Brandywine: Farm Tours, Wine and Farm History

Get to know Brandywine through hands-on farm and wine experiences. At P.A. Bowen Farmstead, a guided tour combines a walk around the farm with a look at the dairy operation and artisanal cheesemaking. At Janemark Winery & Vineyard, Four Degrees Vineyard, events throughout the year and a historic tasting barn offer additional perspectives. Barbera, Petit Manseng and Albariño give the wine-growing theme some specific names. Before choosing a vacation rental, you can consider whether a guided farm tour, wine-growing or architectural history should be a highlight of your stay.

A Farm Tour with a Set Schedule

P.A. Bowen Farmstead offers a guided tour once a month on Saturdays, usually on the first Saturday, at 11:00 a.m. The tour runs year-round; reservations are required. It lasts about an hour and a half. During the tour, visitors see the dairy operation and learn about the artisanal cheesemaking process from beginning to end. The tour thus combines a walk around the farm with a look at the complete production process. Those who enjoy seeing how food is made will find a clearly defined activity here. The approximate duration makes it easy to fit into your day; because the tour runs monthly, be sure to account for the Saturday you want and reserve in advance.

Wine-Growing and Events

Janemark Winery & Vineyard is located at 15200 Baden Naylor Road in Brandywine, Maryland 20613. Four Degrees Vineyard grows the grape varieties Barbera, Petit Manseng and Albariño. These names offer a specific point of interest if you are interested in wine-growing. Janemark hosts various festivals and events throughout the year; dates may vary. If an event is important to your trip, check its specific date against your travel dates. Planning for these events differs from planning for the monthly farm tour: the dates of the festivals and events are what matter.

A Barn with a History

The tasting barn at Four Degrees Vineyard at Janemark Winery & Vineyard has a story of its own: it dates back to the 1930s and was originally built by the Amish of Southern Maryland. This historical detail adds a clearly dated element to the wine-growing theme. If you are interested in architectural history as well as grape varieties and events, the barn’s origins are another aspect to discover as you explore Brandywine.

Foxfire Farm is a small, family-run farm in Brandywine. As another local agricultural reference, it complements the specific tour at P.A. Bowen Farmstead with a mention of a family-run operation.

Fitting Experiences into Your Travel Plans

The farm tour can be planned around the day of the week, start time and approximate duration; for Janemark’s festivals and events, the dates are the deciding factor. The grape varieties and the barn’s history offer other points of interest. When choosing a vacation rental in Brandywine, you can weigh these different interests and then check which dates fall within your travel period. This lets you plan around the experiences that interest you most, rather than assuming there is one fixed itinerary.

Explore more destinations: Largo, New Carrollton, Lanham-Seabrook, Hyattsville, Capitol Heights, College Park, Forestville, Temple Hills

For the broader travel overview: Prince George's.