Our Barrel Aging Room
We age our red wines in 59 gallon French oak barrels.
About Us
Thanksgiving Farm Vineyards & Winery is a Family Owned and Operated Business Dedicated to Grape Growing and Wine Making
We began planting our vineyards at Thanksgiving Farm in 1998 on rolling hills historically used for growing tobacco. We now have 13 acres in vineyard. We grow only Bordeaux red varieties - Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot - which support the annual production of our dry red Meritage wine. We received our commercial winery license in 2006 to become the first commercial winery in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
All of our Thanksgiving Farm brand wines are made exclusively from grapes grown in the vineyards at Thanksgiving Farm. Our Towhee brand wines are made with juice we obtain from other locations.
Thanksgiving Farm is located 20 miles due east of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on a gentle ridge separating watersheds that drain to the West River and to the Patuxent River.
Doug and Maureen Heimbuch
Proprietors, Grape Growers and Winemakers
Thanksgiving Farm® and Towhee® are registered Trademarks of Heimbuch Estate Vineyards & Winery, LLC.
Thanksgiving Farm® wines are grown, produced and bottled by Heimbuch Estate Vineyards and Winery, LLC, Harwood MD 20776
Towhee® wines are produced and bottled by Heimbuch Estate Vineyards and Winery, LLC, Harwood MD 20776
Thanksgiving Farm Winery
Our Winery Building
Our winery building houses our wine processing facility, barrel aging room, and wine sales room.
Our Fermentation Facility
We use small stainless steel tanks for fermentation which allow us to process our wines in small batches.
Our Wine Sales Room
Our wine sales room is adjacent to our barrel aging room and wine processing facility. Due to COVID-19, only 2 customers at a time are allowed in our wine sales room, and no on-site consumption of wine is allowed.
Thanksgiving Farm Vineyards
Our Trellises Follow the Land's Contours to Minimize Soil Erosion
We received commendations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Maryland Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Conservation Service for our responsible stewardship of the land.
Our Vineyards are Planted to Three Traditional Bordeaux Red Varieties
Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot
Sun-ripened Fruit
We harvest late in the season to ensure our grapes are fully ripe.
Only the Best Berries from Our Vineyards are Used in Our Thanksgiving Farm Wines
We hand pick our grapes, selecting only clean, ripe fruit.
Thanksgiving Farm History
Restored Farmhouse
The farmhouse at Thanksgiving Farm was built in 1893. In 2004, we completed a systematic restoration of the farmhouse.
Listed on National Register of Historic Places
In 2007, Thanksgiving Farm (previously part of Richland Farm) was listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Conservation Easement
To preserve the rural character of Thanksgiving Farm for perpetuity, we granted Anne Arundel County a Conservation Easement on the farm.
Wines Currently Available for Tasting at the Winery:
Featured
Click the Wine Shop button to see all wines currently available for sale by the bottle
Wine Tasting 6-Pack!
A Self-guided Tasting of 6 Different Wines:
Thanksgiving Farm Franc Blanc 2021 Harvest
Towhee Dry Rose’ 2020 Harvest
Thanksgiving Farm 2015 Farmhouse Red
Thanksgiving Farm 2015 Meritage
Thanksgiving Farm 2015 Reserve Meritage
Thanksgiving Farm 2018 Dessert Wine
Each wine is in a sealed 5 oz Tasting Bottle
Tasting Bottles are color-coded to match the wine descriptions included with the convenient 6-pack Tasting Bottle carrier
The price for each Wine Tasting 6-Pack! is $50.00 (including Maryland sales tax). Each Wine Tasting 6-Pack! serves up to 4 wine tasters.
Wine Tasting 6-Packs! are available for on-site consumption from our wine sales room during our wine sales room hours: April through November - Saturdays and Sundays 12 noon to 5 pm.
Some Reviews
“Thanksgiving Farm® Franc Blanc is made from the white juice of Cabernet Franc grapes. An amazing wine. Great flavor. Bright, crisp, with tremendous flavor. This was one of the biggest surprises of the tasting. A white wine made from Cab Franc?! Too cool! And it’s a great white!”
“Thanksgiving Farm Reserve Meritage ‘12
Elegant, sculpted blend with great flavor”
“The Thanksgiving Farm winery experience is one that visitors will remember. The boutique tasting room is enhanced with dark mahogany and cherry wood décor and offers a delightful experience.”
“Thanksgiving Farm® Meritage [2010 vintage] is their premium blend of Merlot 58%, Cabernet Franc 16%, Petit Verdot 16% and Cabernet Sauvignon 10%. It’s soft, dry red wine in the style of red Bordeaux. As with the previous edition, lots of dark fruits, blackberry, plum, dark raspberry, a touch of prune. A hint of vanilla. Smooth. A beautiful wine!! Elegant!!!”
“[2012 Reserve Meritage] a dead ringer for young Bordeaux.”
“I found the Franc Blanc to be both complex, balanced and full of melon and pear notes. This wine alone is a reason to visit. They are also pouring a very nice Merlot Rosé and an amazing Petit Verdot Port-style wine, but the real story here is the Meritage ... 2010 was just out of the park. The Meritage is one of the best red blends in the state and simply must be tasted.”
Come Visit
Wine Sales Room
April through November, our wine sales room is open Saturdays and Sundays 12 noon - 5 pm. December through March, our wine sales room is open (weather permitting) the 2nd Saturday each month, 2 pm - 4 pm, for bottle sales.
Outdoor Seating Area
Our outdoor tables are available for wine tasting and consumption of our wine purchased by the glass or bottle, including our Wine Tasting 6-Packs! (described above).
You are welcome to bring picnic food to enjoy with our wine (please note that food heating devices are not allowed).
April through November, we offer seatings at our outdoor tables each Saturday and Sunday: 12noon - 2pm, and 3pm - 5pm (allowing time to sanitize tables between groups). Please note that our Veranda is for adults only (i.e., no children of any age). Our outdoor seating areas are closed December through March.
We strongly recommend advance reservations for our outdoor seating on weekends. Each reservation for an outdoor table requires a reservation fee of $50.00, which includes a $50.00 credit towards wine purchased during your visit. Reservations can be made online by following the instructions shown below.
Walk-in guests are welcome if non-reserved tables are available.
Other Things About Our Winery
For wine purchased at the Winery, we offer a 10% discount on the purchase of 6 - 11 bottles, and a 15% discount on the purchase of 12 or more bottles.
We welcome Service Animals who accompany our guests. However, we do not allow pets on our winery premises.
Because ours is a small family business, we occasionally have to close our tasting room to attend to other matters. We always post those times on our website.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
How to Find Us
Thanksgiving Farm Winery is close to Washington, D.C. - 20 miles due east of the Capitol Building.
Thanksgiving Farm Winery is close to Annapolis, Maryland - 10 miles south of the city.
195 Harwood Road
Harwood, Maryland 20776
