Beautiful beginnings and room to grow. Go for the aesthetic. Go for the bread and butter.
There are places that charm you before you’ve even arrived, and Burnt Hill Farm is absolutely one of them.
The drive winds through Maryland’s countryside, with a stunning view of the mountains. As we approached, while I was also scared of wildlife jumping out at me, I was also in awe of such beauty, considering we were still about 10 minutes away from a major store outlet!
It’s truly the kind of approach that makes you exhale, unclench your jaw, and wonder if you should start coming here every weekend. I told myself that I was going to sign up for their wine club, and be here often—after all, it was only about 30 minutes away from me.
By the time I pulled into the property, I was already halfway in love.
The space itself is breathtaking. The architecture blends effortlessly with the landscape—modern lines, rustic accents, and views that seem to stretch right into forever. I felt instantly at peace, and I still think about the views to this day. Honestly, the aesthetic lives rent free in my mind. It’s obvious that Burnt Hill was built with care, and aesthetically, it’s flawless.
But as with many beautiful things, the reality didn’t quite match the picture.
As we walked up, we were greeted with a glass of sparkling wine. It was light, airy, and crisp, just like the mountain air we were breathing in. It set the perfect tone: calm, refreshing, and elegant. I was getting even more excited for this experience!
I found myself imagining what it would feel like to live here… sitting on a porch with my kids and dogs, shawl around my shoulders, book Nintendo Switch in hand, doing absolutely nothing but admiring the view. Can you tell I really loved the views and the aesthetics? Because I did. Absolutely obsessed.
And then I remembered, I’m not a nature girlie. Suburbs me, please!
Back to the aesthetics… I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.
I ordered the tasting flight with a small grazing spread (the only thing you can really order)—the perfect idea in theory. After all, why go to a wine tasting if you’re not going to order a flight and finger foods to snack on between the sips.
The wines were pleasant, but not memorable. The sort you sip, smile politely, and move on from without much thought. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course. Burnt Hill is still new. But I wanted depth… and some complexity. I’m all for a light wine, but three in a row (spoiler, there were only 3 glasses)?
Instead, it was fine—and fine is okay, just not for $85.
The food was brought out while we were sipping. Pretty presentation. The food was actually pretty good, but I found myself wondering where the rest of the food was! While we were a group of three, we received the same amount of food as a table of two, which made things feel a touch uneven. Unfortunately, allergies weren’t accommodated, so we couldn’t try everything on the grazing board. Nor were there any substitutions.
So, we did what any reasonable hungry girl would do after already being annoyed: ordered more bread.
And while the sourdough was perfect in every which way imaginable, we really only ordered it again for one reason: the compound butter! The bread was but a vehicle. Worth the entire trip. I left my feedback and told them to sell the butter. I don’t even like bread, but I’d switch to a bread only diet because of that butter.
Rich, velvety, perfectly seasoned: the kind of butter that deserves its own spotlight. It stole the show, and honestly, I’m still thinking about it. If Burnt Hill ever sells it by the tub, I’ll happily be first, second, AND third in line.
Between the three tasting pours, modest snacks, and beautiful but limited service experience, the $85 price tag felt… ambitious. Not outrageous, just mismatched. There’s potential for the quality to meet the cost, but they’re not quite there yet.
There’s a difference between simple and sparse… and this leaned a bit too close to the latter.
Still, I left hopeful. Burnt Hill’s vision—biodynamic farming, sustainability, and true sense of place—is something worth rooting for. The foundation is there; it just needs time to mature. They’ve hinted at expanding their food offerings and creating more curated events, and that’s exactly what this gorgeous setting deserves. And I’ll be back!!
Underwhelmed isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes it means the story isn’t finished yet.
Go for the views. Go for the stillness. Go for the butter. Go for the pictures.
But, do stay curious enough to come back again. I have a feeling that when Burnt Hill grows into itself, it’ll be something truly special. I’m saving up my coins now for their cabin and tasting menu experiences that they told us is on their future roadmap. When will it come? Unsure. Will I be ready? Absolutely.
