MECHANICSVILLE, Md. — Welcome to our new expert series on The BayNet written by members of Corteau Vineyards. We are a family-owned winery and vineyard located in Northern St. Mary’s County. While the property has been in our family since 1941, we have been growing grapes for more than 20 years and opened our winery on Golden Beach Road in 2023.
In this series, we will share insights into vineyard life, winemaking, seasonal farming challenges and the realities of growing grapes in Southern Maryland.
No doubt by now you’ve heard about the devastating freeze of April 21, 2026, when temperatures across the Mid-Atlantic dropped low enough to damage small fruit crops, orchards and vineyards. Farmers throughout the region prepared as best they could, but there was little anyone could do against temperatures that reached the mid-20s. By many accounts, this was the most devastating freeze event in a lifetime…