Best Wineries Near Philadelphia

Are you stuck at home and need some wine? Want to support a local winery? Several students in our online wine classes asked us for this list, and here is our list of the Best Wineries Near Philadelphia! Please let us know if you have any favorite wineries not on the list. 

These wineries are a short road trip from Philly. We also included a few wineries worthy of a road trip to make things more interesting, just in case you get stir-crazy.

More than a few of these wineries employ our graduates. Ask when you arrive, especially if you are a fellow student!

Pennsylvania Wineries Near Philly

Best Wineries Near Philadelphia. All are less than 45 minutes from Center City, Philadelphia. 

Penns Woods Winery

Chad’s Ford has always been a hotbed for wine production in PA. Penns Wood has become a specialist in Cabernet Sauvignon. You should seek out their reserve bottlings if you want to treat yourself. 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. Several Wine School graduates work here. The tasting room is fantastic.

Chaddsford Winery

It is a classic winery that was hugely influential in the PA fine wine scene in the late nineties and early aughts. After a decade of decline, Chaddsford is being sold. As of this writing, a new owner has not been located.

A number of Wine School of Philadelphia graduates have worked for this winery in the past. Back in their heyday—circa 2001—they made an exceptional Cabernet Franc, courtesy of a member of the Wine School family.

Karamoor Estate

This is a winery that is all but a transplant from Napa Valley. 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 is a bonafide upscale winery with resources far beyond the reach of any other Philly winery. 

Nicholas Karabots, who founded the winery with his wife Athena, passed away in 2021. With its winemaker retiring soon, this winery may close in the coming years. We recommend checking out this lovely winery before then! A graduate of our winemaking program is currently part of their team.

Urban Wineries in Philly

Mural City Cellars

Run by a PR/Winemaking duo, this urban winery is a hit with the media elite in Philadelphia. With a carefully crafted image and natural/local wine vibe, the winery is marketed toward a younger, hip crowd.

John Roberts Cellars

This urban winery is located in what could be called South-South Philly (It’s actually in Essington). They source fruit from California and Chile and are going strong after their first vintage in 2020. Of note is their Petite Sirah from Suisun Valley. The owners graduated from our Core Sommelier program before starting this winery.

New Jersey Wineries Near Philly

Best Wineries Near Philadelphia. All are less than 45 minutes from Center City, Philadelphia.

William Heritage Wines

A longtime favorite at the Wine School, not just because one of their original winemakers graduated from our sommelier program. 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. 

Amalthea Cellars

To love Amalthea, you must meet the owner and winemaker, Louis Caracciolo. He’s been making Bordeaux blends in Jersey longer than anyone. He has gained many ardent fans, including the best-selling author George Taber. Of particular note is the Europa series of wines. The original assistant winemaker graduated from the Wine School of Philadelphia and moved on to work in the Australian wine trade.

Worth The Drive

New Jersey

A few New Jersey wineries over an hour away are worth the journey.

Working Dog Winery

Paws-down, Working Dog Winery is one of the top wineries on the East Coast. Their syrah has earned praise from other winemakers and international wine critics. The winery started the same year as the Wine School (2001) and grew over time. Their wines began to be noticed by the national press in 2010, and it’s now reached a fever pitch. They are legit rock stars in the Jersey wine scene.

Hawk Haven Vineyard

The leading winery in Cape May, Hawk Haven, has produced stellar wines for a decade. I first wrote an article praising their wines in the iconic (but sadly defunct) Philly Beer Scene magazine. They make an excellent Chardonnay, and their Viognier has fantastic potential. Their white game is solid. If you enjoy natural wines, seek out their pet nuts. 

Alba Vineyard

This sliver of New Jersey is becoming a premier white wine-producing region in America. Their grand reserve estate chardonnay is spectacular. They are also producing some of the best Pinots on the East Coast, and I expect they will continue to push the envelope. 

Pennsylvania

A few Pennsylvania wineries over an hour away are still worth the journey.

Cellar Beast Winehouse

Three alums of the Wine School of Philadelphia opened this winery in 2021. Mat Check, the former winemaker at Stone & Key, is the Head Winemaker/Owner. Cellar Beast brings grapes in from Napa and some killer vineyards in Columbia Valley and shows a great deal of panache in its output. The tasting room has one of the best vibes in the region and is a personal favorite of Alana Zerbe, our director of wine education.

Galen Glen Winery

Located just outside Jim Thorpe, this winery is one of the outstanding 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. While the wines are world-class, the tasting room is somewhat awkward.

Va La Vineyards

The original natural wine destination in PA. The wines are sourced solely from their vineyards 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 are unique and against the grain. What has been consistent is the high quality and uniqueness of these wines. These wines are often cited as one of the best wineries in PA.