74. Nurturing a Dream: Caring for the Land and Community with Ashli Johnson and Lisa Hinton of Old Westminster Winery

Where does land stewardship and regeneration, natural wine production, sustainable farming practices and local community collaboration come together? On today’s episode of The Good Dirt, Mary and Emma talk with sisters Lisa Hinton and Ashli Johnson of Old Westminster Winery in Westminster, Maryland. Their story begins in 2008; when the family was unable to sell their farm, they united instead behind a vision of preserving it and putting the land into a thriving, sustainable and regenerative operation. They agreed that growing and making wines was an idea worth pursuing, and thus the dream of planting a vineyard was born. 

Ten years later, Lisa, Ashli, and their brother Drew, are on a mission to craft distinctive wines with a sense of place. Through trial and error, and in collaboration with other growers to proudly represent their region and it’s beautiful varieties, they have been able to develop a style of wine linked to the land and the seasons in an intimate and intentional way. Hand-harvesting 30,000 bottles annually, their wines are alive, vibrant, and uniquely local. With a holistic approach to sustainability, this family business is all about creating a great product while taking care of their land and their community. This is truly a good dirt story! 

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, Podtail, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Topics Covered:

• Grape Varieties 
• Natural Wines
• Chardonnay 
• Muscat 
• Chardonel 
• Albarino
• Cabernet Franc
• Maryland Wineries
• Land Stewardship 
• Terroir - to mean “a sense of place.” Essentially, terroir encompasses all of the factors that go into producing wine grapes in a vineyard, from the climate to the soil to the elevation. Source via jjbuckley fine wines. 

Resources Mentioned: 

• Burnt Hill Farm
• H-2A Visa Program
• Migrash Farms 
• The Almanac 

Guest Info

• Connect with Ashli and Lisa at Old Westminster Winery 
• Follow Old Westminster on Instagram

Follow Us:

• Our Website
• @weareladyfarmer on Instagram

Original music by John Kingsley @jkingsley1026

Statements in this podcast have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not to be considered as medical or nutritional advice. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and should not be considered above the advice of your physician. Consult a medical professional when making dietary or lifestyle decisions that could affect your health and well being.