Eastern Shore winery war continues

(Photo courtesy of Black Stallion Winery)

Last month, we brought you the story about a fight among Talbot County neighbors over a fledgling winery. A federal judge ruled Chateau Bu-De could grow and harvest grapes on the banks of the Choptank River but could not make or store wine on the property, nor offer tours or tastings.

Earlier this month, CBD filed a motion to amend the judge’s order to allow the company to continue storing the wine in a garage on the property until it receives a federal permit to move it elsewhere. The company now has 700 cases of wine on site, valued at $168,000, and estimates it will need up to nine months to “locate and purchase another property and to build or refit a building” in order to get federal permission to move the wine, according to its motion.

Joe and Nancy Hollingsworth, who live next to CBD and filed suit to stop the winery, filed their opposition to CBD’s request Friday.

The Hollingsworths called the issue “CBD’s self-imposed dilemma” because the company continued to add cases of wine to its garage at its own risk as the litigation was pending.

“Had CBD immediately ceased its winery operations… it would not be in the predicament in which it now finds itself,” the motion states.