, singles mixers, and wine-and-a-movie nights, all overseen by top wine writers and sommeliers. This blend of education and entertainment has proven successful: on average, the Academy educates more than 1,000 enthusiasts per month and hosts more than 300 wine and beer events each year.

Students and visitors gather in the academy’s brick and mortar wine school–the first of its kind in the DC area. A large hall provides the perfect setting for presentations or Model UN practice, and the nearby Crystal City Wine Shop stocks an extensive collection of beer and wines from around the world.

Central Liquors, one of Washington DC's oldest and most established liquor suppliers, employs a staff with encyclopedic knowledge of the shop's multitude of wines and spirits. Seventy-one types of single-malt scotch tumble into glasses and sport peaty or mild flavors that have been aged for years in oak-lined casks or oak-lined halls of a private school. Liqueurs and cordials sweeten cocktails and clear spirits such as vodka and gin provide the basis for many a martini.

The shop's selection of champagne and sparkling wines can fit any budget or occasion, from New Year's Eve festivities to the bathtub christening of a new toy boat. Wednesday through Saturday, Central Liquors hosts in-store wine-tastings, sharing multiple bottles from their international inventory. The staff can also advise party throwers by helping brainstorm appropriate libations their event and recommending an appropriate number of bottles based on the number of guests.