Patio season is finally here! It’s time to sit back, relax, and sip on a local wine.
Western Pennsylvania has dozens of local wineries, many with scenic patios. Whether you’re looking for a new spot to grab drinks, or scouting a rehearsal dinner location, we’ve outlined some of our favorite local wineries in and around Pittsburgh!
Visiting any of these wineries this summer? We want to see your pictures! Tag @goodfoodpgh and #goodfoodpgh in all your food pictures this summer!
Please drink responsibly and never drink and drive.
La Casa Narcisi Winery
Gibsonia
Founded in 2001, Narcisi Winery has become Pittsburgh’s go-to destinations for everything from rehearsal dinners, to sipping wine on a patio with friends. The winery’s large complex is located in Gibsonia, and features a full restaurant, back yard, and bar. The outside dining area has a small stage and hosts performances on Friday and Sunday. The winery promise their location – nestled within the beautiful rolling hills of Western PA – will remind you of a Tuscan villa!
What to order: Chardonnay
La Casa Narcisi Winery (4578 Gibsonia Rd)
J&D Cellars
Eighty Four
Located in Eighty Four, Pennsylvania (close to Washington, PA), J&D Cellars makes small batch, high-quality wines. Stop by their tasting room to try a wide selection of wines. Thanks to their wonderful atmosphere, J&D Cellars is a fun stop to meet friends for a few glasses of wine. Guests are welcome to take a picnic, and enjoy their meal (with some wine!) on the property’s lush setting.
What to order: The Riesling
J&D Cellars (290 Roupe Rd)
Vinoski Winery
Belle Vernon
For a true California Winery experience, head to Vinoski Winery in Belle Vernon. This tasting room is located inside of an actual castle, and it’s a serene setting to enjoy Vinoski’s California grapes. The winery aims to provide customers with a regal experience in a magnificent setting. Stop by to enjoy a bottle of wine and food on the patio. Reservations are not necessary, but are recommended to guarantee seating, especially on weekends when there is live entertainment.
What to order: The Zinfandel
Vinoski Winery (333 Castle Dr)
Engine House 25
Lawrenceville
Located just off Doughboy Square at the intersection of Butler and Penn Ave, EngineHouse 25 is local winery squeezed between The Strip District and Lawrenceville. In addition to being an operation winery, the historic building is also a wine cellar, a commercial photography studio, and the Roberto Clemente Museum. There is no shortage of things to do in this space! The space can accommodate rehearsal dinners, wedding receptions, corporate events, product launches and parties! They also offer wine tasting in their cellar for a more intimate gathering. One of Pittsburgh’s premier cheese distributors, Wheel & Wedge also operates from the space, making EngineHouse 25 the perfect space to stop for a bottle of wine and cheese plate.
What to order: Grenache
Engine House 25 (3339 Penn Ave)
Pittsburgh Winery
Strip District
Very close to EngineHouse 25 is Pittsburgh Winery, another local wine shop and tasting room. Located in the cellar of an old bank building, guests are fully immersed in the winemaking experience. The space is used for onsite production and storage, and guests are seated among the barrels of aging wine. While their bold, dry wines are produced in Pittsburgh, their grapes are grown in California. Pittsburgh Winery is also a great place to see local music, as the location frequently has live shows!
What to order: Cabernet Sauvignon
Pittsburgh Winery (2815 Penn Ave)
Arsenal Cider House & Wine Cellar
Lawrenceville
As the name suggests, Arsenal Cider is a popular cider house located in the heart of Pittsburgh that specializes in hard apple cider, cider-style wines, and mead. The company started in Lawrenceville (right next to Arsenal Park!), but they have expanded to include taprooms at Trax Farms and Soergel Orchards. Their Lawrenceville location is housed inside of a historic row house that is charming all year round. Our favorite time to visit is in the summer because of Arsenal’s massive, outdoor “cider garden” with tons of seating. Throughout the summer they host live music, events, and food trucks.
What to order: Their classic “Fighting Elleck” cider
Arsenal Cider House & Wine Cellar (300 39th St)
Nova Cellars Winery
Pulaski
Nova Cellars is actually closer to Youngstown, Ohio, than it is Pittsburgh, but it’s well worth the trip to Pulaski, PA, to try some of these delicious wines! The winery recently move, and now Nova’s offers a pondside tasting room, fabulous outdoor seating, and plenty of live music. Bring along your beer-loving friends on the trip! The new tasting room at Nova has expanded to include Brew 32, a craft brewery and restaurant. The brewery features handcrafted beers and light fare in a 1900’s sports themed space.
What to order: Merlot
Nova Cellars Winery (445 PA-208)
Black Dog Wine Company
Penn Hills
Black Dog Wine Company many only have been established in 2016, but they’re already producing several award-winning wines! This a boutique winery is located in the countryside of Allegheny County, just 15 miles from Downtown Pittsburgh. In addition to their Riesling and and Blush wines, Black Dog also produces wines with fun names and flavors, like “Tipsy Turkey,” a pumpkin-spiced wine, and “Johnny Applespice,” a Sweet Apple Spice wine.
