Rocklands Farm Winery is stunningly beautiful on a bright, autumn afternoon.

From the various red barn buildings to the numerous ponds dotting the property – and their geese inhabitants – Rocklands Farm Winery is a wonderful getaway from city life. This is a great place for a quiet weekday afternoon too with friends, family, or colleagues. Weekend visitors will also be greeted by a kid-loving dog hoping to play endless games of fetch. Weekdays are notably more relaxed, but there’s still plenty of space to wander and animals and plants to look at.

The inside is a nice space with frozen treats and supplies to make your charcuterie. The options are not necessarily cheap, but they sure are delicious (shout out to the Clover Creek Cheese Cellar’s Smoked Galen’s). The staff is very nice, informative, and willing to answer questions – which is especially comforting in these pandemic times. Portable bathrooms are on-site with clean toilets and running water. And, of course, there’s plenty of hand sanitizer to be found. We also overheard, during our visit, that Rocklands Farm Winery is one of the top wineries in Maryland, and we believe them.

Picnic tables and a few other seating options are spread throughout the grounds. Some are shaded under tents, others by trees, and some are out there in the open for perfect sunning. There's quite a lot of ground to explore if the kids are interested and lots of fun things to see – especially for little animal lovers or would-be botanists!

This winery is close to Homestead Farm and makes for the perfect post-pumpkin-patch (or berry-picking) stop. Looking for a little less or a little more? Make sure to visit Seneca Creek State Park on the drive-in or out of the winery. It’s literally a minute from the parking lot to the parking lot and offers a series of wandering, narrow trails through the trees and farmland.  

If you come prepared with water shoes or rain boots, just across from the entrance, there is a small area to park along the road, and you can descend the river bank adjacent to the bridge and splash and play in the stream there. You may even encounter the Rocklands resident pup, who likes to cool off in the stream there too.

On the weekends, the winery opens up its kid’s play area complete with tires to climb on and lots of space to run.