Pennsylvania Wine Country: Where Funeral Directors Make Award-Winning Wine

Family farms in the Endless Mountains region of Pennsylvania have embraced a “softer” industry…wine cultivation.  ©Dawn Damico

Destination Pennsylvania / Pennsylvania wine

Logging, coal mines, and steel. These are the industries that define Pennsylvania. But wine? That might surprise you. Yet Pennsylvania wine has been there from the beginning.

Now, we understand if wine is last on your list of what to expect when exploring Pennsylvania, especially in its colder northeastern region. But did you know that before Prohibition, wine was produced in every Pennsylvania county? And because of Pennsylvania’s challenging climate, you could say that wine grape growers are strong as steel.

Pennsylvania wine is emerging on a national and international scale. Today, Pennsylvania has neary 300 licensed winereies and over 14,000 acres of vineyards, placing it in the top five by volume for wine-producing states.   ©Dawn Damico

The romantic image of rolling vineyards is a sharp contrast to Pennsylvania’s industrial history – where clear-cut forests and scarred earth were once the byproduct of mining operations. But even with the harsh realities of building a nation, sophistication and taste emerged with the state’s earliest known commercial vineyard beginning in 1787. The endeavor was backed by investments from familiar names like Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, Johns Hopkins, Robert Morris, and Citizen Genet. 

In those early years, grapes mostly grew alongside apples, cherries, and other “truck crops” to supplement income rather than established in formal estate-styled vineyards. By 1900, as the state was flexing its dominance in U.S. manufacturing, Pennsylvania farmers produced more than 195,627 gallons of wine annually in all 67 counties. 

Then came Prohibition. 

That brought alcohol production to a screeching halt. However, grape growing proved to be the saving grace.

As others sought to maneuver their way around the law, farmers pivoted to juice grapes like Concord and Niagara that could be pressed and sold as juice or sold fresh.

A Failed Experiment

Prohibition was repealed in 1933 by the 21st Amendment; but the damage was done. Ultimately, the Constitutional experiment changed the trajectory of wine production in Pennsylvania.

Growing a different grape variety helped farmers survive Prohibition, but it also earned the state a reputation as “juice country” rather than serious wine country. Pennsylvania was also the last state in the union to revoke restrictions on commercial winemaking.

Even today, production is limited. So while Pennsylvania holds many historical “firsts” in the wine and spirits category, the state’s wineries remain under the radar. Some would say they are still in the pioneering stages of wine grape production. 

But that’s changing. For wine travelers who venture into the Northeast mountains, Pennsylvania wines offer a surprising variety of noteworthy vintages that are gaining international recognition.

Many Pennsylvania farmers made a deliberate decision to tranform generational farmland to cultivate wine grapes and create gathering places with a character unique to the area. This outdoor space at Grovedale winery is an example of how visitors enjoy Pennsylvania wine.  ©Dawn Damico

Growing anything takes grit. Farming demands you to be part scientist, part optimist, curious and deliberate, maybe a bit ‘mad”, and fully prepared to pivot as new information is discovered and weather strikes.

What often surprises wine lovers is how hard it is to grow wine grapes in northeast Pennsylvania.

Grape growers in the Endless Mountains face a unique challenge. The region has a tiny window of opportunity to coax a grape from vine to wine. There are about 160-180 frost-free days each year, and vinifera grapes prefer 180+ days.

Somewhere between the humidity brought on by fall hurricanes, and the deep frost of winter (temperatures can drop to 30 degrees below freezing), a spark of hope is kept alive. Only the hardiest vines survive. And only the best grapes become wines worth drinking.

A Pennsylvania farmer cannot pick up a California grape growing guide and expect those instructions to work in their mico-climates. Instead, vineyards in the northeast corner, where wineries like Grovedale and Nimble Hill operate, are developing a regional identity around cold-hardy hybrids.

Pennsylvania Wine Hybrids

These hybrids are crosses between established Vitis vinifera (like Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese) and native North American species like Vitis Labrusca and Vitis riparia. These combinations (that’s where the science comes in) allow the vines to survive in local climates.

Pennsylvania wineries are not trying to produce California wine…and that’s a good thing because variety is what keeps the industry interesting. And, what was a pleasant surprise during my visit, they are not limited to grape varieties that only yield sweet wines.

Instead, you’ll find Pennsylvania wineries developing grape varieties that thrive in their challenging climate, wines created from local and imported juice, and wines receiving international recognition.

One example is found during a wine tour of Grovedale Winery in Wyalusing.

