Big Cork
One of our more memorable visits was on August 5th in 2023. Starting with our tasting, we got to try the new chenin blanc sparkling. It was excellent and even better than the previous vintage blanc de blanc, which we already liked a lot and are aware won them a silver medal at the 2022 MD Governor's Cup. There was the most interesting note of ginger or some different spice on the back of the palate, along with nice bright, citrusy acidity/lime. Sauvignon blanc was the first white coming through with the tropical fruits and grassy notes. East coast sauv blancs don't typically get the super bright, acidic finish that west coast or New Zealand’s do but they still bring the grassiness. Stainless chardonnay was bright with nice melon flavor. The semi-dry rose had fun strawberry, kiwi flavors. Syrah was the first red. Tart cherries, white pepper and cinnamon made for nice complexity before the 2020 cabernet franc. Hands down, this was my favorite vintage of it from Big Cork yet. Dark fruits with a smooth peppery finish and bell pepper aromas. Petit verdot continues to impress with floral aromas, dark fruits and its lingering finish. Bri ordered a glass of the dry rose and Ian got the cab franc. As if all that wasn't great enough on its own, we got to meet the owner, Randy, as he sat down at the end of the bar next to us as we were finishing up. He was asking one of the employees to grab him a nebbiolo, cabernet franc and chardonnay for his son to take with him to one of the sales jobs he had later at a local distributor. We wound up chatting with him and his son for the rest of the time we were at the winery. He generously got us a bottle of the cab franc on the house and one of their cigars from Nicaragua for Ian to try. We learned everything from the story of how Big Cork came to be, to when Randy's son is taking his driving test, to how a recent trip to Thailand may impact the vineyard. Randy Thompson is the son of Lloyd and Dortha Thompson, who founded Thompson Gas in Boonsboro, Maryland in 1946. Randy took over the family business in 1996 and grew it from a one-location appliance and propane store into a $115 million, 325 person energy supplier with locations in 10 states. This also won him the CEO of the Year award from Baltimore SmartCEO magazine in 2011. Then after becoming a marine and doing a tour in Iraq, Randy looked at some corn fields on their family property and got the idea to turn them into grape vines and a winery. With approval from Lloyd, the first grapes were planted in 2011 and the first vintage was ready in 2013. They won their first award in 2014 (best in show at the MD Governor's Cup for their 2013 Petit Verdot) and have been racking them up ever since. After sipping wine and hearing all about the history of the Thompsons and Big Cork, then Randy's son starts talking about his recent trip to Thailand, riding mo-peds, and practicing muay thai with some of the world's best. He had his pinky toe snapped and broken, got to work on some kicks and came home with the idea of possibly having bungalow's to sleep in on the property for overnight guests. The whole family is quite impressive and Randy's son has 10 times the ambition I remember having at age 16, and much more interesting life experience stories. I couldn't finish this article with out mentioning, David Collins, who is their head wine- maker. After spending 25 years in Virginia at Breaux Vineyards, he joined Big Cork in 2010, putting his horticulture degree from Virginia Tech to good use. USA Today nominated Big Cork in 2022 for one of America's Top Wine Tasting Rooms. January 2024 will introduce the newest grape, vermentino, to the world class tasting room. Ian and I recently became "Big Corkers" wine club members in July 2023 but have been frequenting this winery since we discovered it back in 2020. Their Big Corkers enjoy quarterly package pickup nights, with half price tastings of newly released wines, along with a complimentary glass of wine and an enjoyable afternoon.
