Rock Climbing, then Wine: But Never In the Reverse Order

Sensing that Halloween weekend might be the last decent weekend for outdoor enjoyment, my husband and I went to do a little climbing in Harper's Ferry at Balcony Rock.  What a fantastic place!  It's tucked away behind a railroad track (which seems to be where a lot of the best climbing rocks are) and overlooks the river.  Now I am a fairly novice climber but there seems to be enough rock for all levels of expertise.  After a couple hours of climbing and with my nerves shot we decided what better time than to go taste some wines!  My only concern was that my forearms were to worn out to hold a glass.  Nevertheless, we headed over to Frederick Cellars.  What a cool place!  The winery is located right in the heart of Frederick, MD and their vineyard (Mountain Creek Vineyard) is located elsewhere in Middletown.  Their tasting room opens up to the exposed winery.  You get to hear, smell, and taste everything going on in the process of the winemaking.  The winemaker even invited us over to check out what they were doing.  They were transferring the cabernet must to the de-stemmer at the time.  I found out that they actually grow their own cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay grapes in their vineyard.  In fact their un-oaked Chardonnay and their 2008 cabernet were among my favorites served at the winery.  Another surprise for me was the Rose, which was made with chambourcin grapes and had a dry, spicy taste.  For those who enjoy something a little sweeter, look for the Trail's End.  This one is a Riesling blend with lovely floral notes.  Overall, I think this is a place to check out for sure.  Down town Frederick is just a cool place in general for foodies and winos.  I can't wait to go back!