Gettin ready...



Picking grapes and taking names!

Just stopping to get a quick note out to all of our blog fans....and we love you all! We are busy at the winery getting ready for Hurricane Irene. Keep your prayers pointed to our vineyard! The guys are busy hauling in furniture and equipment at the winery, while Joe, William, and Chuck are busy getting grain in from the fields! Everyone is pitching in to get us ready for the storm.

On Thursday we had everyone out in the vineyard picking any grapes that were ready. Good news for me...they were the Vidal Blanc grapes(my personal favorite!). I got to taste the freshly pressed juice for the first time as well. It was great.....but I'll take the wine anyday!

From hurricane preparedness to earthquakes....now we are justing waiting on the plague of locusts and, well, you know how that ends! We all have great stories to tell from the day we felt the quake of 2011. Well, except Laura, who was driving and didn't feel a thing!

Check back next week to see how we fared from the storm. In the mean time, be safe! Don't take any unnecessary chances....we need to see you all back at the winery soon! Oh, and just a reminder, our concert for Saturday night with Bird Dog and the Road Kings has been postponed. We will let you know when the rescheduled date is as soon as we have it. The winery will also be closed on Sunday, August 28th because of the weather. 

I wonder if we offered Irene some Joe's Cool Red, she would just leave us alone? Stay safe, be happy, and as always, Have a Joe's Cool kind of day!

Back to School....already?



Governor O'Malley with the Layton Family

This has been quite the week at Layton's Chance. Governor O'Malley came by on Tuesday to make a major cover crop announcement. He had beautiful Lazy Day Farms as his backdrop and made a great announcement for Maryland agriculture.  Thank you to all of the Maryland farmers making great strides towards the future! And today, as we speak, Comptroller Peter Franchot is touring the winery operation!

Don't worry, just because school is starting, the events are not stopping at Layton's Chance. Tonight is our Back to School Bash! Happy Hour with Sam Shelly! Come Karaoke the night away with the Layton girls! And don't forget Sundaes at Sunset on Saturday the 20th. Sit on the porch with an ice cream sundae topped with Joe's Cool Red! Starting in September, we will be open most Thursday and Friday evenings until 9pm for Game Nights and Happy Hour!

Harvest is fast approaching. The grapes in the vineyard are getting sweeter.  The Chambourcin grapes are the prettiest, deep purple color and the Vidal Blanc are so tasty straight from the vine! To celebrate harvest, mark your calenders for September 24th- our 2nd Annual Harvest Festival and Grape Stomp. Music, food, pony rides, moon bounce, grape stomping---all kinds of fun for the entire family.

Don't forget that we do tours of the vineyard and winery every day at 1:00pm and 3:00pm at no charge! Hope to see you out to the winery soon. And as always, Have a "Joe's Cool" kind of day!

Hot Summer Nights

This is a bittersweet week at Layton's Chance. Today is the last day for Chloe Wieland, who has been intstrumental in the success of the winery. I quote the entire Layton family by saying "we couldn't have opened without her". Best of luck in grad school, Chloe! You will be missed!

We have also had some new faces in the vineyard this week. Fall harvest is fast approaching and the vines need a lot of work, so w've had a few new guys around helping us get the vineyard in tip top shape!


You all saw picutres from our watermelon scoop last week. Well, the watermelon is done fermentation and wine is in the tank!! We go to "test" it (the best part of our jobs by far!) and it is going to be a great batch of Alison's Wonderfu Watermelon Wine!
Time ot start thinking of back to school...but at Layton's Chance there is plenty of summer fun left! Make plans to come out to the winery on the 13th. Randy Lee Ashcraft and the Saltwater
Cowboys are playing as part of our Summer Concert Series! We can't wait...it is going to be an amazing night! Lots of Joe's Cool on ice and Frappe Vinos in the machine! Bring your lawn chairs and picnic to enjoy a beautiful evening.
Are you ready for more Joe's Cool Red? So are we!!! Come out to the winery on September 5th and 6th to help with the next bottling. See what it takes to get everyone's favorite tractor wine from the tank to the table.
We are also planning our 2nd Annual Harvest Festival and Grape Stomp for September 24th so mark your calenders for an all day family event.

There is always something going on at Layton's Chance. Can't wait to see you here....and until then, Have a Joe's Cool kind of day!

Watermelon Scoop II

A great crowd came out to help make watermelon wine!

Awesome volunteers!

This has been a week of a lot of hard work with a good dose of fun mixed in at the winery! The bottles are arriving as we speak for the next bottling of Joe's Cool Red! September 5th and 6th we would love to see volunteers to help with the process!! Speaking of our wonderful volunteers.....this week we had a great(and by great, I mean dirty clothes, sore hands, watermelon in our hair...you know, great!) time scooping watermelons for the next batch of Alison's Wonderful Watermelon Wine. We had some great help that day and the watermelon is now fermenting in the winery......

