For the first time in three decades, Maryland Wineries Association will not be part of Howard County’s Wine in the Woods event, after failed contract negotiations between the county and the association led to the end of their 29-year partnership.
Already, several of the state’s wineries have pulled out of the event in solidarity with the trade association.
Wine in the Woods, which showcases wineries from across Maryland, will take place May 18-19 in Symphony Woods in Columbia.
Howard County reached out to MWA in February to inform them that the association would not be a partner for the 2024 event, according to a message the MWA sent to its members on Tuesday.
The MWA is a trade association representing over 80 wineries in the state. Its mission is “to develop and expand the grape and wine industry in Maryland – through education and promotion,” according to its website.
The MWA sent a letter to County Executive Calvin Ball and the director of Recreation & Parks in Howard County, asking if the two sides could work together toward an agreement for Wine in the Woods.
At the county’s request, the MWA provided a proposal for the event. However, negotiations broke down, and the county’s final offer “fell substantially below the revenue sharing expectations of our previous agreements,” the letter stated.
Anna Hunter, public information and marketing director at Howard County Recreation and Parks, said the entity MWA used to support the event was transferring to a new company, called Cultivate and Craft. Department of Recreation and Parks staff met with the MWA and Cultivate and Craft on Feb. 1.
“Due to our contractual obligations, we have a fiduciary responsibility to ensure that County costs are directly for the procurement of goods and services that the County requires. The support services that DRP needs for Wine in the Woods has evolved over the years. While some of those services are still needed, the value of those services [were] not mutually agreed upon between MWA and DRP,” Hunter said in a statement.
But Janna Howley, the MWA’s executive director, said the change in companies does not affect how the business is run in a significant way. A lot of tasks from Grow and Fortified, the company that shut down, are very similar to what Cultivate and Craft does, according to Howley.
Howley said Howard County is the only group that has had an issue with the company switching from Grow and Fortified to Cultivate and Craft; the MWA has worked with other groups on events, and Howley said no one else has raised the issue.
The relationship between Howard County and the MWA ended on March 11 after the association’s board voted on the issue, according to Hunter’s statement.
“We valued MWA’s involvement in Wine in the Woods in the past, and are disappointed that the two parties were not able to agree to mutually beneficial terms after several rounds of negotiation,” the statement from Hunter read.
Ticket prices for last year’s Wine in the Woods went for anywhere from $30 to $80, according to Visit Howard County’s website. This year, tickets are going for between $30 and $85.
Two of the largest wineries in the state have already backed out: Boordy Vineyards in Hydes, and Linganore Winecellars in Mt. Airy.
Eric Aellen, Vice President of Linganore Winecellars, said the larger vineyards and wineries in the state are backing out to make a statement, but he doesn’t fault others for opting to remain part of the event. Aellen understands the financial impact Wine in the Woods has on some of the smaller vineyards.
Aellen said Howard County reached out to Linganore Winecellars about a month ago to see if it was participating in Wine in the Woods. Aellen assumed Linganore Winecellars’ name was already on the list because of its association with the MWA, not realizing the partnership had ended.
“Their plan was to cut the [MWA] out and just have the wineries show up,” Aellen said. “So it was kind of an odd conversation. Like, of course we’re going, we’re already signed up. And then, a couple of weeks later, we find out that they decided to part ways with the Maryland Wine Association. We were definitely taken aback by that.”
Linganore Winecellars, which has participated in Wine in the Woods since the beginning of MWA’s partnership with the county, announced on Tuesday it would not be participating in the event. The business went further to say a portion of the proceeds on wine purchases on May 18-19 will be donated to the MWA.
The Facebook post garnered 678 reactions, 176 comments and 143 shares at time of publication.
“I stand with Linganore and other wineries too!!! Shame on Hoco,” Amy Merritt commented under the post.
Tanya Ryan suggested the MWA should have a Wine Trail during Wine in the Woods for businesses opting to not participate in the event.
“Could get those of us who prefer not to partake in [Wine in the Woods] incentive to visit all the other wineries,” Ryan wrote. “Either way, I stand with you and Elk Run!”
Elk Run, a vineyard in Mt. Airy, announced Tuesday that it, too, had withdrawn from the event.
“After several months of negotiations, it became clear that Howard County was no longer interested in continuing its partnership with the Maryland Wineries Association (MWA) to promote, organize and run the festival,” Elk Run stated in a Facebook post announcing the decision.
Howley is aware that different vineyards and wineries have pulled out of Wine in the Woods, but says that it is up to each individual business what they want to do. The MWA has not asked anyone to boycott the event.
“We support all of our members,” Howley said. “So if a member chose to participate in the event still, we are completely fine with that. Every winery has to make its own individual business decisions.”
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly reported Eric Aellen’s name as Tom Aellen. The article has been updated.
