Although it wasn’t among the first places in the US to start producing wine, Pennsylvania has been developing its reputation as a wine-growing region for several decades, and nowadays, it is known for producing a wide range of excellent wines.
This means the state is home to a large number of wineries that are all worth a visit – so here’s our guide to the best wineries in Pennsylvania to help you choose which ones to check out.
Best Wineries in Pennsylvania
1. Brookmere Winery & Vineyard Inn
A small family-run winery set in picturesque grounds that uses only grapes grown in their vineyards to produce a range of reds, whites, rosés and more, all of the highest quality.
You can visit the winery to taste some of their award-winning wines by the glass, and they also serve a selection of finger food to enjoy with what you’re drinking.
Along with the lovely location and the excellent wines, you can also expect friendly staff, a warm welcome and a lively, fun atmosphere.
Most weeks, various events are also held at the winery like brunches, live music and a crawfish and shrimp boil. The full list of upcoming events can be found on the website.
Furthermore, the Brookmere operates a B&B for those who want to make the most of the peaceful grounds and the surrounding countryside, and the winery also has a converted 1866 barn that is available as a venue to host weddings. Again, check the website for full details.
Address: 5369 Pennsylvania, PA-655, Belleville, PA 17004
Telephone: 717-935-5380
Email: [email protected]
Website: brookmerewine.com
2. Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery
Like many wineries, this one started as a hobby, but with time, passion and lots of dedication, it grew into the operation it is today, consisting of six vineyards covering 80 acres and with an annual output of 80,000 gallons of wine.
Their portfolio of wines is impressive and includes reds, whites, rosés and several sparkling wines like the 100% estate-grown chardonnay.
They also make a couple of more unconventional wines such as a spiced apple wine and a “holiday” wine spiced with cinnamon, cloves and citrus, ideal for the colder months of the year.
Visitors can taste wines by the flight or by the glass, and special events include “Feel Good Fridays”, when glasses of wine are sold at reduced prices, and Saturday music nights.
Whenever you visit, you can expect a laidback and welcoming atmosphere and attentive staff, making it a great place to stop by to enjoy some fantastic local Pennsylvanian wines.
Address: 9850 Newtown Rd, Breinigsville, PA 18031
Telephone: 610-395-2468
Email: [email protected]
Website: cloverhillwinery.com
3. Galen Glen Winery
The farm where the Galen Glen Winery is located has belonged to the same family since 1838, and nowadays they are pioneers in the production of wines based on the Grüner varietal.
The winery is well worth a visit due to the wonderful views over the vineyards – as well as for the wine itself, of course.
There are several options for sampling the wine. The simplest is just to go to the winery and enjoy a guided tasting in the bar, and another is to do a self-guided flight tasting. You can also buy wines by the glass to enjoy in the winery or on the patio when weather permits.
Reservations are required for groups of eight or more, but for fewer than this, they accept walk-ins. Prices for glasses and flights are extremely reasonable, and guests are permitted to bring their own food since the winery doesn’t serve any of its own.
As well as tastings, the winery also organizes a range of interesting and fun events like Sushi Sundays, pizza days and events with food trucks.
For events like these, you won’t need to bring your own food, and for certain events, the winery’s regular opening hours are extended. Further information about specific dates and times can be found on the website.
Address: 255 Winter Mountain Dr, Andreas, PA 18211
Telephone: 570-386-3682
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.galenglen.com
4. Vinoski Winery
The Vinoski Winery has a long history that can be traced back around 800 years to Medieval Poland.
There, the ancestors of the current owners were winemakers to Polish royalty and nobility, and even the family name Vinoski is derived from the Polish word Winowski, meaning “son of a winemaker” – it is a profession that has been in the family for centuries.
Nowadays, the winery produces small batches of exceptional wine that’s made from the free-run juice of hand-selected grapes and then aged in barrels to ensure a high-quality product.
The winery offers several tasting options, including the Choice Tasting and the Premium tasting, with the latter giving you the opportunity to sample some of the winery’s reserve wines.
Another possibility is to join a wine tasting dinner, something that should be reserved in advance.
Most Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, various events are also held at the winery and can be as varied as a Queen tribute night or a Polynesian music night. Full details of performers, dates and times are available on the website.
Address: 333 Castle Dr, Belle Vernon, PA 15012
Telephone: 724-872-3333
Email: Contact via the website
Website: www.vinoskiwinery.com
5. Mount Nittany Vineyard and Winery
Benefitting from a hillside location that provides both the ideal conditions for grape growing and a highly attractive setting, Mount Nittany Vineyard and Winery consists of six acres of land that produces around 16,000 gallons of wine per year.
The six grape types that are grown there are Cayuga, Seyval Blanc, Riesling, Vidal Blanc, Itasca, and Muscat Valvin, and after being nurtured and carefully harvested, they are used to make a range of invariably excellent and often award-winning wines.
The winery seeks to make the tasting experience there both fun and informative, and you can enjoy either flights, glasses or bottles of the wine they produce – outside in the summer or indoors during winter.
They also offer the possibility of vineyard tours, which need to be reserved in advance – you should contact the winery directly for full details of what’s available.
Address: 300 T367-1, Centre Hall, PA 16828
Telephone: 814-466-6373
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.mtnittanywinery.com
6. Penns Woods Winery
This winery brings generations of winemaking tradition to the heart of Pennsylvania by way of Abruzzo in the south of Italy.
