Opening Weekend Reflections.

From Ribbon Cutting to First Guests: A Weekend to Remember

Friday evening 8/8, under a perfect summer sky, we opened the doors to our new hilltop tasting room — the flagship of a dream nearly a decade in the making.

I’m the farmer and co-creator of Burnt Hill with my sisters, Lisa Hinton and Ashli Johnson, my wife, Casey, and our chef-partner, Tae Strain. Since 2016, we’ve been quietly cultivating this 117-acre polyculture farm — a pioneering model of animal-integrated regenerative agriculture, estate winemaking, and sustainable gastronomy. Our grand cru vineyard, woodland pigs, longwool sheep, honeybees, heritage grains, and orchard all work in harmony to produce food and wine with integrity and a deep sense of place.

For me, this hilltop represents more than a beautiful view. In 2022, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and given a 5% chance to live. Two bone marrow transplants from my sisters, the extraordinary care of Johns Hopkins, and the grace of God brought me here — alive, grateful, and pouring our first Burnt Hill wines. Every vine and dish tells a story of resilience, hope, and the belief that beauty and joy are worth fighting for.

Our ribbon cutting was a moment I’ll never forget — Maryland’s Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks, Secretary of Commerce Harry Coker, County Executive Marc Elrich, friends, family, neighbors, and community leaders all gathered to help us christen this new chapter. Their presence was humbling and affirming. To see the farm filled with people — glasses raised, conversations humming, and the sunset painting the sky — felt like the dream we envisioned in 2016 had finally taken root.

But the celebration didn’t end there. Saturday and Sunday brought something even more personal: our very first Friends & Family weekend services. Many of our first guests were our own team members from Old Westminster — people who have been shoulder-to-shoulder with us for years, helping build not just businesses, but experiences that connect people to place. It meant the world to have them here, tasting Burnt Hill wines, enjoying Tae’s food, and experiencing the farm in this early, exciting moment.

I can’t overstate how much I love and value our team. The unique experiences our guests enjoy at each of our sister farms are only possible because of their hard work, creativity, and heart. Each farm has its own personality — Old Westminster, with its lively, vineyard-side energy, and Burnt Hill, with its serene hilltop elegance — but both are united by the people who make them special.

We’re still in the early days at Burnt Hill, figuring out systems, refining our hospitality, and learning how to best share this place. Every bit of insight and feedback from our team and guests matters. These first services were a gift — a chance to see our vision come to life, to watch guests explore the space, and to hear their excitement about what’s ahead.

To our family, friends, team, neighbors, and all who joined us: thank you. And to those who couldn’t be here, we can’t wait to welcome you soon.

Here’s to dreams worth holding onto, to sharing this farm with the world, and to the magic of Burnt Hill — made possible by the people who pour their hearts into it every single day.

–Drew