Step OUT for the Drink Local Wine Conference

What: Drink Local Wine Conference
When: April 13
Where: Tremont Suites Hotel & Grand Historic Venue 
Cost: $125 for the conference; $40 for the Twitter Taste-Off

"In too many places, local wine is still treated as a novelty. It’s about time regional wine gets the respect it deserves."

That's from the brochure of the Drink Local Wine Conference, to be held this month at the Tremont Suites Hotel & Grand  Historic Venue. More than 20 Maryland wineries are participating in the April 13 event, which includes several panel discussions and a Twitter Taste-Off, where participants will Tweet their thoughts on the region's wines. Guests will sip wines from Black Anke Vineyards, Boordy Vineyards, Woodhall Wine Cellars and Basignani Winery.

Washington Post wine columnist and DrinkLocalWine.com co-founder Dave McIntyre will moderate a discussion on whether Marylanders appreciate their home-grown wine, and if not, how to get the message out. Richard Leahy, author of "Beyond Jefferson’s Vines" will recount the history of Maryland wine from the 1940s to the present.