Although the winery itself is not open to the public for visits, the vineyards and tasting room are, and with great service, a fun atmosphere, beautiful scenery and fantastic wines to try, it’s a place that offers a rewarding day out for all.
While there, you can try a flight of five wines, which generally tend towards the drier end of the scale. Guests are also welcome to bring their own picnics.
The winery also holds a range of events such as Vineyard Yoga or Paint and Sip in the Vineyard, and there’s also live music on the lawn every weekend.
If you like the wines they produce, you can also join the wine club to gain access to regular deliveries of exclusive members-only wines from the winery throughout the year. The winery also holds certain members-only events – details are available on the site.
Address: 124 Beaver Valley Rd, Chadds Ford
Telephone: 610-459-0808
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.pennswoodsevents.com
7. Cullari Vineyards & Winery
With 35 different wines to choose from, Cullari Vineyards and Winery is one that surely has something for everyone, whether you prefer a dry red, a sweet white or anything in between.
As you may guess from the name, this is another winery with Italian influences – this time from Calabria in southern Italy since that is where the owner was born and raised.
Before he moved to the United States, from a young age he was surrounded by winegrowers and wine drinkers, even making wine with his father as a hobby – and for this reason, he claims to have “wine in his blood”.
The vineyards were planted in 2000, and the winery opened in 2006 – nowadays they combine modern technology and methods with some more traditional practices brought over from Italy.
If you want to sample their produce, the winery offers flights of six wines plus a free glass as a souvenir for incredibly reasonable prices. Seating is both indoors and out, depending on the weather.
Address: 1251 E Chocolate Ave, Hershey, PA 17033
Telephone: 717-533-8985
Email: Contact via the website
Website: cullariwineshershey.com
8. Blue Ridge Estate Vineyard & Winery
Blue Ridge is among the most popular wineries to visit in Pennsylvania and with such picturesque surroundings and stunning views of the nearby Pocono Mountains as well as a comfortable, relaxed setting for sampling wine, this is hardly any wonder.
You can try their wine by the flight, and the prices are surprisingly low. There’s no need to reserve your table, and they also serve beer and soda if anyone in your party doesn’t drink wine.
They offer cheese platters and wood-fired pizza too, but visitors are also permitted to bring their own food, making it the perfect place to while away a few hours with a glass of wine in your hand, surrounded by the classic wine country scenery.
Address: 239 Blue Ridge Rd, Saylorsburg, PA 18353
Telephone: 610-895-4205
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.blueridgeestatewinery.com
9. Glades Pike Winery
Boasting some of the best views in the area, Glades Pike Winery would almost be worth a visit for the scenery alone, even if they didn’t make wine.
However, that’s all hypothetical because they do make wine, and it’s good stuff too – and very reasonably priced.
The wines they produce include many of the classics like Chardonnay, Malbec, Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, but they also make some more original creations.
Note that the tours and tastings have been affected by the covid pandemic, so it’s best to contact the winery before visiting for the most up-to-date information about what’s available.
Address: 2208 Glades Pike, PA-31, Somerset, PA 15501
Telephone: 814-445-3753
Email: Contact via the website
Website: www.gladespikewinery.com
10. Nissley Vineyards Winery & Estate
Richard “Dick” Nissley and his son were among the first people to plant grapes in Pennsylvania back in the 1970s when many people believed the area was unsuitable for producing high-quality wines.
Almost 50 years later, it’s clear that they proved a lot of people wrong, and their estate now comprises 30 acres of vines and 14 grape varietals producing some world-class, award-winning wines.
Tastings are available at the winery, and you can build your own flight of six from the many wines on offer, either inside heated by the crackling fire during the colder months or outside when the weather is warm.
Reservations are not required for groups of eight or fewer – but on weekends, groups of nine or more are advised to call ahead.
Note that tours have been affected by covid, so for the most up to date information, you should contact the winery directly.
Address: 140 Vintage Dr, Bainbridge, PA 17502
Telephone: 717-426-3514
Email: [email protected]
Website: nissleywine.com
11. Bella Terra Vineyards
Bella Terra Vineyards is more of a venue for holding small gatherings or larger events like weddings, but they also have an extensive wine list as well as offering tastings, so we thought it deserved a place on our list anyway, especially due to the exquisite location.
They offer the chance to dine outside in lakeside cabanas – or during colder weather, you can rent a heated “igloo” to keep you warm.
There’s a bistro food menu with plenty of delicious dishes to tempt you, and of course, they have a respectable range of wines as well as beers and other drinks to keep everyone happy.
In terms of tasting, you can choose flights of wine or cider – and you can even mix and match to create your own flight of cider, wine and wine cocktails if you can’t make up your mind which to try.
If you like what you taste, there’s also a shop on-site selling various Bella Terra wines and other drinks, allowing you to take home a bottle or two of your favorites.
Address: 121 Sunny Ln, Hunker, PA 15639
Telephone: 724-635-3658
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.bellaterravineyards.com
Hard to choose where to head first
As we have seen, there’s no shortage of wineries in Pennsylvania, from small scale family-run businesses to operations with much larger outputs.
Many of the wineries in Pennsylvania merit a visit, and perhaps the hardest part will be deciding which one to head to first.
