Willow Oaks Cider and Wine

Willow Oaks Craft Cider and Wine is located in Middletown, Maryland and they are the state's oldest organic farm. Owned by Eric and Lori Rice, they converted an old stone house covered in weeds into the picturesque property that it is today. They  planted a farm and orchard, have their own bees and cows, and grow everything from apples, currants, figs and pears. The tasting room features an art gallery with local artists' paintings on all of the walls. The upstairs is also an Airbnb and speakeasy. A lot is going on at this farm! For the ciders, they ferment all the way through meaning they don't use commercial yeast, don't back sweeten with sugar and don't filter. Their Homesteader series uses single varietals of apples in each cider and leaves them still. When we visited, we parked on the gravel lot, walked in past a basketball area, past a cute little deck with plants on it overlooking the farm and orchard and into the rustic, wooden tasting room. The staff was knowledgeable and answered our questions to get us set up with our flight for tasting. We tried a few ciders and a few of the port-style wines they also make. Our favorite was the off-dry cider, Juillet. It was made from  organic pear and tart sour cherry juices and the ABV was 7.9%. We got aromas of  cherry and a lot of tartness on the palate, plus hints of cinnamon, vinegar and menthol.  This 35-acre farm claims to have something for everyone.