Five years ago, when St. Michaels Winery was started, they were the 19th winery in the state of Maryland. Now there are some 41. This puts St. Michaels in a great position on a steadily growing trend. And the location of the winery, right in the middle of town, ensures that they'll be serving fantastic wines for years to come. They are now selling their wines through 400 stores, a number which is sure to keep rising.

Following suit with the town's love of anything to do with boating, St. Michaels Winery named some of their wines after nautical terms. There's the "Long Splice," which originally refers to a method of splicing two ends of rope together, but is now a crisp dry Chardonnay with a moderate sweet aftertaste. Their Sangiovese is named after the "Island Belle," a renowned log-canoe. As far as where the grapes for making the wine come from, they have them delivered by boat to the St. Michaels docks - practically right outside their door.

The winery is another reason why St. Michaels is a town to visit. When you see the sign with the grapes (it's all about signs), you will know where to go to taste the award-winning wines of St. Michaels yourself. Cheers!

Written by Erik Yount. Photography by Errol Webber.