Black Dog is currently in the process of moving their winery and is not open at this time.
What to order: Trophy Wife, a sweet white made from Diamond Grapes, which wine Best White Sweet Wine & Double Gold in the 2018 PA Wine Competition
Black Dog Wine Company (7425 Steubenville Pike)
Laurel Highlands Meadery
Irwin
Interested in learning more about mead? Head down to Irwin, PA, and check out the popular Laurel Highlands Meadery. The local honey-wine producer is dedicated to making high-quality, artisan mead in small batches. Whether you like sweet or dry, a dessert wine or table wine, Laurel Highlands Meadery has something for you. Their taproom in Downtown Irwin is open Thursday – Saturday.
What to order: Any of their meads! Fun Fact: If you have seasonal allergies, eating (or drinking) local honey is the best thing to prevent them. Why it’s special: Local Pittsburgh honey!
Laurel Highlands Meadery (106 4th St)
Greenhouse Winery
Irwin
Also in Irwin, Pa, is Greenhouse Winery. This boutique winery has been in operating since 2007, offering guests at their tasting room a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere to enjoy good wine, good friends, and good times. Beer fans are welcome – the Greenhouse now serves PA craft beer! Guests are welcome to bring their own appetizers, and Greenhouse is pet friendly (lawn only). Be sure to stop by for their “Pizza on the Patio” Wednesdays, where guests receive a free pizza with a wine purchase!
What to order: Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
Greenhouse Winery (1048 Pinewood Road)
Kavic Winery
Carnegie
Kavic Winery has wine making in their DNA. The grandparents of owners Michael and Patricia Fleck Kavic were involved with making wine while in Europe. When they arrived to the United States from Italy and Serbia, they brought their winemaking skills and passion with them. Kavic winery continues this tradition 10 minutes south of Pittsburgh in Carnegie, PA. All of their grapes are locally grown, and they are currently constructing a vineyard 5 miles from the winery.
What to order: The 2015 Chardonnay
Kavic Winery (1013 Campbells Run Rd)
Greendance Winery
Mt. Pleasant
The onsite winery extension of the famous Sandhill berries farm, Greendance Winery, is the perfect place to sip delicious wines made from raspberries, blackberries, red currants, black currants, gooseberries, blueberries, strawberries, elderberries, and apples – all grown on the farm! The small, but beautiful outdoor space is a tucked into the natural foliage of the garden. In the mood for something sweet? Stop by the dessert stand (outside in the garden!) which features an old-fashioned kitchen that serves whatever pies are fresh that day!
What to order: The Isabella
Greendance The Winery at Sandhill (306 Deerfield Road)
Bella Terra Winery
Hunker
Pet-friendly Bella Terra Vineyards in Hunker, Pennsylvania, offers live entertainment every weekend at their vineyards from May through October. The vineyards sit on 17 acres, including a three-acre lake and vineyard. They offer dry, semi-sweet, and sweet wines, including Diamond Rio, Sunday Afternoon, and a Riesling.
What to order: Sweet Finley
Red Fox Winery & Lounge
Hickory, PA
South of Pittsburgh you’ll find Red Fox Winery & Lounge, a rustic winery and tasting room with event space – and cabins for rent, too. Red Fox Winery offers at least eight wines at a time, including seasonal wines to dry reds and whites. They also regularly have live music on Sunday nights.
Red Fox Winery & Lounge (80 Red Fox Road, Hickory)
What to order: Red Fox Red
Apis Mead & Winery
Carnegie
Close to Kavic Winery is Apis Mead & Winery, another popular meadery in Pittsburgh. At their taproom in Carnegie, guests will be able to taste their local Honeywine made with 100% local bedillion honey. Choose from 15+ meads and fruit wines from their 40+ seat tasting room. Pittsburghers can also find Apis at Pittsburgh bars and breweries like VooDoo Brewing, Giant Eagle Market District, Smallman Galley, Shubrew, Pork n Beans, Industry Public House, and many more!
What to order: The Mellifera
Apis Mead & Winery (212 E Main St)
The Wooden Door Winery
New Kensington
The Wooden Door Winery has two locations in Allegheny Township and Vandergrift, PA (northeast of Pittsburgh). The Vandergrift location is a beautiful 1896 church turned winery. Because of this, their inside tasting room is just as interesting as their beautiful patio. At both locations, the aim is for the guests to find a warm and relaxing atmosphere to enjoy Wooden Door’s quality wines.
What to order: Guilty Pleasures or the Noiret
Ripepi Winery
Monongahela
Head to Monongahela, PA to discover the beauty of Ripepi Winery. Founded by Richard Ripepi in 1987, what started as a few rows of grapes is now a ten acre vineyard with a public tasting room and shops. Enjoy the vistas at Ripepi with a glass of their Cabernet Sauvignon, or Riesling, in hand. Tours and private events are available at this space.
What to order: Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Ripepi Winery (93 Van Voorhis Ln)
What is your favorite Pittsburgh winery? Leave it in the comments below!
Please drink responsibly and never drink and drive.
Which winery would be considered a LARGE local winery in Pittsburgh,