The Best Pennsylvania Wineries to Visit Right Now, According to Pros

When it comes to wine, Pennsylvania doesn’t often get name-checked alongside California or Oregon, but its scene is rich, diverse, and increasingly ambitious. It’s also historic: grapes were first planted in the Mid-Atlantic state in the 1600s. Although Prohibition and restrictive laws later shrank the Pennsylvania wine industry, the late 20th century brought a revival spurred by state legislation and a wave of entrepreneurial vintners.

Today, the Keystone State is home to some 400 wineries and more than 14,000 vineyard acres, producing more than two million gallons of wine annually. For visitors, this translates to an unexpected wealth of tasting experiences—sweeping vineyard views in the Lehigh Valley, historic barns in the Brandywine Valley, intimate family-run estates, and even boutique operations inside the city limits of Philadelphia.

Whether you’re planning a weekend road trip through rolling countryside or looking for an afternoon escape just outside the city, Pennsylvania’s wineries offer engaging tastings and distinctive wines that tell the story of the region. Read on for 10 Pennsylvania wineries you can’t miss.

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Lehigh Valley AVA

Located in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Lehigh Valley AVA is known for Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, and limestone soils.

Courtesy of Galen Glen Winery

Galen Glen Winery

Andreas

Set on a sixth-generation family farm in the Lehigh Valley, Galen Glen Winery is run by Galen and Sarah Troxell and their daughter, Erin. The Troxells were early pioneers of Grüner Veltliner, becoming only the second U.S. winery to plant the Austrian grape and the first commercial planting east of the Rocky Mountains. “Now the grape is synonymous with the Lehigh Valley,” says hospitality veteran Tim Kweeder, founder of Fell To Earth Vermouth. He calls Galen Glen’s white wines—especially the older-vine Stone Cellar cuvées—“stunning and world-class,” and adds that the setting is also worth a visit.

“They have among the highest altitude vineyards in eastern PA and certainly one of the more stunning and dramatic panoramic views, being almost surrounded by mountains.” While you’re there, look for the 300- to 400-million-year-old crinoid fossils displayed in the tasting room—reminders that the vineyards sit on ancient seabed soils that shape the wines’ character.

Stony Run Winery

Breinigsville

Established in 2013 by Larry Shrawder, Stony Run Winery has grown into one of Pennsylvania’s largest estate producers, with more than 20 varieties of grapes grown across its sprawling Lehigh Valley vineyards. Thanks to the valley’s foothill microclimates, Stony Run is making expressive red and white wines, with “excellent versions of off-dry Riesling and Grüner Veltliner,” says Kweeder. “They’re actually our main source of wine for our vermouth project.” Visit for guided tastings and flights, or enjoy a bottle and a charcuterie board on a patio overlooking sweeping farmland.

Setter Ridge Vineyards

Kutztown

Setter Ridge Vineyards has been producing wine in the Lehigh Valley since the early 2000s, and what began with a trip to France and a family passion project for founder Richard Blair has evolved into one of the region’s standout wineries. “Setter Ridge focuses on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay because founder Rich Blair fell in love with Burgundy,” says Jamie Harrison Rubin, sommelier of Philadelphia’s Southwark and Ambra. “His wines age beautifully too.”

Visitors can sample those vintages—the Kutztown winery is open daily for wine flights—while taking in views of the Blue Mountains from the hilltop tasting pavilion.

Therein Wine

Kutztown

When James and Melissa Priest relocated their acclaimed Referend Bier Blendery from New Jersey to Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, they brought with them a meticulous, fermentation-focused mindset and an appetite for experimentation. After acquiring a small vineyard, the Priests launched Therein Wine, a natural extension of their work with spontaneous fermentation. “The beers are some of the best I’ve had, and while the winery is still very young, the wines are showing incredible promise,” says Ambra and Southwark’s Jamie Harrison Rubin. “I was particularly taken by a skin-contact Albariño.”

The Kutztown operation’s on-site Cellar Bar is open for guided tastings, and visitors can sip Therein wines alongside Referend pours while soaking up the relaxed, convivial vibe in the rustic, farmhouse-style space.

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Brandywine Valley AVA / Southeastern Pennsylvania

Chester County and its surrounding areas feature rolling farmland and small estates, many of which specialize in field blends.

Vox Vineti

Christiana

Few Pennsylvania wineries are as deliberate (or lauded) as Vox Vineti, the small estate run by winemaker Ed Lazzerini. Before planting a single vine, Lazzerini “searched high and low for a place with a particular soil make-up and climate,” says Harrison Rubin. He found it near the border of Lancaster and Chester counties: sloped terrain with rocky, well-drained soils, high elevation, and abundant sunlight. “[It] is now growing some of the best wine Pennsylvania has to offer,” says Rubin.

Lazzerini focuses primarily on Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sauvignon Blanc, along with a few clones of Nebbiolo. His approach is meticulous and restrained: sustainable farming, wild fermentation, and aging in a mix of steel and used oak barrels to let the fruit shine, according to Tim Kweeder of Fell To Earth Vermouth. “They are serious, honest wines with more nuance and character than most of his peers—and among the best in the Mid-Atlantic, maybe even the U.S,” Kweeder says. Tastings at the vineyard are on Saturday and Sunday afternoons by appointment only, and, led by Lazzerini himself, are well worth the pre-planning.

