Boordy Vineyards Icons of Maryland, Rockfish (Seyval-Vidal-Chardonnay)

by Jacob

With temperatures in the Washington, DC area hovering in the upper 90s the last few weeks, I have been on the lookout for white wines that would pair well with food and provide relief from the scorching weather.  While at my local grocery store (one of only a few in the county that is allowed to sell beer and wine), I saw a Boordy Vineyard white blend that look interesting—the Icons of Maryland, Rockfish blend of Seyval, Chardonnay, and Vidal Blanc.

Boordy Vineyards is Maryland’s oldest winery.  Located in Baltimore County, Boordy began growing grapes in the 1930s and opened the state’s first winery in 1945.  Today, they grow many of their own grapes in vineyards the central and western parts of Maryland and produce a number of grape based and fruit based wines.  Boordy wines are generally divided into three categories, landmark wines (single varietal and a meritage style red), Icons of Maryland (blends and single varietals named for iconic animals of Maryland) wines, and fruit wines.

Normally, I shy away from wines that do not have a vintage on the label and that source their grapes from “America.”   I want to know when a wine was produced and where the grapes were grown.  In this instance, however, Boordy has done an excellent job of blending Seyval, Chardonnay, and Vidal Blanc grapes into an acidic and smooth white wine that is easy drinking on a hot summer day.  It’s light yellow in the glass, and the nose has hints of ripe pear and peaches.  On the palate, you can taste melon (cantalope) with a hint of honeysuckle.  This provides a slight sweet balance to what might otherwise be an overly acidic wine.  At 11% alcohol, the “Rockfish” can be an easy and cost effective ($10) summer wine.  (Rating ***)