OPEN WITH SPECIAL HOURS MONDAY, JANUARY 19TH FROM 2-8PM

A MOMENT WITH MELISSA – DECEMBER 2025

Winter in my house always feels a little cozier – as a true morning person, I cherish the darkness and stillness of the world before it wakes up. It means a warm cup of chai tea and perhaps a puzzle, some crocheting, or maybe even catching up on a few emails. This time of year is full of reflection – from being thankful for the experiences and lessons learned in 2025 and looking forward to the adventures and intentions ahead in 2026. As the world seems calm, life is slowly churning, especially underground.

After harvest and the series of frosts and cooler temps, the vines have fallen dormant for a deep sleep in winter. The energy they conserved throughout the season will help them survive the chilly nights and upswings to the warm days. This time of year is significantly less stressful on our team, as well as we don’t have to worry about the cold weather nearly as much as the rain during the growing season. However, vines aren’t completely resistant to the cold snaps we can have. Our baby vines planted at the Simple Theory Vineyards location this spring are especially vulnerable as they haven’t established a strong root system or a large callous along the graft union that sits about 4-6 inches above ground. Any negative temperatures can cause this fragile union to fail, resulting in dead vines come spring. We’ll be tucking them in with a little dirt to help keep them insulated, but fingers crossed (for both us and the vines!) that we don’t have any subzero temperatures this winter. If we do, we’ll be ok since most of our more established vines can handle temps down to -10F. So don’t worry – we’ll still have wine for a 2026 vintage, and we’ll start picking those grapes only 9 months from now!
 
As cyclical as the vineyard life seasons are, we have seen similar patterns in the Tasting Lounge. So many of you came by and supported us during the last 3 months, and we are incredibly grateful that you selected us to be part of your celebrations this year! From visiting for a glass of wine, picking up a wine kit to gift, partaking in our first Advent Calendar, or attending a class, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed seeing everyone and are looking forward to a calmer winter. Though we have decided to close on both Mondays and Tuesdays in January and February, we have built a schedule full of educational classes, eye-opening events (including wine vs wine alternative tasting!), and, of course, live music and trivia all winter long.
 
However you are planning to relax this season, even if you plan to take a break from alcohol, we hope to see you at Simple Theory when the time is right. We’ll be here with a glass ready for you!

Cheers, 

 

This is an occasional series by vintner Melissa Aellen, who founded Simple Theory with her cousin, Parker. Together, they represent the third generation of Aellen family leadership in viticulture and winemaking in Frederick, MD.

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