Wine in the Woods

Every Year Always a blast — you meet up with all your friends from the previous year — great location but if you have problems walking definitely wear appropriate shoes and utilize transportation they have onsite to get you from the parking area to the gate because it’s a hike — once your in omg toooooo many vendors to name — come prepared with folding chair — hat n shades for shade — drink plenty of water if it’s a sunny day and bring a poncho if it’s a rainy day — I even bring my own food however don’t forget you’re carrying things around or entrusting people to use the honor code — thus far it’s worked year after year

I went to this event with a large group. Upon arriving, my best friend and I looked for a place to sit that was shady. I know that I should be afraid, but there were so many ant farms and random spiders crawling around and it freaked me out. So after moving like 4 times, I told my friend to pick a spot and I wont look and we will put our stuff down because if I looked too hard, lll find something and then we would need to move again. lol For the price paid, this was a nice all day event. Even though it called for storms, we enjoyed majority of the time filled with sun and fun. I liked visiting different tents and being able to purchase wine to take home or drink on the spot. A part of me feels this even was over booked. The lines were crazy long and there is no way that you could see everything in one day. That’s ok because we were on the hunt for Linganore and the Sangria place in which I saw everyone and their momma walking around with this pastel pink looking wine. Eventually we found it and it was yummy! I ended up buying 4 wines and taking them home. Big question is… will I go back? hmmmm. Maybe not. Big crowds and not moving kind of bothers me. But I would encourage everyone to have this experience at least once.

This was my first time at Wine in the Woods. The atmosphere was nice and bathroom was clean, but it was to dam crowded. Lines were to long at every tasting. Really to enjoy yourself you have to buy a bottle or two. I thought I would be introduced to quite a few wineries, but that was impossible.

This was my second time attending the festival. I love seeing all the selction of wines that maryland has to offer. This time I followed a friends advice and voluteeered one of the two days for an afternoon shift. With this you recieve a complentary entery into the festival, BONUS!!! My favoirite winery was Great Frogs, from Annapolis, MD. The man at this booth was so knowlegable about the wine and what to pair with each food wise. The only down side for me personally, Maryland has a lot of sweet wine and I like drys better. Dry options are very limited to taste, try and enjoy.

I got the pleasure of seeing this festival from two sides. Saturday I went as a volunteer and Sunday I attended as a guest. My volunteer experience wasn’t nearly as great as my visitor experience was.
The cons of volunteering — the people «managing» the volunteers (well one of them) was probably the worst person I’ve ever met in my life. She was rude, nasty and mean to those giving of their time.
The Pros of volunteering– meeting new people and free tickets to the event. It also was only a four hour shift so it didn’t feel very long at all.
The Cons of attending– some of the people at the tasting tents knew nothing about what they pouring and it showed! When asked which one we were trying one woman said «shut up and drink» I’m sorry but I go to a wine festival to find new wines.
The pros of attending– I met some really great people doing the tastings as well. One guy took 30 mins to tell us how to properly taste and what things can be paired with. I enjoyed the education from his tent so much I plan to visit the winery.
There were so many types of wine and things I never knew I liked. The lines were pretty short and the food that I tried was great. If I could do one thing over I’d attend on Saturday the music at the stages was better on Saturday then it was on Sunday!

It was a nice event to get you out the house away from the norm. I arrived at around 1130 and there were still plenty of spots to choose from throughout the park. There is a baggage check but knowing what I know now I should have brought my own bottle of wine and I will get to why later on.
The entire idea of Wine in the Woods is to sample various wines and if you m me you can purchase a bottle. The biggest issue is the crowd of people hovering around those pouring the wine samples like vultures. This made it very hard for others to sample the wine and caused confusion as to when and where the line starts. I hope that next year the wine sampling is more spreadout or a better way of sampling is conceived.
Overall good times and very relaxing as I bought a bottle and struggled not to sample the foods from the many vendors that were present.

