Top Wineries Near Philadelphia
Local Wineries Perfect for a Road TripGalen Glen
Penns Woods Winery
John Robert Cellars
Chaddsford Winery
Karamoor
Stone & Key Cellars
Va La Vineyards
William Heritage Winery
Amalthea Cellar Farm Winery
White Horse Winery
Hawk Haven
Working Dog Winery
Alba Vineyards
Pinnacle Ridge Winery
Stuck at home and need some wine? Want to support a local winery? A number of students in our online wine classes asked us for this list, and here it is! If you have any favorite wineries that are not on the list, please let us know in the comments.
In the era of COVID-19, most of the listed wineries are offering curbside pick-up. Before you head out, make sure you reach out. Every winery has a different protocol on how to order wine for pickup.
These wineries are a short road trip from Philly. To make things a bit more interesting, we also included a few wineries that are worthy of a road trip, just in case you are getting stir crazy. If you aren’t up for leaving home right now, you can also order wine online. Cheers!
Pennsylvania Wineries
Our top winery picks. All are less than 45 minutes from center city Philadelphia.
Penns Woods Winery
124 Beaver Valley Rd, Chadds Ford, PA 19317
A hotbed for wine production in PA has always been located around Chad’s Ford. They have become a specialist in Cabernet Sauvignon, and their reserve bottlings should be sought out. Their planting of Cabernet vines dates back to 1997, making them some of the oldest vines in the state. These wines show what is possible to achieve here.
website: https://www.pennswoodsevents.com/
John Robert Cellars
301 Wanamaker Ave, Essington, PA 19029
A new winery located in what could be called South-South Philly (It’s actually in Essington). They are an urban winery, sourcing fruit from both Calfornia and Chile. Going strong after their first vintage. Of note is their Petite Sirah from Suisun Valley.
Chaddsford Winery
632 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, PA 19317
A classic winery that was hugely influential in the PA fine wine scene in the late nineties and early oughts. After a decade of decline, Chaddsford has rebounded into its former glory. Of particular note is their Cabernet Franc, which is on par with their 2001 vintage. Their Artisan Series is a very promising line of fine wines.
website: www.chaddsford.com
Karamoor Estate
40 E Skippack Pike, Fort Washington, PA 19034
A winery that is all but a transplant from Napa Valley. The wine production here focuses on Bordeaux blends. A project by the influential Karabots family, the winery is located on their sprawling Fort Washington estate. It the bonafides and resources far beyond the reach of any other Philly winery.
website: www.karamoorwines.com
Stone & Key Cellars
435 Doylestown Rd, Montgomeryville, PA 18936
While a local winery, they source grapes from across the world. Of particular note are their wines sourced from Columbia Valley in Washington State. The Obsidian bottling is a worthwhile splurge. Much of the top production staff earned their wine certification here in Philly.
website: stoneandkeycellars.com
Worth The Drive
A few Pennsylvania wineries over an hour away that are still worth the journey.
Galen Glen Winery
255 Winter Mountain Dr, Andreas, PA 18211
Located just outside Jim Thorpe, this winery is one of the great wineries on the East Coast. It shows mastery in an obscure but demanding field of winemaking: Austrian wine styles and varietals. The Gruner Veltliners and Rieslings here are extraordinary.
website: www.galenglen.com
Pinnacle Ridge Winery
407 Old U.S. 22, Kutztown, PA 19530
A rising talent for white wine production in Pennsylvania, especially for Grüner Veltliner. Their bubbles are exceptional, in particular their Cuvée Chardonnay. They do dip their winemaking toes into that murky pool of sweet wines; keep to their dry wines and you’ll be rewarded.
website: pinridge.com
Va La Vineyards
8820 Gap Newport Pike, Avondale, PA 19311
The original natural wine destination in PA. The wines are sourced solely from their own vineyards, which was planted in 1997 with an odd assortment of Italian varietals. Nebbiolo from the chilly & hilly Piedmont region is planted near Primitivo (Zinfandel) from hot & flat Apulia. Like many in the natural wine movement, the choices made here are unique and against the grain. What has been consistent is the high quality and uniqueness of these wines. These are wines that are often cited as the best of the East Coast.
website: www.valavineyards.com
New Jersey Wineries
Our top winery picks. All are less than 45 minutes from center city Philadelphia.
William Heritage Winery
480 Mullica Hill Rd, Mullica Hill, NJ 08062
A longtime favorite at the Wine School. The wines here are ever-evolving. A decade ago, they were focused on Bordeaux blends, and their BDX bottling has been a standard-bearer for luxury East Coast red wines. They moved into sparkling wine production, which has earned national praise. I expect they will continue to evolve and push the NJ wine scene forward. Their tasting room experience is one of the best in the region.
website: www.williamheritagewine.com
Amalthea Cellars Farm Winery
209 Vineyard Rd, Atco, NJ 08004
To love Amalthea winery, you really need to meet the owner and winemaker Louis Caracciolo. He’s been making Bordeaux blends in Jersey longer than anyone. He has gained a long list of ardent fans, including the best selling author George Taber. Of particular note is the Europa series of wines.
website: www.amaltheacellars.com
White Horse Winery
106 Hall St, Hammonton, NJ 08037
A new winery that has great potential. Their vineyards were planted in 2013 and pulled their first harvest in 2018. While still young, their 50-acre vineyard is showing promise. Of note is their estate white wines, Albariño and Vidal Blanc. For reds, the reserve Cabernet Franc is very good. Philly Magazine named their Chambourcin as “Best of Philly” in 2019.
website: www.whitehorsewinery.com
Worth The Drive
A few New Jersey wineries over an hour away that are still worth the journey.
Working Dog Winery
255 Winter Mountain Dr, Andreas, PA 18211
Hands-down one of the great wineries of the East Coast. Their syrah has earned praise from other winemakers ask well as international wine critics. The winery started the same year as the Wine School (2001) and grew over time. Their wines started to get notices by the national press in 2010 and it’s reached a fever pitch now. They are legit rock stars in the Jersey wine scene now.
website: www.workingdogwinerynj.com
Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery
600 S Railroad Ave, Rio Grande, NJ 08242
The leading winery in Cape May, Hawk Haven has produced stellar wines for a decade now. I first wrote an article praising their wines in the iconic (but sadly defunct) Philly Beer Scene magazine. They produce an excellent Chardonnay, and their Viognier has great potential. Their white game is very strong. If you are a fan of natural wines, then seek out their Pet-Nats.
website: www.hawkhavenvineyard.com
Alba Vineyards
269 County Rd 627, Milford, NJ 08848
It’s possible that slivers of New Jersey are going to become the premier white wine-producing regions in America. Their grand reserve estate chardonnay is spectacular. They also are making some Pinot Noirs that are compelling. They are pricing the best Pinots on the East Coast right now, and I expect they will continue to push the envelope.
website: www.albavineyard.com
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