wet in 2014 , with a one-acre test site on their property of half acres of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon respectively , “ It worked out well !”
Next came a deep dive learning everything they could — attending workshops , working with consultants and devouring the science — and making good mistakes . In 2016 their first harvest proved successful and encouraging . “ It ’ s a lot of work , but also a lot of fun ,” assures Mark . That harvest produced a barrel of Cabernet Franc . “ Nobody got sick , and it didn ’ t taste like vinegar !” Mark and Pam laugh .
By now , smitten by the wine business , the question was how to scale up , next level stuff leading to a viable profitable enterprise . Approaching his neighbor who owned the farm across the street , Mark was allowed to set up temperature monitors with an eye to purchasing the farm for more grape growing acreage . Monitoring the low land microclimate , all the metrics came back positive .
“ After extensive temperature and soil analysis ( an 80-page report ), it came back that of the 47 acres , we could get a good 23 to 25 acres of grapes on it , which could make the scaling-up work ,” says Mark . “ In 2017 we purchased the farm across the street , put three acres in with deer fences up , and we bought basic wine-making equipment .
In the beginning we did everything . We dug the holes , planted and watered plants , built the trellises , winter pruned , final pruned , shoot positioning , the whole thing . We have a big family nearby and they have done tons of work .”
Year by year the acreage has
increased . The learning curve was straight up . The grape growing community in Maryland is a tightknit one , and fellow vineyard owners were happy to advise and share knowledge . Jeremy Chriss from the Office of Agriculture was a constant source of knowledge and advice , Mark assures . This area is also rich with excellent vineyard consultants and horticulturists , which proved invaluable to the Gigantis . frosts wiped out over 90 % of the
“ We spent a lot of time trying fruit . “ And you ’ re thinking ‘ What !? to figure out who we wanted to be We just lost all these grapes after and how we wanted to be ,” remembers Mark . Keeping it simple and recalls Pam .
all that work , what are we doing ?’” manageable as a family-owned
What was left was one barrel neighborhood winery is what Mark of grapes out of 4 acres . It should and Pam landed on . have been 5 or 6 barrels . “ It wasn ’ t Pam has a favorite story she enough yield to process separately , says Pam . “ We had a little likes to tell … of tragedy and transformation and the vicissitudes bit of Chardonnay and a little bit of the wine business . It was their of Seyval Blanc so we made the call first vintage in 2020 . They had a to field blend it . The grapes were block of carefully cultivated white all put into the press together and grapes . Over Mother ’ s Day weekend two nights of grape-killing as I like to say , it played well in the
then into a French oak barrel . And
Making new friends during the ribbon cutting for 61 Vineyard ’ s Tasting Room in the fall of 2021 .
plenty I autumn harvest 2023 33