Excellent opportunity to sit under the trees and sip something. This was my first experience at Wine in the Woods and I really had a good time. Groupon offered tickets as well as other venues at various prices with amenities. This is not a BYOB situation but let’s just say some folks managed to smuggle their own libations in. Located at the Merriweather Pavilion, there are some overpriced food items here so pack your own picnic lunch. There are often concerts here and they had a musical lineup here that was great.
You are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets and items for a picnic. There are blankets and t-​shirts for sale along with the lanyards that allow you to hang your wine glass from your neck… don’t be that guy/​gal just hold your glass and be prepared to raise it to toast to good times. Ticket purchase included a glass for use to go to the many tasting stations. I know that some stations had up to five selections to sample but it was frustrating when some patrons would just homestead at the station causing others to just stand behind them as they continuously sipped samples. Get your sample and step aside to allow the person behind you to indulge. If making a purchase, they have areas where you don’t have to hold up the line.
I found a few new wines that I enjoy and will be adding them to my collection. If you buy multiple bottles some vendors offer discounts and there is a location where you can have your purchases held so you don’t leave them unattended or have to lug them around. Of course there is a VIP area that had their own potties, food and seating area. Although there was a robust crowd, there was enough room to lay your blanket out, set up a small table and chill. Check the website if you are interested in volunteering. Volunteers who perform at least four hours can receive free admission. Educational sessions on wine were being held so you can learn about proper pairings of wine and food. An excellent opportunity that I hope to have again.

This is my third time to this event. My first was in 2012. I missed 2013 and made it 2014 and this year 2015. I always enjoy wine festivals but not exactly the wait of the sampling. They advertised in the program locations of the booths for the wine tables and food vendors. Some of the vendors were not where they indicated. I ran all over the place looking for this one particular vendor and after so much running around i finally found it. I also dont like how some of the vendors charge for sampling if it’s not port wine. That i can see. Some were charging it for a regular sample. Which is like maybe a teaspoon or less. Really? We already paid to get here. We always purchase at least 5 to 6 bottles to take home. I really enjoyed the lumber jack white wine by Orchid Cellar. Its pure honey and apple wine. Omg I never realized how honey mixed with wine could be so good!. It’s my top list now. It was about $ 22.00 a bottle. Trust me the alcohol content is kickin. 16 to 18%. Sounds good to me. Overall my experience was fun and relaxing as usual. We always bring our portable chairs and find a shady spot under the tree. Very good selections of wine with a variety of different food vendors if you don’t want to bring your own food. Alcohol is not allowed unless you’re making a purchase. Also at the main entrance stop by some of the booths to pick up some of the goods and freebies. I love spinning the wheel at the Maryland lottery table. I won a nice flashlight and some pretty cool sunshades. Of course i will be attending next year event as well. :)

If I could give no stars I would. Manager at location was nasty and rude. Food-​below par. Highly disappointed. Definitely not worth the wait.

This years event was larger in comparison to the last. There were some new wineries, a bit more lectures added and about double the amount of vendors selling crafts and food. It wasn’t as crowded as last years event due to the multiple other evens going on the same weekend, however, it is still best that you get there early as possible to reserve your seating area.
You can’t go wrong with this event at all… unlimited pours of wine at over 30 wineries. I just wish they gave more in-​depth structured lectures and tastings. The volunteers don’t know what they are serving and sometimes it can get annoying!

Waste of time and money! Oversold, long lines to get a meager sample and extra charge for premium pour. Nothing like past events, too bad.

This was my first wine festival. It was a great day, perfect weather, and there was no rain prior so the ground was dry which was a major plus. I can’t imagine just going as a couple I’d rather go with a group, more fun that way IMO. I gave it 4 stars because of the price, $ 40 pp is a tad high IMO. But the location is perfect. Columbia has a great mixed crowd. I’ll return this year if the weather permits and I’m not busy.

