The wines taste bitter except for the sangria which is mixed with fruit juice and frozen fruit. The tasting room has a dog that roves it and is in dire need of a good dusting. DO NOT come here if you hae bad allergies. read more

Basignani Winery - Best wine in the building - Wineries Near Me - Sparks Glencoe, Maryland

4 of us went here for a wine tasting and pizza event. I think it was the Tuscan Christmas. It was really fun! The only complaint I have is that the wine tasting was short and a little rushed. After we did the tasting we bought a bottle and then went into a warm tent to relax and wait for our pizza. They had a guitarist that was very good and a chocolate vendor that had like 20 different chocolate bark flavors and some truffles. I had a really great time! I'm not sure I would go back just for a wine tasting but I would go back with some friends for another event like the Tuscan Christmas. read more

Basignani Winery - My pizza at the Tuscan Christmas event!!! Very good! I love brick-oven pizza. - Wineries Near Me - Sparks Glencoe, Maryland

We purchased a Groupon for tasting for two. We had a great time! We came in on a Sunday afternoon when things were busy another large party. But we were greeted and showed a tasting area with glasses and cheese pairings. Our server was new but quickly got into the swing of things. We enjoyed our time there and will definitely be back! read more

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Interesting winery outside of Baltimore. Went with 2 of my girlfriends on a Saturday afternoon. It was very crowded and confusing when we got inside. You have to go straight to the register in order to get instructions on how everything works. That's okay because when it was finally time for our tasting Danny made up for it. He was great and so funny. He gave us the history of the winery. I got the Marisa Dolce. I will be back in the summer to try to the brick oven pizza. read more

It was my first time at a winery and it was cool. I had purchased a living social deal and wanted to redeem before it expired. The tasting room was a bit unexpected. I don't know why I thought we would be seated. But we stood up and sipped and had cheese next to a few other people. The Marisa Dolce is my fave.. I also like the Monkton Moon , both which I've had before. The cheese plate was Yumm.. With the goat cheese and raspberry jam being the best ever. They purchase the cheeses from SAMs club btw. We were too late for the brick oven pizza and I was a bit disappointed , but we sat outside anyway. I think the only thing missing was some light jazz (which I turned on my phone to add to the ambiance). Good time. I will return for one of their upcoming events read more

Basignani Winery - Wineries Near Me - Sparks Glencoe, Maryland

5/5 for customer service, prices, availability, and willingness to let you bring outside food! The wines decent, the atmosphere is great, and there's plenty of open spaces to spread out. The wood fired pizza was delicious too! Edit - also it's worth stating they allow kids, unlike "that other" winery. We're newly parents. This will be our go-to winery for the next decade plus! And don't worry, since there's so much space to spread out you don't need to worry about it being a glorified daycare. All the groups who had kids there were super respectful read more

I went with a small group of friends for a wine tasting and was not disappointed! We brought our own cheese plates so we didnt get to try any of theirs but we did try one of their brick oven pizzas and i was surprised at how delicious it was. The crust was just the right amount of crunchy. As far as the wine tasting it was pretty great. As a large group we tasted everything on the tasting menu and the man (ugh im the worst at names) that did the tasting for us was great. He was very knowledgeable about each wine we tasted and even had suggestions for which wines we would like based on our description of what we normally enjoy. I am surprised at how much i love their chardonnay, chardonnay isnt usually my thing but theirs is pretty tasty. I wish i could describe it for you more but if it helps i dont enjoy sweet wines and have been drinking a lot of semi dry reds. Its goes right along with those. read more

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We typically do VA wineries, since we live in VA, but we were visiting Baltimore for the weekend and decided to try out three wineries. We started this this one and tried two more and can say that the wines here were just ok. The reds were lackluster and bland in color and boldness. The staff was moderately friendly. The husband of the couple who owns the vineyard was very friendly and took the time to chat and explain the history of this vineyard. The vineyard itself is very pretty. They clearly are quite popular, as they had a lot of staff on hand. We were the first customers of the day and while there, they got rather busy. We did like a couple of their white wines and did buy a couple. Out of the 3 wineries we visited, this was the best. read more

Basignani Winery - Chardonnay in the Vineyard - Wineries Near Me - Sparks Glencoe, Maryland

