The DelMarVa coast is not only beaches, boating, and fishing. There are a plethora of craft beverage producers in the area such as Delaware's Salted Vines Vineyard & Winery. The establishment operated for five years on Route 54 as Fenwick Wine Cellars on Route 54. by 2015 they had outgrown that location and found a 26-acre parcel near Frankford that now houses the winery -- rebranded as Salted Vines. The estate vineyard was first planted with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon vines and has slowly expanded with more two additional acres of grape varieties planted each year. Salted Vines encourages families to visit as children are allowed in the tasting room and leashed dogs are allowed on the outside grounds. They also host a summer concert series on weekends with popular local bands and food trucks. We've already missed the lower case blues and Love Seed Mama Jump shows - but that demonstrates the caliber of the lineup.
At the tasting bar, the winery provides fifteen wines -- all included in the $10 tasting fee (that includes keeping the glass). Some of these wines are hold-overs from the Fenwick Wine Cellars brand and they range from dry to semi-dry to sweet. Until their estate is completely utilized, most of the fruit is sourced from various regions particularly for the labrusca based wines of Catawba ($15) Niagara ($15), Steuben ($15), and Concord ($15). These wines were clean and well made despite their inherent funky and jammy characters. However, the dry Traminette ($19) and semi-dry Riesling ($19) and Reflections ($17) were my preferences. The first two were very representative of their respective grapes whereas the later was a refreshing summer beach wine. As for dry reds, their Chambourcin ($22) shows off quite nicely. And if you do prefer a sweeter style, their Fredonia ($15) and Ambrosia ($18) are good choices. Unfortunately, they do provide the dreaded wine slushies, but I guess these have a market. Besides that, this is an enjoyable stop at the Maryland and Delaware beaches. Cheers.