I must admit that my expectations were low for WITW. I thought it would be a bunch of people trying to get drunk, not really interested in tasting wine. I also expected to taste wine from vendors that had not fully fine tuned their fermentation processes. I was pleasantly surprised to find people truly enjoying and critiquing the wines.
My likes:
I loved the environment. I loved that everyone seemed to drink responsibly. With a mass of people drinking, I also expected foolishness (i.e. fighting and hook ups, etc.), but all I saw were families and friends nested in the seating areas, drinking, eating and having a good time.
I liked that we were able to bring our lawn chairs, blankets and food baskets. I also appreciated the food vendors that sold a variety of items (I didn’t particularly like the BBQ whatever I ate, but I was glad it was there and that I had other options available).
I was impressed with how they kept the grounds and restrooms clean (thank goodness!!!)
Dislikes:
I felt as though the organizers could have done a better job at lining up tasters at the booths. Because there was a large number of people at the event, there were crowds and crowds of people in no particular line. Thankfully, I had no issues with cutting and pushing.
There could have been more water stations. Most fountains where I tried to rinse my glass out were dry and did not get replenished.
Every vendor did not have a debit card swipe. At this stage of the game, everyone should have a Squareup or Paypal.
They needed better navigation signs and better trained employees and police officers. I barely saw any signs (and Im sure its not because I wasn’t wearing my glasses), got lost on my way back from the restroom and a police officer directed me for 5 minutes until I realized he was lost too (thanks Mr. Officer).
Overall, it was a good event and I want to attend next year. Next time I know to be there early, to pack a picnic basket, to wear a hat and bring cash.

I was really looking forward to going this year until I saw that they charge $ 20 for a 3 year old to attend. Their website says the event is not suitable for kids, «there are no children’s activities and it would be difficult to maneuver a stroller through the busy Festival grounds». Yet a few years ago, there were children’s activities and children under a certain age were free or otherwise $ 5. Why the change? I feel excluded in this community event. No one in their right mind is going to pay $ 20 for their child to attend and the government must know this. I have attended winery events where the children enjoyed a picnic and the music with their families and the adults enjoyed sampling the wine. No harm done… no drunken debauchery. It was a nice day out with the family. Perhaps if the government turned this back into a family-​friendly event, there wouldn’t be the drunks that other reviewers complained of. At least let families feel like they have the option of going and let them decide what is suitable for their children.

What sucks about my review is that I want to give Wine in the Woods 5-​stars, because I really enjoyed myself, that is until it was time to go home. Howard County Fire and Rescue, Police Officers, EMT, and other emergency responder workers at the event are the most UNAPPROACHABLE people I’ve ever met.
I’ve been to several wine festivals this spring season and my experience with this festival has been the best this season. I had raving reviews until it was time to leave the event. I walked around in circles, as I didn’t know how to get back to the front entrance where the shuttle buses were. I’ve never seen so many careless, unapproachable EMT, first responders, off-​duty cops, etc in all of my life as I did with the Howard County workers at that event.
When it was time to leave, I went to where I came into the event and there was a herd of uniformed cops telling me I was going the wrong way. They pointed in the direction of where the crowd was walking, so I follow the crowd. I get to a place where there’s a golf cart like shuttle, transporting people to the parking lot. I think, Hey! This must be one of the baby shuttles that would get me to the bigger shuttles. I naively thought the other shuttle would pick up from the golf cart shuttle would drop me off at. After waiting 20 – 30 minutes in the heat with over 12 bottles of wine in tow near an abandoned and parked shuttle bus in the parking lot, I realized the larger shuttle bus wasn’t coming. I tried stopping the golf cart driver when he’d return from his runs. He just ignored me. I tried to stop some of the EMS workers leaving, just to ask if I was in the right spot. They ignored me. No one was willing to assist me. One lady, an attendee like me, felt so sorry for me, she offered me a ride to the end of the hill where uniformed cops were directing traffic.
They told me I had to walk 1000 feet up to the corner and the shuttle would be around there. At this point, I was sweaty, exhausted, tired, and my arms were throbbing from carrying so much wine. Quite frankly, I didn’t believe them because I had been given so many bad directions. Needless to say, I had no other choice but to trust them if I wanted to eventually get back to my car. I don’t live in Columbia, or Howard County for that matter so I had no idea where I was or how to get back to my car, which was parked in an office building’s parking lot.
Fortunately, the shuttle was there, but then the problem became, which shuttle to take, as one shuttle was going to one lot and the other to another lot, and I had no idea there were multiple lots, and the lot I parked at wasn’t labelled or marked, so I didn’t even know to make note of that. Now, I’m a big girl and I always were my big girl panties, so I will take responsibility for not taking care of myself with taking notes of where I was, or where I parked my vehicle, but for this event, Howard County needs to take a long, hard look at itself.
I’ve never had such a poor taste left in my mouth after experiencing people who, by nature, are suppose to help people. For that one reason, I’d never want to live in Howard County. Those people were that nasty and unapproachable.
Now that I’ve talked about what I didn’t like about the event, let me talk about what I loved about the event. There was such a large selection of wineries, I didn’t get a chance to taste them all. There was music for everyone. Rock –n-​Roll, Hip-​Hop, Pop, and they rotated so not just one type of music played the entire time. There were food vendors for every type of palette. It was a really nice event. Next year, I’ll be smarter. I’ll be sure to not buy ANY wine just in case I get lost and no one wants to help me, again. That way my arms aren’t hurting so badly from walking around and around in circles like a member of the lost tribe of Israel.

