2022 Old Westminster "Salt" White, Carroll County, Maryland

Every great table needs Salt and Pepper — and Old Westminster Winery has both. If you’ve already met “Pepper” (their spicy, soul-warming red blend), allow us to introduce its equally captivating counterpart: “Salt,” a skin-contact white blend that is bright, juicy, mineral-driven, and unlike anything you’ve tasted from Maryland — or most anywhere else. Made from 85% skin-contact Grüner Veltliner, 10% Chardonnay, and 5% Albariño, “Salt” delivers almost-ripe stone fruit, nutty citrus, fresh lively texture, and a mouthwatering minerality that will have you reaching for the glass again before you’ve finished the first sip. Woman-owned, certified organic, natural wine, and crafted by winemaker Lisa alongside siblings Drew and Ashli on their 134-acre Carroll County farm. A top U.S. winery by Cosmopolitan Magazine and USA Today, 2023. Pass the Salt.

Wine Details & Tasting Notes

Tasting Notes: Light golden hue leading to a bright, juicy wine with fresh acidity. Almost-ripe stone fruit flavors with a nutty, citrusy character. Fresh, lively mouthfeel enhances the mouthwatering minerality — a wine that will have you saying “pass the Salt.”

• Origin – Carroll County, Maryland, USA (estate grown; 134 acres farmed across Old Westminster Vineyard and Burnt Hill Farm, Montgomery County)
• Producer – Old Westminster Winery; woman-owned; family-owned; winemaker Lisa (sister); vineyard manager Drew (brother); brand director Ashli (sister); est. 2011; Certified Organic; Natural Wine; named top U.S. winery by Cosmopolitan & USA Today, 2023
• Blend – 85% Skin-Contact Grüner Veltliner, 10% Chardonnay, 5% Albariño
• Style – Dry white wine (skin-contact; natural wine; certified organic; orange-adjacent; mineral-driven)
• ABV – 14.0%

Food Pairing

The stone fruit, nutty citrus, and saline minerality of this skin-contact Maryland white make it one of the most food-adventurous and rewarding natural wines you can pour. Pairs beautifully with raw oysters, grilled shrimp, and fresh seafood — the minerality mirrors the brine in the most delicious way. The skin-contact texture and Albariño brightness make it a wonderful companion for charcuterie, aged hard cheeses, and anything with a touch of salt and fat. Also excellent alongside roasted chicken, mushroom dishes, and wood-fired pizza (it’s on the menu at Old Westminster, after all). A natural for adventurous wine lovers, orange wine curious guests, and any dinner table that already has Pepper on it. Serve at 50–54°F — slightly warmer than a typical white to let the skin-contact character open up.

Occasion

This is your go-to Maryland natural white — the bottle for Wine Club selections, natural wine enthusiasts, adventurous gifting, and any dinner where you want to surprise and delight your guests with something they’ve never tasted before. Pair it with Pepper for the full Salt & Pepper experience — two wines, one remarkable family, one unforgettable table.

Wine Producer / Historical Notes

Our family moved to the farm that is now Old Westminster Winery in the summer of 2000. The abandoned juniper nursery wasn’t much to look at — just some rolling hills dotted with hundreds of neglected, tangled shrubs. But we were kids full of energy and found the boundless adventures of open fields to be exhilarating. We held nothing but excitement for the future.

Our mom was a ’90s homesteader — homeschooling three children on a farm, tending to a garden, and turning every project into a DIY endeavor. Our dad was a skilled carpenter and entrepreneur who owned his own construction company. We learned the art of hospitality from one, and entrepreneurship from the other.

In 2008, the economic downturn halted our parents’ construction company. The farm sat on the market for over a year without a single visitor. So a new idea was born: an agricultural business. After a candid “I’m in if you’re in” conversation between the three of us — then away at college studying business management, chemistry, and marketing — we set our aspirations on cultivating noteworthy wines that reflect our family and farm.

In 2011, on a loan from our grandfather, we purchased and planted 10,000 grapevines by hand. That summer, our dad built a small pole barn for grape processing and winemaking. Drew took the helm of vineyard management. Lisa mastered the art of winemaking. Ashli documented the journey along the way.

We now farm a combined 134 acres between Old Westminster and our second site, Burnt Hill Farm, in Montgomery County. Along with 50,000 grapevines, we tend to an apiary, a herd of woodland hogs, a mushroom farm, and fields of heritage grains. In 2023, Old Westminster Winery was named a top winery in the U.S. by Cosmopolitan Magazine and USA Today. We are proud of this story — and we look forward to sharing in these future chapters with you.

— Lisa, Drew and Ashli

Shipping

Free shipping when you purchase 6 bottles or more. Mix and match across our full collection — and don’t forget to grab Pepper while you’re at it.