5 Wine Weekend Getaways in Pennsylvania
Think rest, recreation … and rosé.
Our top weekend wine trips include a getaway to Nemacolin’s expansive property / Photograph by Jordan Millington
Being the designated driver while your partner gets wine-drunk isn’t the most appealing weekend activity. Fortunately, there’s a way to solve that familiar dilemma — by booking a weekend wine getaway. Whether they’re close to celebrated vineyards or wine destinations all on their own, these hotels across the state will ensure that all in your party can imbibe as much as they want (within reason, of course). Think rest, recreation … and rosé.
Nemacolin
Western Pennsylvania isn’t known for its wine culture, but that isn’t stopping Nemacolin, a sprawling luxury resort near Pittsburgh — about a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Philly — from popping corks on $10,000-plus bottles. Wine flows throughout this more than 2,200-acre family-owned property, and not just during meals at Lautrec, its elegant French-leaning restaurant. You can also savor prestigious vintages in a private sommelier-led tasting, clink prosecco glasses after a couples massage at the spa, and sip pinot while painting a landscape in the art studio. Any of the glorious grape juice from the 11,000-bottle cellar can be ordered to enjoy throughout the resort. Go ahead: Show off with Nemacolin’s oldest bottle, a 1928 Château Latour that comes in at $11,405, or with Forté Venango, a lovely red port from Lake Erie’s Conneaut Cellars Winery. Rooms from $499. — Sarah Maiellano
A bottle of Château Latour at Nemacolin / Photograph by Jordan Millington
The Inn at Grace Winery
You’ll find this bucolic 35-acre estate in Glen Mills, just 45 minutes outside the city. Cozy up in the seven-bedroom Manor House — part of which is the original 1734 Quaker farmhouse — or opt for a more private stay in any of the nine cottages, including the bi-level Hideaway (the farm’s former carriage house) and the Greenhouse, ideal for a double date or girls’ weekend. When you’ve had your fill of indulging in seasonal three-course dinners, making s’mores around a firepit, playing bocce, and befriending the inn’s horses, donkeys and alpacas, head to the renovated barn to taste wines made from estate-grown or PA-sourced grapes — like crisp chardonnay, sparkling cuvée and oak-aged merlot. Bonus: The grounds (including the vineyard!) are dog-friendly. Rooms from $210. — Laura Brzyski
The Lodge at Woodloch
No, there’s not a winery on-site at this 500-acre resort in the Poconos, about three hours from Philly. But that doesn’t matter: The adults-only, all-inclusive hideaway has a solid wine program, with a few PA bottles on the restaurant’s list. It’s the work of Leslie Britt, the lodge’s longtime sommelier, who only includes selections from sustainable, bio-dynamic or organic owner-operated vineyards in her lineup. Among them are Berks County-based Maple Springs Vineyard’s New Leaf white, an American blend used at the resort’s garden dinners (and pairing classes). The blend changes every vintage and pairs well with seafood. While that vineyard isn’t quite next door, a scenic detour is worth the trip. Or enjoy a bottle at the lodge, between your nature-infused explorations (expect trails, a lake and more) and sessions at the expansive woodland spa. Rooms from $454. — Kristen Schott
Seven Springs Mountain Resort
This mountaintop resort in southwestern Pennsylvania, a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Philly, boasts all things young at heart: a massive Alpine slide built right into the ski slope, an outdoor rock wall, two pools, mini golf, bowling, an arcade. But Seven Springs is perfect for vino lovers looking to unwind — Helen’s, the on-site restaurant, has an award-winning bottle list, and there are nearby wineries like Glades Pike and Greendance, where fruit and berry varietals shine. (They’re worth a sip, we promise.) Mark your calendar for the end of next August to catch the resort’s annual festival featuring 25-plus PA-based wineries — a weekend spent sampling and sipping local blends just steps away from your cozy lodge room, cottage or chalet. Rooms from $169. — Laura Brzyski
The Cholula pineapple short ribs with sunny-side egg at Plough, Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square’s restaurant / Photograph courtesy of Lancaster Marriott
Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square
There are reasons all your Instagram friends are spending weekends in the city of Lancaster: It’s less than two hours from Philly by car, the ride is scenic, and there’s bounteous sightseeing, shopping and dining to indulge in once you get there (PA wine included). The Lancaster Marriott offers a central base, with its own farm-to-table restaurant and bustling rooftop bar. Walk a few blocks to Deerfoot Downtown, a tasting room of the nano-scale Berks County vineyard, for sublime small-batch chambourcin and award-winning cab franc. Head to nearby wineries Waltz Vineyards for estate-grown semi-sweet moscato and Grandview for Grand Rouge, a premium bordeaux blend aged 22 months in French oak barrels. Don’t want to drive? Local limo services like Unique Limousine and Premier #1 Limousine Service will pick you up from the hotel and ferry you to top spots on the Lancaster County Winery Trail. Prices vary. — Erica Moody
>> Click here to return to The Philadelphian’s Guide to Pennsylvania Wine.
Published as “Grape Routes” in the October issue of Philadelphia magazine.