I would rather stay home with a really nice $ 35 bottle of wine, avoid the teeming, personal space invading crowds that are there just to get drunk, and the carnival food.

Although we had a delightful time, there are some things that a wine lover must remember before going to this event.
1-​Most of the pourers are volunteers and know little if anything about what they are pouring. Keep your questions simple, or better yet, save yourself the trouble and just don’t ask any questions.
2-​A large portion of the attendees are simply there to get drunk and don’t care what they are drinking therefore, many of the wineries are somewhat used this and seem to cater to it.
3-​Although it seems that the wine scene in Maryland has been stepping it up recently, many of the wineries are quite new and it is evident in the wine they are producing. If you get lucky, you will stumble across the few wineries that have gotten it right early on.
With all that being said, if you keep these few things in mind when you go and don’t expect to drink the best wines of your life here, you are bound to have a good time. Until next year!!!

Me and my wife went to this event for the first time this weekend and had the best time ever. This event was sponsored by Howard County Government. This event was catered and had a wide selection of food and wines to sample and buy if you were in the VIP tent. Thank god we were in the VIP tent as Unilocal members because we would of gotten rained on and would not of had the opportunity to enjoy the atmosphere food and drinks. Thanks to Unilocal this was a very enjoyable enemy. Apparently this event is held every year in which wine makers market the fruit of their labor. In which I must admit to is very tasted. I well revisit this event next year.

Unlimited wine samplings from local vineyards, live music, good food and great music? All a short walk from my house? Yes, please!
I made it to Wine in the Woods for the first time after hearing about how much fun everyone had last year. This year, I was determined not to miss it, despite the head cold I had been fighting all day long. I finally made it there at 1 PM, found my friends and then proceeded to do some tastings.
The later you arrive at Wine in the Woods, the more patience you will need. I have heard that the earlier you get there, the better. You will beat the crowds, be able to try and buy much more and still be able to stake out a decent spot to camp for the day. By the time, I got around to some sampling, the tents were fairly surrounded by wine fanatics of all levels. It required a lot of patience to wait through the talk about palettes and aromas and bouquets coming from other attendees (who either knew what they were talking about or wanted to look smart so they could continue to stand there a little longer and try everything). Eventually, I just settled for a taste of a few and bought a couple of bottles to enjoy the rest of the day while sitting on a blanket and enjoying the great weather. Vendors will either sell it to you closed or they will open and chill it for you. And if your friends are like mine, there will be plenty of sharing.
Wrist bands cannot be purchased online and can only be purchased at a Howard County recreation facility or on the day of at the gate for $ 5 more. There are designated drive wrist bands available as well, which includes 4 sodas and of course a cheaper price tag. It can get crowded and if you are not a fan of long lines and a lot of people than I don’t recommend this particular event for you. Also, don’t be stupid and even attempt to drink and drive. There are cops and there are a lot of them. It isn’t worth it!
P. S. Sadly the head cold won the battle but I still had fun despite it.