Hit Up These Wineries and Vineyards on a Road Trip Through Pennsylvania

Pack up your car and journey to the region’s top wine destinations.

Nothing says summer quite like a road trip. With the windows down and the sun on your face, the only thing that can make the trip better is making a winery or vineyard the destination.

In the Philadelphia area, we’re blessed with an embarrassment of riches in the wine department. With nearly 300 wineries and over 14,000 acres of vineyards, Pennsylvania is the fifth largest wine producer in the country.

From refreshing rosés to full bodied reds, an expansive palate is within reach—and you don’t have to go very far from Philadelphia. In just over 76 miles, you can visit eight unique wineries, starting in the Brandywine Valley and working your way north into Bucks County. Grab a crew and pack some snacks and get in the car for a taste (literally) of what Southeast Pennsylvania has to offer.

Kick off your winery tour southwest of Philadelphia in Chester County. Harvest Ridge Winery grows its grapes in the Delaware countryside, but has a tasting room nestled within the lush green landscape of the Brandywine Valley. The tasting room is open on the weekends and offers create-your-own wine flights of reds (cabernet sauvignon, merlot, blends), whites (chardonnay, pinot gris, gruvy, and a blend), sweet wines, and sangria. Top your tasting off with some meats and cheeses and you’ll have a delectable afternoon in a cozy, home-y tasting room.

Fifteen minutes away is Chaddsford Winery, a local staple and one of the most established wineries in the state. Housed in a former 17th century dairy farm, the space is outfitted with plenty of outdoor patio seating, food trucks, manicured lawns for picnicking, and a newly renovated barrel room. On weekends, the winery hosts seasonal tastings, featuring pours from their extensive portfolio, and wine flights. From sparkling whites to red blends, the winery stocks tried-and-true wines alongside rotating seasonal options. Plus, all spring and summer long, Chaddsford Winery hosts holiday and themed weekends, featuring food trucks, live music, and wine slushies.

Penns Woods Winery

​Chadds Ford

Sip with views of the vineyard at Penns Woods Winery, just minutes away from the Pennsylvania-Delaware border. The charming old barn on the property is fashioned into an outdoor bar where you can order moscato, rosé, and pinot noir by the glass. On the weekends, make a reservation for a tour of the 30-acre vineyard or a guided wine tasting. To pair with your merlot reserve, traminette, or blanc de noir, the winery sells cheese, crackers, and jams, and if you’re sitting outside, you can bring your own snacks—and pup, if they’re well behaved.

Grace Winery

Glen Mills

About 20 minutes north of the Penns Woods Winery sits Grace Winery. Photo ops abound at this lush 1750s barn-turned-winery located on the grounds of a Brandywine estate. Grace Winery offers small batch, estate-grown wines by the glass or bottle and tons of scenic landscape to take in. The tasting room serves two different red blends, cabernet franc, vintners reserve, and more, plus snacks like a meat and cheese board. Throughout your visit, you can meander about the rows of vines and say hi to horses and alpacas.

Head east on U.S. 1 for about 20 minutes and you’ll hit Vino Bambino. Putting a unique spin on the winery experience, Vino Bambino allows visitors to blend and taste their own wines in their barrel room. Book a private event or join a class and create your own custom wine featuring their house-made reds: malbec, merlot, syrah, and more. You’ll walk away with a custom labeled bottle of your unique vino with expert knowledge of how wines are blended and what varietals are the most complimentary. If you’re not feeling so adventurous, you can stop by for a tasting of the winery’s creations—no arts and crafts necessary.

After a straight shot down I-476 North, you’ll arrive at the Karamoor Estate. The winery features a deck overlooking 27 acres of vineyards, giving you the feel that you’re enjoying sips in Sonoma rather than Southeast Pennsylvania. The winery hosts vineyard tours along with tastings of their Bordeaux-style wines like chardonnay, petit verdot, cabernet franc, and more. The estate features sprawling greenery and gazebos, so make your reservation for a classy afternoon experience.

The longest leg of your road trip—just over half an hour from Karamoor Estate—takes you into the heart of Bucks County. Located on a ridge above the Neshaminy Creek, family-run farm Rushland Ridge produces chardonnay, cabernet franc, and traminette for your tasting pleasure. Open for tastings on weekends in their intimate rustic space, pick and choose what you’d like to sample and enjoy a laid back, truly homegrown afternoon. Cross your fingers the owners’ pup greets you at the door.

Scoot just 10 minutes down the road to Wycombe Vineyards to end your journey. The estate at Wycombe has been in the family for nearly a century, operating as a pork farm before pivoting to wine. These days you can make a reservation for a table or BYO chair or blanket and food and sit on the sprawling lawn next to the vineyard with a glass, flight, or bottle. Their red lineup includes a smoke house red and a ruby port, while on the white side, they’ve got riesling and chardonnays. If you’re looking for a guided tasting, make a reservation at least two weeks in advance and learn about wine growing while sipping on eight wines and munching on snacks  like house-assembled cheese boards.

Allie Volpe is a writer based in Philadelphia. She hasn't slept in days. Follow her on Twitter: @allieevolpe.