It’s been said that a farm without a dog is just a house. Meet Gus! and stop into Groveland to enjoy the wines named in his honor.   ©Dawn Damico

Located on the north branch of the Susquehanna River along Pennsylvania’s scenic stretch of Route 6, Grovedale has an unusual origin story. A sixth generation licensed funeral director decided to plant eight acres of grapes on his family’s property. 

To be clear, owner Jeff Homer’s interest in wine didn’t come from embalming fluids (though you’ll find a coffin in the historic family home on Grovedale Winery’s property). It came from time spent in San Francisco during college while working in hospitality. 

When people came to see him in California, they wanted to tour wineries. Playing local tour guide opened up the world of wine to Jeff and planted a seed.

When Jeff returned to the Pennsylvania farm, that seed of curiosity grew. He considered possibilities for the farm that had been in his family for seven generations. The vision of an estate-like vineyard that also honored his Pennsylvania heritage began to take root.

But there was one problem: Could he make great wine in a brutal climate, or would it be a “shit show”?

Turns out, both things are true.

Sh!tshow is popular with visitors to Groveland Winery. The label idea was born during a time when the world seemed a little chaotic.   ©Dawn Damico

At a local meeting, Jeff met a farmer growing Minnesota grape varietals. These grapes can handle winters dropping to 30 degrees below freezing. This gave Jeff the courage to plant varieties like Frontenac, Frontenac Gris, Petite Pearl, La Crescent, and St. Pepin.

Grovedale continues to experiment with varieties and flavor profiles using estate-grown grapes and juice imported from other vineyards across the country.

Their popular “Sh!tShow” label features Cabernet from Washington, a white made with California grapes, and rosé from Washington Grenache.

An added treat: friendly barnyard animals roam the historic farm property. During my visit, I had the chance to meet sweet Gus, the family doodle, whose name appears on wine labels like Gusto Pe’t Nat (“Grab Life by the Charcuterie”). Gus has since passed, and Tessa, the new doodle, has joined the farm. By the looks of things, she’ll enjoy life at the winery just as Gus did.

A year-round events calendar provides many excuses to visit the winery. Live music, food trucks, game nights, stargazing, yard games, and pet the goats and pigs. You can even stay at the Tiny House Airbnb, or park your RV through Harvest Host.

And don’t be too surprised if you get a glimpse of a visiting kangaroo from nearby Safari Farm Petting Zoo and Sanctuary. The folks at Grovedale are always looking for fun ways to share their wine.

Other wineries near Grovedale to add to your Northeast Pennsylvania wine tour include:

Barnyard animals at Grovedale Winery keep it real.   ©Dawn Damico

In a world that tells you great wine only comes from warm climates and famous regions, Pennsylvania said: watch this.

They are not trying to be Napa. And while its northern neighbors in the Finger Lakes and southern neighbors in Virginia have a running start in the wine world, Pennsylvania is carving its own path – one cold-hardy grape at a time. 

It’s more than wine. It’s turning historic farms into destinations worth driving hours to reach. It’s transforming that same steel-strong determination that developed the industries that built a nation, into something softer. 

Something that can be sipped slowly as you watch the sunset over an Endless Mountain landscape.

The winemakers here are pioneers in the truest sense. They experiment with varietals most people have never heard of, coaxing world-class wines from a climate that should make it impossible. Just like those early days of our nation’s birth, they’re building a regional identity that’s entirely their own.

The historic home at Grovedale winery showcases seven generations of family and tradition.   ©Dawn Damico

Create Your Pennsylvania Wine Tour

Intimate vineyards. Genuine hospitality. Stories that don’t come from a marketing script—like a funeral director who plants Frontenac, or a family doodle who gets his own wine label.

While my Pennsylvania wine tour was limited to Grovedale, you don’t have to end there…although it is a great first stop. Who can resist goats eager to have their ears scratched or the snout of a little pig pushing its way toward you through the fence? 

Each winery has its own personality and its own approach to making wine. While tasting vintages from an emerging market, you’re also supporting farmers along their quest to produce the best Pennsylvania wine. As a bonus, you get endless views along the way.

Have you visited Pennsylvania wine country? Know a hidden gem we should feature next? Send us an email or tag us in your vineyard photos. We’re always looking for the next great discovery.

Plan your visit: Check winery websites for seasonal events, make reservations for tastings, and consider staying overnight at Grovedale’s Tiny House or nearby accommodations. Pennsylvania wine country is best experienced slowly.

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