Solomons, MD – Wine lovers will want to note the change in location for a popular destination in the Solomons area. The Solomons Island Winery Tasting Room is set to reopen at its new location—Solomons Pier. On Thursday, April 27, applicants Kenneth E. Korando and Diarmuid Corry appeared before the Calvert County Board of License Commissioners (Liquor Board) seeking a Class D “On Sale,” Beer, Wine and Liquor License.
Larry Cumberland, the attorney for the applicants, noted that the winery the tasting room was affiliated with is now located in St. Mary’s County. Now, Korando and Corry plan to serve samples of their product for sale at a storefront unit located on the iconic pier. The new owners of the pier will be leasing the unit to Solomons Island Winery Tasting Room. The terms of the lease only allow for serving and selling wine. Since the county does not offer a license for wine sales only, the partners were seeking a Class D ticket to get the relocated business back in operation. “We did not want to run afoul of the law,” said Cumberland.
The applicants affirmed that some food will be served but only to augment the wine that is served, so the tasting room will not be competing with pier’s restaurant.
Korando stated the owners hope to have the Solomons Island Wine Tasting Room open for business by Memorial Day weekend. The plan is to be open seven days a week during the warm weather months when Solomons is most alive with tourist, boating and commercial activity. The business will likely scale back to being open four days a week during the cool weather months following Labor Day.
The Liquor Board unanimously approved the request.
The board also approved an application for a change in stockholder submitted by Asbury Atlantic Inc. for the Topside Pub in Solomons. The pub holds a Class C “On Sale,” Beer, Wine and Liquor License.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com