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We reallly like the wines at Basignani and the staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. My problem is with the out door pavilion. The gravel walkways and flooring are terrible! The dust is all over the tables and chairs, the single chairs are in disrepair. Pave the area, it can't be that costly to cement it in. Additional tables and chairs on a paved area would also be a plus. We visited there last weekend and went into the dusty pavilion to find a loud group playing loud music at their table. Not exactly a great winery experience. We would have liked to sit and enjoy our bottle of wine on site but chose to take it home instead. read more

Participated in a wine tasting with a large group. We split up into 2 groups of 10 and had 2 separate bartenders. Overall it was a great experience and our bartender had immense knowledge of the wines. We learned a lot and enjoyed the wines and company! Although it is located farther out in the country from Baltimore, it is well worth a visit! read more

Basignani Winery - Wine tasting recommendations - Wineries Near Me - Sparks Glencoe, Maryland

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Such a cute place!! I bought a Groupon for the wine tasting and cheese plate for two. I went with my boyfriend in the off season. The tasting room is cozy and gives off a nice vibe. The wine is delicious!! Our wine expert, Jerry, was awesome!! He was very knowledgeable, friendly, and personable. We have an upcoming trip to California and Napa Valley, Jerry was quick to give us all of the recommendations on wineries to check out and how to compare east coast wine (there's specifically) to the west coast wines we'll be tasting. He gave us information on how the different wines were made and what it actually meant. He was great!!! We will definitely be returning in the spring/summer to enjoy the brick oven pizza, events and more wine! read more

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This was our first time visiting Basignani. We stopped by on a Sunday afternoon. It's hidden off of Falls Rd in the country. Plenty of room to park. The winery was crowded when we arrived. The staff was super friendly. An employee named Renee was already helping another group. She insisted that we join them. Renee made our experience so enjoyable. She answered all of our questions during the wine tasting. She was very knowledgeable about each wine and made us feel included. The prices were very reasonable for the tasting. We ended up buying two bottles of wine. There is a nice area to sit outside after. We will definitely come back in the future. read more

So my husband and I decided to stop by this winery after dropping her daughter off at camp. We approached the counter where it said "wine check in here" and we waited patiently as there were two other parties in front of us being served. We observed the server not looking our direction at all knowing that we were waiting for service. She proceeded to cater to the two groups in front of us and wipe down the table and wipe down the table, Everything but acknowledge our presence. Most proprietors might say I'll be with you in a moment or welcome or something. It is very obvious, as we were the only black couple there that we were not welcomed. Their wines are sold in many establishments, as I have seen them in various different stores before. Read between the lines...basically I got the impression brown skin people are not welcome,so they will never get my business. read more

Bad Wine but Nice Place Bad Wine When I say bad when I mean bad like most Maryland wine with a few exceptions. Most of it far too sweet or to acidic. The Seyval was quite drinkable and not to bad at all. Nice Place The vineyard itself is located not to far from Baltimore through some back roads. It's very pretty and they make plenty of outside tables available and have propane heaters for cooler weather. The taste room is very quaint and the staff are friendly an pleasant, and the family dogs roaming around are very nice and friendly Final Thoughts Don' t go here expecting a fine wine tasting experience. If you do so you will be sorely disappointed. If on the other hand your looking for a place to spend an afternoon with a date maybe packing a picnic lunch, trying a few wines and enjoying the view it may well be worth it. read more

Recently visited the winery. The winery was nice and the tasting room was cozy. The wine was tasteful. The staff in the tasting room were very nice. The owner Lynn could be kinder. There wasn't much of a warm feeling when speaking to her. We felt that since we were not regulars to the winery, we weren't very welcomed. All staff should be friendly when customers travel to a winery, especially the owner, and most importantly when purchasing a large amount of wine. Cheers! read more

When you get here, it's not very obvious where to park. Nothing is really labeled. And the dogs on the property basically hug your car the whole time you are driving there and you have the greatest fear that you are going to run one of them over. The wines are not very good. They are watered down. The Marissa and the Picolo are palatable, and their dessert wines are ok. Overall though, not very impressive. read more

We came here and enjoyed our visit very much. We loved the cheese plate and the local made chocolate! I wish the seating area was a little more organized and prettier! read more

