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Third-Generation Grower-Vintners Rise to The Challenges and Opportunities of a Changing Climate
FREDERICK, Md., Feb. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Today marks the official launch of Maryland’s Simple Theory Wine Co – SimpleTheoryWines.com – dedicated to growing and crafting wines primarily from traditional, European Vitis vinifera grape varieties, in response to the region’s changing climate.
Simple Theory
Backed by more than 50 years of family farming and winemaking leadership, the winery is being launched by vintner Melissa Aellen, 33, along with her cousin, focused on vineyard management, Parker Aellen, 24. The initial releases, including Chardonnay, Petit Verdot, Barbera, Albariño, Merlot and more, offer a refined, contemporary collection of estategrown wines that blend the art and science of winemaking with a deep commitment to sustainability. Wines range in price from $28 to $49.
Simple Theory’s groundbreaking opportunity comes as Maryland’s increasingly mild winters and warmer, drier summers have enabled the previously unlikely ripening of traditional European grape varieties.
“Everyone hears about climate change, but I find it most commonly seen by and impacts those who work with the land as my family has for decades,” says Melissa Aellen. “We can grow grapes now that we couldn’t ripen 30 years ago. The climate has changed that much.”
Simple Theory Tasting Lounge
To bring the vision of Simple Theory fully to life, Melissa Aellen and her family have opened the Simple Theory Wine Co Tasting Lounge offering a relaxed, contemporary space for tasting wines in the heart of Frederick, MD, a vibrant center of food, wine, art, and culture about an hour’s drive from Washington, DC, and Baltimore.
“We are thrilled to open Frederick’s only winery tasting lounge, serving as the perfect way to learn about our wines and share our commitment to sustainable farming, winemaking, and ideally becoming a community gathering place for residents and visitors alike,” says Melissa.
Expanding a 50-Year Family Legacy
Based in Frederick, Maryland, located 40 miles north of Washington, D.C., Simple Theory Wine Co is built on the insights and strategies gained from a family with more than 50 years of experience as Maryland winegrowers.
The Aellen family’s legacy began in 1972 when Melissa’s and Parker’s grandparents first established wine grapes in nearby Mt. Airy, MD. In 1983, recognizing the growing interest in regionally produced wines, they worked to establish the first federally designated grape growing area in Maryland, the Linganore American Viticultural Area (AVA), which encompasses 90 square miles of land around the winery in the heart of Maryland. Today, Melissa and Parker carry this legacy forward, re-thinking the vineyards and the wine business with a fresh vision that embraces both tradition and modernity.
“I’ve wanted to be a winemaker and work with my dad since I was 10 when my grandmother showed me a picture of Gina Gallo on the cover of a magazine, which is when I first realized women could be winemakers,” says Melissa Aellen. “This is all I’ve ever wanted to do.”
Aellen went on to earn a degree in winemaking and viticulture from Cornell University in 2013 and further honed her craft at wineries in Oregon, Illinois, New York’s Finger Lakes, New Zealand, and Napa Valley before returning to her roots in Maryland wine country in 2017. Along the way she also earned an Executive MBA.
Estate-Grown and Sustainable
Simple Theory wines are produced from twenty-five acres planted to Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon among others. Plans call for vineyard expansion in 2025 with the planting of a newly-acquired 41-acre site.
The in-house farming team follows a regimen of integrated pest management, including use of wide cover crop rows to create insect habitats that reduce reliance on herbicides. Spray schedules are calibrated based on need, rather than a pre-assigned schedule, allowing for surgical use of applications. Minimal mowing also promotes healthier bug populations which, in turn, drive a healthier and more biodiverse ecosystem in the vineyards. The vineyards are dry farmed.
The production facility is 100% solar-powered and has been honored with a Maryland Green Business of the Year Award.
“We are working toward becoming a certified B Corp where sustainable initiatives reach beyond the environment and encompass the community and the winery’s employees as well. Our environmental efforts are designed to preserve our business for the next 50 years,” says Aellen.
About Simple Theory Wine Co.
Simple Theory Wine Co is a boutique winery located in Frederick, Maryland. Founded by third-generation vintner Melissa Aellen and her family, the winery combines a rich heritage of Maryland winegrowing with a forward-looking approach to sustainability and innovation. Simple Theory’s collection of estate-grown wines showcases the best of both classic and hybrid grape varieties, reflecting the unique terroir of Maryland’s evolving climate.
Simple Theory Wine Co
www.SimpleTheoryWines.Com
301-969-4446
Tasting Lounge: 37 N Market St, Suite 200, Frederick, MD 21701
SOURCE Simple Theory Wine Co
