Broken Spoke Winery Earleville MD: Wine Tastings & Visitor Guide 2026

Broken Spoke Winery sits on a working farm in Earleville, Cecil County, on Maryland's upper Eastern Shore, about 70 miles northeast of Baltimore and 65 miles southwest of Philadelphia. The winery converted a former horse farm into a boutique wine tasting destination with handcrafted wines from Maryland-grown grapes, a barn-style tasting room, farm animals (goats, donkeys, sheep, steer, chickens, and horses), live events, and a relaxed agricultural atmosphere that sets it apart from every other Maryland winery. Opened in June 2017 by Rob and Thea Hall, Broken Spoke Winery produces two wine lines, "Animal Talks" and "Take a Break," and welcomes visitors Friday through Sunday for guided tasting flights, charcuterie boards, and time with the animals. This guide covers the tasting experience, the farm, nearby Cecil County attractions, and how groups can make a wine day without a designated driver.

Visitor Details

What Makes Broken Spoke Winery Different

The Farm

Most Maryland wineries lean into one of two identities: refined tasting rooms with vineyard views, or event venues that happen to serve wine. Broken Spoke Winery doesn't fit either category. It's a farm. The property was an operating horse farm before the Halls converted it, and that agricultural DNA runs through everything, from the barn-style tasting room to the way the wines are named after the animals. Broken Spoke Winery is home to goats, donkeys, sheep, steer, chickens, and horses, and visitors can walk around and say hello between glasses. The goats tend to be the most enthusiastic greeters.

The combination of wine and agriculture is the whole identity of Broken Spoke Winery, and it's the reason the winery has built a loyal following from a property that's not exactly on the beaten path. For families and groups, the animals add a layer to the visit that a standard tasting room doesn't offer. Where else are you going to sip a glass of something dry while a curious goat watches from the other side of a fence?

The Wines

Broken Spoke Winery produces two main wine lines: "Animal Talks" and "Take a Break." The names are playful, but the wines at Broken Spoke Winery are made with care from Maryland-grown grapes. The winery's motto, "Take a break; Start a conversation," reflects how visits tend to go. The space is small enough that you'll likely talk to winemaker Rob Hall himself, and the tastings are personal, guided, and unhurried. Thea Hall runs events and marketing, and their daughter Maggie rounds out the family operation. Current wines and pricing are on the official Broken Spoke Winery website.

Tasting Flights and Food

Broken Spoke Winery wine tasting is something the owners take seriously. Their website says it plainly: they are "ALL about the TASTING experience" and ask visitors to plan their visits accordingly because the tastings "require our attention and time." That's a polite way of saying this isn't a pour-and-go situation. Expect to sit, talk, learn about the Broken Spoke Winery wines, and spend some time.

The tasting flights include six wines, and from various listings, Broken Spoke Winery flight prices have been reported in the range of $17 to $19, though you should confirm current pricing when you visit. Broken Spoke Winery also serves locally sourced charcuterie boards, which pair well with the wines and make the visit feel more like a long afternoon than a quick stop.

Visiting Broken Spoke Winery

Broken Spoke Winery is at 948 Glebe Road, Earleville, MD 21919, in Cecil County on the upper Eastern Shore, between the Chesapeake Bay and the Delaware border.

Broken Spoke Winery Events and Live Entertainment

Broken Spoke Winery events are a regular draw, and the calendar is worth checking before you visit. The winery hosts live music, seasonal events, candle-making workshops paired with charcuterie and wine, holiday celebrations, and private gatherings throughout the year. Events are listed on the winery's events calendar at brokenspokewinery.com and through their Facebook page.

The events side of Broken Spoke Winery has grown steadily since opening. A 2025 University of Maryland Extension report on Cecil County farms highlighted the winery as a business "rooted in their love of wine, agriculture, and community." If you're planning a group visit to Broken Spoke Winery around a specific event, book early. The winery's intimate size means events fill up.