Went here with my mom using a groupon deal and we were not disappointed. It was a hot day but everyone working was helpful and in good spirits. I mentioned to my mom how it would be a lovely place to come on a fall afternoon, especially since they have food you can buy! We had a tasting and cheese pairing. I loved that some wines are per-selected but that you can also pick some of your own. Our lady truly was engaging and explained things to us without making us feel dumb. We also did not feel rushed. I left with a bottle and it was a great deal to also be able to take the glasses as well. My mom and I both discovered red wines we didn't think we'd like and really enjoyed our time here. I'll be back! read more

Although the place is lovely and tries to make changes for the better each year. I called the winery to ask a couple questions and they were straight out rude! Doesn't make me want to go there again. The wines are ok, the sweeter wines are better that the dry ones. The place needs to do more work on the wines and their rude staff. Parking is confusing. read more

After spending a bit of time in Napa Valley this past summer, I wanted to see if I could recreate some of that magic north of Hunt Valley, so off we went to Basignani, which has been around for almost 30 years in Sparks, MD. The drive up to the winery from the city is beautiful and fun (and if you drive a bit further, you can make it over to Prettyboy Reservoir, which is also worthwhile), and the tasting room is charming with all the fairy lights strung above. But, man oh man, when we went (Sunday evening), it was crowded! We called ahead (as per Groupon guidelines) and even then, had to wait a while past our allotted time because of the large groups that came in later than their reservations. But no matter, we enjoyed taking in the feel of the ambiance as well as the owners' cute sheepdogs when they came through the room. Once we got to our cheese and wine pairing tasting, it was nice and intimate, even amidst the crowds (2 on 1). The cheeses were tasty, and they went well with the wines. The pours aren't very generous (they are extremely proper pours), but at least the staff is knowledgeable about their grapes. I preferred their dry wines over their sweets (though I know they're most well known for their sweet reds), and even picked up a bottle of Cab and their little brother varietal, the Piccolo. Overall, a reasonably nice tasting experience and little day trip from Baltimore. I may be back when the weather is nicer and we can sit outside on their patio space... it isn't Napa, but I'm glad we have a decent winery nearby! read more

The winery was nice. We did a wine tasting and the wine was good. We purchased 2 bottles - 1 we drank there and the other took home. About a month later we opened the 2nd bottle and it was a bad bottle. Messaged them on Facebook and received absolutely no response. Tried calling 2 times but no answer, maybe calling on off hours? I know bad bottles of wine occasionally happens but they need to make it right. read more

We had a fantastic afternoon here, but I'm not sure how much the winery had to do with it, besides providing a shaded pavilion and some drinkable refreshment! Came here with friends on a Sunday. The place was packed, probably because the Groupon expired the following week. Lots of kids, older and younger couples -- very diverse and courteous crowd. The tasting room was REALLY dusty and disorganized, so much so that I had to consciously fix my attention on the glass in front of me. I'm not a clean freak, but they must have had a thousand old bottles lining the walls, and each one thickly blanketed with dust. Ew. A pleasant surprise: the wines were not as cloyingly sweet as most Maryland wines are. We liked several of their drier offerings, especially the Elena and Marisa blends. Even the Marisa dolce, a sweet wine, was more like port than grape juice. For $5 we tasted fourteen wines, which was very generous. Their sangria, which is very popular, is way too sweet -- it's made with sugar, orange juice AND Sprite. The girl who poured our tastes was really sweet and knowledgeable. She gave suggestions and trivia about each vintage. The Groupon came with a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, which was our least favorite, but she said there was no way to exchange or upgrade to a different bottle. For $11, we bought a cold bottle of Elena and brought our humble picnic (cheeses and crackers) to a pleasant patio down the hill from the tasting room. We sat in comfortable chairs for several hours, talking and laughing as we watched other customers picnic on the lawn, kids throw softballs and two border collies roam in search of scraps. It was a comfortable setting, though I don't think I would return; there are plenty of good places to picnic and better wines can be had for less money elsewhere. read more

We got the Groupon wine and cheese pairing for 4 people. It was well worth it, and a fun start to a beautiful Saturday. After the tasting we bought a couple bottles and sat outside under the pavilion. Very nice, quiet place. read more

Basignani Winery - Tasting room - Wineries Near Me - Sparks Glencoe, Maryland

We went to this vineyard on Saturday and the atmosphere is very warm and inviting. There are two nice dogs on the property and a nice space for the wine tasting. We all loved the Vidal and Monkton Moon Delight. It was definitely a nice quaint and cozy setting. Its a place you definitely go if you want a more friendly, welcoming, and relaxing atmosphere in a vineyard. read more

This experience was pretty lackluster. Not sure if it was because of the time of year I decided to go, but nothing about the staff was warm nor welcoming. This was my first time wine tasting, so I was naturally excited for the experience after reading reviews, but unfortunately, I think they put more energy into the events they host, as oppose to the individual wine tastings. The woman facilitating the tasting seemed uninterested and wasn't very knowledgeable. Good cheese, though read more

Renee was a wonderful pourer! The wines are wonderful! Worth the drive from Pennsylvania!

