United States of Wine

Boordy Vineyards – Terra Maria – Dry Red Wine Blend – 2022

Price: $20 – Wegmans

Boordy Vineyards makes a lot of different kinds of wines, but I was looking for one I knew was made from grapes grown in Maryland. Their Terra Maria Dry Red Blend is made with Chambourcin grapes, a more native grape to the area.

The wine poured into my glass in a deep burgundy color, darker than many of the wines I usually drink. It was almost a beautiful violet-red.

The first scents just after opening the bottle reminded me of organic grape juice. There was a sweetness to the smell, and I was able to get the scent of tobacco, mulch and a fruity chewing gum.

There was a fruity taste to the wine that was hard to place, and it took the bottle being open for more than two hours before the kind of fruit became more defined. While it had a smooth finish, the flavor just felt a bit off.

The more we tasted, it became more clear why we neither liked or disliked this wine. It was flat, with not a lot of dynamic flavors. As my tasting partner described, “It tastes like a very good wine that was watered down.” I think that was exactly the right description.

If this wine was more concentrated in flavors, it could be a very good wine.

The wine did become alive the longer it was opened, and after two hours, it was slightly more flavorful. I was finally able to narrow the fruit flavor down to a dark fruit, perhaps a currant or blackberry.

Would I buy this wine again? Probably not. But would I drink it if it was offered? Yes, I believe so.

Score: 5.0/10