Broken Spoke Winery also offers venue rentals for weddings, corporate events, and private celebrations. The farm setting provides a backdrop that no hotel ballroom can match. Broken Spoke Winery is also a Harvest Hosts location, so RV travelers can stay overnight on the property.

Nearby Cecil County Attractions

Earleville is a small, quiet community, and Broken Spoke Winery is the kind of destination you build a day around. Cecil County and the surrounding area offer enough to fill a full day or weekend.

Building a Cecil County Day

The most natural pairing with a Broken Spoke Winery visit is the afternoon at the farm and Chesapeake City for dinner. Chesapeake City sits on the C&D Canal, about eight miles from the winery, and it's one of the more charming waterfront towns on Maryland's upper Eastern Shore. The historic district is walkable, the restaurants (Schaefer's Canal House, Bayard House, The Tap Room) are solid, and the canal views at sunset are worth the drive alone. It's the only town in Maryland located on a working commercial canal.

For groups who want an outdoor component, Elk Neck State Park is about 18 miles south. The Turkey Point Lighthouse Trail is an easy, family-friendly 1.3-mile walk through hardwood forest to a lighthouse that dates to 1833, sitting on a 100-foot bluff overlooking the upper Chesapeake Bay. The park also has beaches, camping, and 12 miles of trails. The lighthouse area is open daily from 8:00 AM to sunset.

For a weekend: Friday or Saturday afternoon at Broken Spoke Winery, dinner in Chesapeake City, overnight in the area, and Sunday at Elk Neck State Park. That covers wine, food, water, and nature without anyone feeling rushed.

Why Groups Choose a Vehicle

A wine tasting followed by an hour-plus drive on I-95 is exactly the situation a professional driver solves. When a group of four or six arrives at Broken Spoke Winery in Earleville in a private vehicle, nobody's checking the clock to make sure they stay under a limit. Nobody's arguing about who's driving. The afternoon stretches out, the second glass gets poured without hesitation, and if someone wants to add Chesapeake City for dinner, the route doesn't have to be renegotiated in the parking lot.

For larger groups heading to Broken Spoke Winery, Cecil County wine tours work well with a shuttle or party bus that picks everyone up from a central point. Splitting the cost across eight or twelve people makes private transportation surprisingly affordable. Groups combining Broken Spoke Winery with other Cecil County stops (Chesapeake City restaurants, Elk Neck State Park, North East's Main Street) can build a full itinerary with a vehicle that handles the connections.

Seasons at Broken Spoke Winery

Broken Spoke Winery is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday year-round from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM, but the feel of a visit changes with the season. Spring and fall are ideal for the outdoor farm atmosphere, with mild temperatures and comfortable light. Summer brings the fullest events calendar and the most visitors, but Cecil County's heat and humidity can be strong, so sunscreen and water help. Winter is quieter, and a visit then may feel like having the farm to yourself.

Because Broken Spoke Winery is outdoors by nature, weather matters more than at an indoor tasting room. Check the winery's website and weather before you make the drive. A call ahead can confirm whether tastings will be inside or outdoors and whether any events are scheduled for the day of your visit.

Worth the Drive

Maryland has more than 100 licensed wineries, and the state's wine industry contributes an estimated $4.28 billion to the economy annually, according to a 2025 WineAmerica economic report. Most cluster on the Western Shore. Broken Spoke Winery sits apart, literally and figuratively. It's a small farm winery on a quiet road in Cecil County, run by a family that built it from a horse barn and a love of wine and agriculture.

That's what makes Broken Spoke Winery worth visiting. The Broken Spoke Winery tasting room isn't polished. The hosts know your name by the second glass. The goats don't care about your Yelp review. And by the time you're sitting outside with a charcuterie board and a glass of something from the "Take a Break" line, you might realize that the name of that wine is actually pretty good advice.

Plan an afternoon at Broken Spoke Winery. Bring friends. Let someone else drive the highway home.

Frequently Asked Questions