Richard & Chloe at station 2

Make plans to spend your weekend at Layton's Chance! We have Southern Breeze playing Saturday night from 6-9pm. It's going to be a hot one, but don't worry Cool Joe is going to be here and we are going to have a tent set up for you to be able to watch the show in the shade! Please don't forget about our End of Auction party on Sunday! This is a great way to support a great cause....tickets are $15 and include great food and fun! There are still a few days left to bid on once in a lifetime experiences at the winery. Just go to Ebay and search Layton's Chance. Computers will be on hand Sunday to get last minute bids. If you haven't logged on to the auction, you can still come to the party. All profit from ticket sales and auction proceeds will be going to a wounded veteran organization!

And don't forget we have tours daily at 1pm and 3pm and you can do a full tasting of our wine at anytime! Hope to see you soon!

Watermelons are here!

Richard with the test watermelon!

Taylor hooks up the irrigation system

I probably don't even need to say it but woah, what a HOT week! The few brief storms we had didn't accumulate much so we turned on irrigation in both vineyards this week. Fortunately our AC is working fine, and there's plenty to do around the winery so we're staying cool. Our frozen wine drinks certainly have been a hit this week, especially our new wine Margaritas!

The watermelons arrived on Thursday and we're getting ready for the Great Watermelon Scoop part 2! Next Tuesday morning, bright and early at 8am, we'll be here cutting up melons for our next batch of Alison's Wonderful Watermelon Wine. We had a blast last year and I know this year is going to be great too! Volunteers are invited so get your friends and come on out for the morning to help out. Make sure you stick around for the Pizza & Wine party afterwards!

Nellie wrestles with the thick summer vines

To distract you from the heat we have a few fun things coming up here at the winery. Tonight we're hosting Bob Windsor for a Karaoke Night Happy Hour (5:30-8:30), a special midsummer Happy Hour with our regular buffet. Next Tuesday Jennifer Layton is hosting a Mom's Night Out- an evening of food, wine, facials and great company. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door (includes childcare for kids 2 & up!).

We are also hosting an online auction for special experiences at the winery, with proceeds to benfit a wounded veterans organization. Click here to see items available now for bidding, including a year of Professional Winemaker Consulting for home winemakers, Event Room rental, and seats at our Blending and Sugar trials! Items are listed on eBay, just search Layton's Chance to find all listings. The auction ends July 31st with an End-of-Auction Party here at the winery from 1-4pm. Don't miss out!

Sticky Hands and Puppy Dog Kisses

Friday already.....Can you believe that it is the middle of summer already? We all get so busy during the summer that we forget to take the time to relax.....Well we have the answer for that! Barren Creek will be at the winery this Saturday, July 16th from 6-9pm as part of our Summer Concert Series. Bring your lawn chairs and dance the night away with a glass of wine and great music.

The water was for drinking?

We have had a such a great week. We had another great Dog Days at the Winery. Wicomico Humane Society brought some adorable puppies that would turn even a cat person into a dog person....too cute! The dogs had a great time and their owners loved the Frappe Vino!
Check out our Facebook page for pictures from the Taste of Cambridge. We had so much fun talking with people who love our wine and meeting people who had not been out to see us yet. We have so much support from our community and we love the chance to get out and say Hi! The event was a great time with great food....and did I mention great wine!!


Gettin ready for Watermelon Wine!


Last week I mentioned that we were waiting on the final permits to be able to ship wine. Well, the permit is in! Cool Joe is officially on the road.....You can call and order any of our wine to be shipped right to your door.

The watermelons are coming, the watermelons are coming....We had such a great time at the last Great Watermelon Scoop that we are doing it again. Sometime in the next two weeks or so those watermelons will be sacrificing the rinds for Alison's Wonderful Watermelon Wine(I think it is a worthy cause!) Keep your eyes on Facebook and your email because those watermelons can't scoop themselves and we need your help!Come out for some sticky fun! Details to follow soon....

We hope to see you all soon, until then.....Have a Joe's Cool kind of day!

Joe Is Being Shipped Out!

Vineyard Sunset

Pruning vines all summer long!

Happy Friday everyone!! It's been a busy week at the winery getting ready for shipping. We are just waiting for our final license and then Joe is on the road! Yes, you will be able to have any of the Layton's Chance wines shipped right to your front door. What a great gift, I know I would love to open my door to a bottle of wine.

If you haven't been to the Taste of Cambridge before, make this the year you plan to attend. This is a great event that gives everyone the chance to sample food from local bars and restaurants....in other words a great reason to eat, drink, and hang out with friends! You will find Layton's Chance wine in front of A Few of My Favorite Things on Race Street. Stop by and say Hi!

Ice cream sundaes on the porch

 If you won't be in Cambridge, we are having our Sundaes at Sunset as well Saturday evening.  Sit on the porch with your ice cream and wine.....ahhhh what a feeling!
We haven't left our man's best friend behind in all of the events this week....Dog Days at the Winery is back this Sunday from 1-4pm. Bring your pooch out for games and fun!


Summer is such a great time for family and friends. Our Summer concert series is the perfect opportunity to enjoy them. Barren Creek is here on the 16th from 6-9pm. Make sure you don't miss it. Keep an eye on our website and Facebook pages for all of the great events at the winery. See you soon!