Va La Vineyards

Avondale

In the heart of Chester County’s mushroom country, Va La Vineyards owner and winemaker Anthony Vietri has spent decades quietly redefining what Pennsylvania wine can be, crafting small-production, field-blend wines from his family’s century-old farm. Each bottle is made from grapes grown, harvested, and fermented on-site—often complex mixes of four to nine Italian varieties. “Anthony is one of the trailblazers of upping the bar on quality Pennsylvania wines,” says Kweeder. “Most of his wines are red blends, but he also produces a rich rosé and La Prima Donna, which was certainly among the earliest skin-macerated white wines to be produced in this country well-before the style became a raging trend.”

Vietri’s wines are sold only at the farm, and well worth heading there to pick up some bottles. Fridays through Sundays, make a reservation for a tasting in the cozy, century-old barn with views of the vines, and plan for lunch at nearby Talula’s Table, a famed farm-to-table pioneer in downtown Kennett Square.

Wayvine Winery & Vineyard

Nottingham

Tucked into the rolling farmland of Chester County, Wayvine Winery & Vineyard is a true estate operation—every grape grown, harvested, and bottled on-site by brothers Zach and James Wilson. The winery’s philosophy is low-intervention winemaking, letting the fruit and the land speak for themselves. The result is a lineup of clean, expressive wines that reflect the soil and seasons of southern Pennsylvania. “I appreciate that Wayvine is entirely estate-grown fruit and low intervention,” says A.Kitchen & Bar sommelier and wine director Frank Kinyon.

It’s also a destination, he notes. The restored barn tasting room anchors a working farm with regular live music and wood-fired pizza and food-truck nights. Guests can also sip Wayvine wines at the team’s Tulip Pasta & Wine Bar in Philadelphia, and stay near the vineyard at nearby partner Ethereal Farms with an Airbnb farm stay and access to miles of picturesque hiking trails.

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Susquehanna River Valley AVA

Located in South-Central Pennsylvania, this area boasts mature vineyards planted in limestone soils that often produce Bordeaux-style reds.

Cadenza Vineyards

Brogue

Winemaker Carl Helrich has quietly built one of Pennsylvania’s most sophisticated wine programs at Cadenza Vineyards, his premium estate label produced at Allegro Winery, the York County winery he owns and operates. When Helrich purchased Allegro, he inherited some of the state’s oldest vines—original Chardonnay and Cabernet blocks were planted in 1973—which now yield grapes with exceptional depth and concentration. “The Cadenza red wines are Bordeaux blends, and his Chardonnay is as good if not a lot better than Burgundy counterparts at the same price point,” says Kweeder. “He, along with Anthony Vietri, helped trailblaze the modern winegrowing scene in Pennsylvania.”

The tasting room is open for small-group experiences on weekends from 12 pm to 5 pm and on weekdays by appointment, with indoor and outdoor seating and snacks like cheese and charcuterie for purchase.

Waltz Vineyards Estate Winery

Manheim

Located in the heart of Lancaster County farm country, Waltz Vineyards is a family operation founded by Jan and Kimberly Waltz and now led by Zach Waltz, who continues the legacy his parents began on their Manheim farm. The winery focuses on Bordeaux varieties—Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sauvignon Blanc—grown in limestone-rich soils that lend structure and freshness to the wines. “Zach Waltz is producing very good, varietally-correct wines that go toe to toe with good Bordeaux,” says Kweeder. “I especially adore their Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc.”

Visitors can sample those wines in a polished tasting room alongside cheese plates with local pretzels and chocolate, or bring a bottle out to the winery’s lawn with a lovely backdrop of the sixth-generation farm.

Philadelphia Regional Area

Pray Tell Wines

Philadelphia

Once based in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Pray Tell Wines found new roots in Philadelphia when winemaker Tom Caruso and his partner Sydney Adams moved the operation to Kensington—into the same building where Caruso’s family once ran a business. It’s an unlikely spot for a winery, but the move has made Pray Tell one of the city’s most exciting wine destinations. At the open-concept tasting room inside the working winery, guests sip among barrels and tanks. “They’re making seriously delicious, seriously fun wines,” says Elyse Lovenworth, director of operations at Nature’s Vin wine bar and shop in Wayne. “You’ve got a front-row seat to all the action.”

Pray Tell now sources all its grapes from Pennsylvania, while some Oregon-made wines remain in rotation. “The wines are amazing and really well crafted,” adds Frank Kinyon, sommelier and wine director of A.Kitchen & Bar in Philadelphia. “Tom and Sydney provide the best hospitality I’ve ever witnessed.”

Adding to the draw is the plethora of great eateries right on its doorstep.“They’re just steps away from some of Philly’s top restaurant destinations like Pizzeria Beddia, Laser Wolf, Wm. Mulherin’s, Suraya, Middle Child Clubhouse, and Kalaya, to name a few,” says Lovenworth.

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