I've been to this winery (2) in the past couple years and it's been kind gorgeous. The land is really nice. Its looks like a rustic little Italian town. I've been here for the summer live music Fridays and for the winter's SOUPER Saturday. The wine here is pretty good. Some are a little too sweet for me. Others are a little too bland for me. They do have a nice middle ground that they seem to hit well with some of their wines. The Elena was really good. I really enjoyed during the summer time, the brick oven pizza was AMAZING. Just if you get a chance to go for a 1st time make sure it's a night they have their pizza going. It is simply amazing. I cannot rave about it enough. The soup I had recently for souper Saturday was pretty good. A cream of mushroom soup and a lentil soup with turkey meatballs. I also had a cheese platter that was $10. I would say it would of been a little more worth it if it had a little bit more grapes and crackers on it. The cheeses did look expensive and were pretty tasty. I will say the only problem I've really had with this place is both times they had ran out of items. For the soup they ran out of soup so they refunded my money. My boyfriend and I shared soup between us. Also they ran out of pizza I believe last time I was there. I would say have a little bit more confidence in your business, cause Basignani is doing very well. Make more! People are coming and people like it! And they have very loyal customers like myself and my friends. The staff is eccentric so far but enthusiastic about the wine. I would say the customers that I've spoken with LOVE the place which made me excited to come back for more. And what better salesperson than the customers? read more

We went for a wine tasting, which was a cheese plate and wine tasting with free take home glasses. Our wine server was very friendly and knowledgeable about the winery and their wines. The cheese plate was sufficient, and the samples were a good size. Unfortunately their dry wines with exception of the Lorenzo reserve (the best wine they sell) taste like alcohol. I could not tell the difference in the verietals at all. I love dry wines so I was very disappointed. Their sweet wines are very surgery except for the Marisa Dolce (I did like this one). I was very disappointed in their wines, but the service was good, and the grounds are beautiful. read more

Basignani Winery - Wineries Near Me - Sparks Glencoe, Maryland

We did a wine tasting there this summer and had an absolute blast. The wine is delicious and the hostess was kind and generous with the pours. It's a beautiful property as well! I highly recommend this whether it's for the pizza, the views, or the delicious wine! read more

We are not professional wine tasters but had a nice experience tasting the products of this small Balco Winery. The road is winding and somewhat confusing but we drove very slowly and did not have a problem finding parking at the back of the retail store. For $5 you get to sample the good, bad and bitter wines of this producer. We liked only two of the wines we tasted ( thank goodness for that crock on the counter to dump the excess grape juice) and found many of them bitter and not worth spending $15 or more since there are many other wines in the same price range that are much better. Yes the place is dusty and very small. There are many old dusty bottles displayed in the tasting room on the shelves but that did not bother me as we tasted for 20 minutes, asked a few questions, and left with a bottle of Monkton Moon, a blush wine suitable for a nice summer dinner at home. The grounds and the new piazza are very nice and there are shaded areas to picnic and drink wine (it's $5 a glass). Or you can come when they have outdoor movies and hand made pizzas on the wood fired oven which looked very authentic based on the photos we saw. The movie and pizza meal is a Friday night event and you can check out the particulars on the website. We had a lovely time exploring this winery - there are no tours- but it was a nice escape from the usual Sunday places - such as the harbor area or Annapolis. There were no dogs around when we visited, read more

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We came for a wine tasting for 4 from Groupon and had a fun time! Our sommelier guide gave us generous samples and was very personable. The outdoor area is a very calming and scenic place to sit and enjoy a pizza and bottle of wine. The only issues was our pizza took a while to arrive, but other than that we had a great time. read more

Tasty wine. Has something for everyone: dry whites, dry reds, semi-sweet, and sweet wines. We like to visit on Fridays during the spring through fall for the tasting, music, and brick fire pizza events. Try the new port, it's a hefty 20% abv but its a nice middle ground of bold flavor with some sweetness. We will keep coming back. read more

