Founded from Randy and Tiffany Detrick’s vineyard dream in 2010, Blue Ridge Estate Vineyard & Winery makes small-batch wines at a 17,000-square-foot hilltop winery overlooking its vineyards and the Pocono Mountains. Its Saylorsburg destination pairs the wine with an unusual behind-the-scenes experience, including barrel tastings, cellar tours and an Underground Room six feet below ground. The winery’s identity is closely tied to the Detricks’ “add value to others” mission and its lively calendar of dinners, music and community events.
Mount Nittany Vineyard & WineryFounded in 1990 after Joe and Betty Carroll turned their Mount Nittany family farm into a winery, Mount Nittany Vineyard & Winery produces wine on a 60-acre central Pennsylvania estate. The second-generation family business now works from a six-acre vineyard and an on-site production facility, with winemaker Scott Hilliker—who joined full time in 2015—overseeing its broad wine program. Its mountain setting also provides a distinctive backdrop for tastings and private events beside a spring-fed pond.CENTRE HALL, PA
Big Cork VineyardsSet in the foothills of Maryland’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Big Cork Vineyards makes handcrafted estate wines on a 100-acre vineyard in Rohrersville. Its tasting-room experience extends beyond the bottle, with guided tastings, vineyard tours, live music and private events framed by views of Pleasant Valley. The property also includes a nearly 7,000-square-foot guest house that sleeps up to 16.ROHRERSVILLE, MD
Starr Hill Vineyard & WineryStarr Hill Vineyard & Winery is a veteran-owned, family-made Pennsylvania winery producing wines in Curwensville and welcoming visitors for tastings and tours. Family-made since 2005, it carries on winemaker Tony Starr’s fourth-generation tradition, with a tasting-room network spanning Central Pennsylvania and a signature huckleberry-flavored Squatch n Berry wine that supports the PA Wilds. Its annual Groundhog Wine & Shine festival and vineyard wedding setting add a distinctly community-minded dimension to the winery.PIKE TOWNSHIP, PA