Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/764739
w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m J a n - F e b 2 017 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 9 1 in the same location. Why all the effort for a small patch of hops? "We did a lot of research, and there's actually a lot of crossover in the market of craft beer drinkers and wine drinkers, so we thought this would be a really good way to intro- duce wine to beer drinkers," Haller says. "Our goal, if someone comes in for a beer tasting, is to make sure they taste at least one wine as well. We're trying to bring beer drinkers into wine and vice versa." AN IN-DEMAND COMMODITY Although the red-hot growth of the craft beer segment has cooled somewhat compared to consistent double-digit gains posted in years past, it's hard to underestimate the impact it's having on the beverage industry and in generating interest among consumers. Not unlike a wine drinker broad- ening his or her palate with a sam- pling flight of beer, some wineries are growing hops and even open- ing breweries to diversify their offerings and capitalize on craft beer's buzz. "There's such an interest in [craft beer]," Haller says. "Our experience in the tasting rooms around here was that everybody comes in and asks if they have beer tasting as well, so that was part of the reason we decided we wanted The long-term vision for the brewery includes expanding the hops acreage and also eventu- ally planting a barley crop to offer a "100% farm-brewed product," Aellen says. In addition to craft beer, the winery also produces hard cider. A distillery might also be in the cards. "The laws are becoming much more accepting of these alterna- tive agricultural entities," Aellen says. "There are a lot of farmers who can't make it anymore with just farming. I think that, with more breweries and wineries near you, you become a destination and peo- ple seek you out." TAKING ROOT As the demand for hops increas- es, especially for the distinct aroma varieties for which the Unites States is known, growers in many parts of the country are considering hops as an attractive return on their investment. Whether it's a small amount grown for use in estate- made beer and wines or larger hops yards established to serve regional markets, overall hops acre- age is expanding rapidly outside of the Pacific Northwest, where the majority of commercial producers are centered. to do beer alongside wine. We thought it would be something dif- ferent and special." The owners of Linganore Wine- cellars, the oldest singly owned and operated winery in Maryland, had a similar thought when they planted half an acre of hops among its vineyard and opened Red Shed- man Farm Brewery on the property in late 2014. According to Eric Aellen, whose parents founded the winery in 1972 and who owns and operates it along with his two brothers, Antho- ny and Victor, the brewery began as a bit of a lark but has quickly dem- onstrated its value, especially in attracting a more diverse group of clientele to the tasting room. "It's a whole different animal, that's for sure," Aellen says of growing hops and running a brew- ery. Victor, an experienced brewer, heads up brewery operations. "When you're in the [wine] busi- ness for 40 years, you know all the places to go and you know how to market your product. We were already pretty self-sufficient," says Aellen. "Did the winery need a brewery to survive? I'd say no. But does the brewery attract different clientele that you can't market to as a winery? Yes. So the brewery was kind of a marketing expense." + Some wineries have begun growing hops and adding beer to their offerings. + Growing hops is not an easy or inexpensive task, but offers multiple benefits. + Most new hops acreage is outside the Pacific North- west, which is best known for growing the crop. + Hops farming works best on either very small or much larger scales. AT A GLANCE Eric Aellen of Linganore Winecellars says the winery's brewery, Red Shedman Farm Brewery, attracts different clientele. C R A F T B E V E R A G E S R E P O R T