Wineries toast federal grants

USDA gives $400K to three Maryland companies

Three members of Maryland's burgeoning wine industry got a boost from the federal government on Friday, receiving a total of almost half-million dollars to enhance their marketing and production efforts.

The value-added producer grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture are given to individual growers to help turn their produce into marketable goods, according to an agency statement.

Elk Run Vineyards of Mount Airy grabbed the biggest grant — $263,000 — to help meet retail and wholesale demands and to improve and develop new marketing and sales strategies.

An Elkton winery, Terrapin Station Winery, received $49,872 to hire a full-time winemaker, develop its Web presence and promote its packaging: Terrapin Station sells its wine in boxes, which some claim are more environmentally responsible than conventional bottles.

The third company, Cascia Vineyards of Stevensville, received $99,856 to help it establish a self-sustaining and profitable winery on its farm. Cascia plans to create premium red and white wines from both vinifera — a common European grape — and native varietals of grapes grown on the premises. Cascia Vineyards is the first winery on Kent Island.

"This achievement marks a new era in Maryland's wine and grape industry," Kevin Atticks, executive director of the Maryland Wineries Association, said in a statement. "The industry has been growing at 20 percent annually and these grants are a testament to the success of one of Maryland's newest agricultures."