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Maryland is an east coast state of the USA, located between Virginia to the south and Pennsylvania to the north. The state covers 12,400 square miles (32,000 square km), most of which is dominated by estuarine and coastal areas. Due to its complex coastline, Maryland's eastern boundary is formed not by the Atlantic Ocean, but by the diminutive state of Delaware. Chesapeake Bay, a large Atlantic inlet up to 30 miles wide, penetrates into central Maryland for more than 100 miles (160km), very nearly splitting the state in two, as it actually has done in Virginia. The resulting peninsula, which forms the eastern third of the state, has been dubbed 'Delmarva' – a synthesis of the names Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. (© Proprietary Content, Wine-Searcher.)
The volume of water around Maryland serves to moderate the climate, imposing a strong maritime influence. Where the more continental climate of the state's western neighbors (such as West Virginia) brings hotter summers and cooler winters, Maryland's viticultural potential is dramatically improved by the tempered climate. The western edge of the state stretches out disproportionately to the west for 70 miles (113km), creating the Maryland pan-handle. Here, the climate is classified as 'subtropical highland' on the Koppen scale, signifying cold, snow-laden winters and hot, humid summers – conditions which few vine varieties could endure.
The first attempts at viticulture in Maryland date back to the mid-17th century, when European immigrants began the search for suitable wine-bearing vines. Although not entirely fruitless, the quest delivered wines with unfamiliar flavors – unappealing to those with European tastes. In 1662 the colony's governor planted 200 acres of European vines, some of which became the earliest vinifera victims of phylloxera.
Maryland's wine production now averages 550,000 bottles every vintage, derived from more than 300 acres of vines and a handful of small-scale wineries. Quality wine production here is centered in two key areas. The most prolific region is in the central-west of the state, on the Piedmont Plateau north and west of Baltimore. The second area is in eastern Maryland, in the cool, hillside climes around Chesapeake Bay and on the Delmarva Peninsula.
Maryland is the tenth smallest US state, but despite this it has three AVAs to its name. Of these, only Linganore (located in the central north of the state) is cited with any frequency, as most wineries within the other two AVAs – Catoctin and Cumberland Valley – use the state-level Maryland appellation.
The range of grapes grown in Maryland is remarkably varied – the result not only of the diverse climate, but also of 350 years of experimentation by the state's winemakers. The well-known vinifera varieties do well here, with Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc being the prime examples. Barbera has also made a comfortable transition from Piedmont in north-western Italy to the Piedmont of Maryland; it thrives in the hotter areas here alongside its warm-climate partners Sangiovese and Viognier. The hybrids Seyval Blanc and Chambourcin are also grown.
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