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We visited this Winery and had a Wine & Cheese Tasting. The best thing about it was Jerry. He was so friendly and knowledgable. I learned something new about wine from him. It was a very good time! read more

What a great find! Had a tasting for reds & sweet wines (loved Marissa dry & sweet versions). John gave tasting presentation with good info without being too overwhelming. I learned a lot about wine in general. I came on a weekday so it was quiet. But they have space for larger crowds, seating area for lunch & quite a line up for activities including brick oven pizza day (mmmm). Will definitely go again to Basignani Winery! read more

Best wines - in Maryland. I gave Basignani Winery a 5-star rating, because they put out the most consistent, and best quality wines in Maryland. The general Mid-Atlantic region isn't fantastic at tossing out red wines - but Basignani produces a very good one (Lorenzino Reserve). You can find quality white wines in this area, and this winery certainly has a few to select from depending on your particular taste. They also have very fun events here (pizza nights - homemade in their on-site brick oven; movie nights - outdoors under the stars; etc.) Definitely recommended. read more

I love this winery! I've had nothing but pleasant experiences here. The family is very friendly and yes, they do have about 4 dogs but the dogs are very sweet. I love their Riesling. It's super delicious! I also enjoy the Monkton Delight, Vidal and Sweet Marissa (these 3 wines are seasonal). They also host fun events, in the summer they have movie nights where you can bring a blanket and they fire up the brick oven for pizza. It's a great time! They also have picnic tables under a tent right outside of the tasting room. A fun winery! :) read more

My husband & I visited Basignani and had high hopes as we drove through the lovely countryside and up the road to the winery. When we walked into the tasting room I had the same reaction as Rosa E. to the walls filled with dusty wine bottles - it looked a little creepy rather than charming. As we made our way through the passable whites (the Elena was decent) and moved on the to reds, we became increasingly amazed at how bad the wines were. Awarding winning? Wow I don't think so. Even the reserve was horrible. The reds had a sour finish that seriously made me wince - my husband said later he had stifle a laugh at the look on my face each time I took a sip. I've done a fair amount of wine touring and never before have I poured out the rest of the wine from my glass after the first sip, but seriously it was that bad. We struggled for something nice to say after each tasting and all we could come up with was, "huh." On top of this, the woman who poured our wines made a shockingly racist comment about how Towson had changed for the worse and was becoming "darker." She was just filling in for the weekend so I hope her views aren't shared by the owners. All in all, an awkward and disappointing visit. My guess is that this winery stays in business by hosting movie nights and making good pizza. read more

Basignani consistantly makes some of the best wines in Maryland year after year! They have a beautiful winery to visit, very knowledgable staff, and a great location. My last visit was in the autumn, it really is one of the best ways you could spend a Sunday, sitting out on their patio with a glass of great wine overlooking the vineyard. I highly recommend visiting this winery! read more

My husband and I stopped in on a whim when we happened to pass the winery while out on a drive. The tasting room was very dusty as others have noted, and the staff was ok - not rude, but not particularly helpful nor interested. Some of the wine offerings were ok or good; others were terrible. Certainly not the best in Maryland! I would likely give that designation to Black Ankle, although even better wines can be found just across the Potomac. Based on this portion of the review, I would have given a two star review. However... We liked a few wines on the list well enough and the price was right to buy a mixed case of those wines. Unfortunately, once we had those bottles at home and started opening them, we found that they tasted nothing like what we tried in the tasting room. I'm not sure if they were bottled incorrectly, stored incorrectly, had started to turn, or were from a different batch that had not been tasted, but they were all terrible. An entire case of wine dumped down the drain - what a disappointment and waste! We will not be back and will not recommend. read more

Fun family run winery making some really top notch reds. Let's face it, BUT there's some good and some really bad wine being made in Maryland - these guys are among the best. My wife and I recently built a home nearby and have started to spend a bunch of time here both on their special cafe/music nights as well as on nice afternoons where we want to get out of the house and find a much much nicer setting to take out the planner or the laptop and take care of life's administrative tasks. The pizza nights are a lot of fun and truly some top notch brick oven pizza. More laid back than a place like Black Ankle. Wine club is a good value. They've actually inspired us to try our hand at a home vineyard of our own! read more