Shore to Shore: A local winery showcases the Eastern Shore’s terroir
EDEN, Md. — Tucked along the Eastern Shore is a homegrown vineyard pairing locally grown grapes with sweeping views of the water. In the newest edition of Shore to Shore, the series takes us sipping by the shore at a local vineyard with a waterfront twist.
Bordeleau Vineyards and Winery owner, founder and winemaker Tom Shelton said, “I started growing vines in 1999, so they’re 26, 27 years old now — the older vines.”
Shelton began making homemade wine in the early 2000s.
“After about three or four years of that, people convinced me we should try to go commercial because the quality — the wine seemed pretty good,” Shelton said.
As the saying goes, the business aged like the fine wine they make. I had to ask which varietal he favors.
“That’s like asking me which of my children is my favorite. So, you’re not going to get that out of me,” Shelton said.
He may not reveal whether he prefers a crisp white or a full-bodied red, but he said his patience is what gives his seven different dry reds their smooth finish.
“We do some things that not many wineries do. We age our wines longer in oak barrels,” Shelton added. “The longer you age it, typically the softer and smoother it gets, so our red wines are typically aged between four and five years and out.”
If fruit-forward wines are more your style, there’s good news.
“We make several fruit wines. We make apple, peach, strawberry, blackberry, and we grow all that fruit,” Shelton said.
The vineyard wasn’t always lined with grapevines.
“I’d been looking for a property on the water, a farm, for years and finally found this place. The name Bordeleau means water’s edge,” Shelton said.
He set out to create a winery and vineyard on the shore that makes wine with beautiful balance, a long-lasting finish and an aroma for everyone — all while keeping it affordable.
“My goal wasn’t to make wine and make a lot of money. It was to prove that we could make excellent wines in our — terroir is the word — combination of the soils and the climate,” Shelton said.
The winery and vineyard are located at 3155 Noble Farm Road, Eden, Maryland 21822.
If you have any recommendations for Shore to Shore, you can email us at newsroom@wmdt.com
