PENNSBURY — The Chaddsford Winery, an iconic Chester County destination, has been listed for sale. The intent to sell the business was announced on the winery’s website and Facebook page.
“The winery is poised for a new generation of energized ownership,” the online sale announcement stated.
The owners are seeking about $4.5 million for the five-acre property and business at 632 Baltimore Pike in Pennsbury Township, according to Corey Krejcik, general manager of Chaddsford Winery
It is the first time since the winery’s co-founders Eric and Lee Miller retired 12 years ago that the privately held property is seeking new ownership.
The Petrillo family, co-founders and longtime owners, are consolidating their investment portfolio and exiting the winery business. The family became sole owners of the winery when the Millers retired in 2012.
“The Petrillo family has enabled Chaddsford Winery to become a destination to experience wine in a fun environment, encouraging exploration through unique pairings and events. Chaddsford is a strong, modern brand with a loyal following and is now positioned to take the business to the next level under new ownership,” Krejcik said in a statement.
In an emailed response to questions, Krejcik said the current owner would “love for it to remain a winery, but all options are on the table.”
During its 42-year history, Chaddsford Winery has earned a number of awards, including the Keystone Cup for Best White Wine in Pennsylvania; Best in Show — Sparkling Semillon at the Pennsylvania Farm Show; and Pennsylvania Sommelier Judgement.
Wholesale distribution in seven states comprises 23% of the winery’s total sales, according to the announcement, and is a “significant component of the winery’s staying power.”
It is the destination-driven programs and experiential retail, however, that drive the current business model — representing 45% of total sales, the winery said.
Among the events the business hosts is its Adult Trick-Or-Treat festival, which typically hosts more than 6,300 ticketed attendees during the month of October, and “boasts 50% Year-Over-Year revenue growth.” In addition, experiential retail, such as table service, wine flights, and ticketed reserve tastings, allow for additional sales opportunities for to-go bottles and wine club memberships.
The winery also has several seasonal products it said have played a role in its fiscal growth: Chaddsford’s Holiday Spirit and Spiced Apple mulled wines. In fact, the winery’s participation at outdoor holiday markets including Dilworth Park Wintergarden, Christmas Village, and Tinseltown, “drives six-figure annual sales thanks to warm mugs of these European-inspired spiced wines,” the announcement said.
In 2023, the winery sold more than 3,000 cases of the two mulled wines to regional wholesale distribution partners.
“Chaddsford has the potential for phenomenal future growth with the opportunity to create scalable success across existing core competencies, leveraging a nationally recognized brand with deep, established retail and wholesale relationships spanning multiple markets,” Krejcik added.
The property is not currently listed with an agency, Krejcik said, adding that all serious inquiries should be directed to him at corey@chaddsford.com. He added that in the first couple of days since the sale was announced, “the response has been very good.”
The Chaddsford Winery, just off Route 1 in Pennsbury Township was founded in 1982 by Eric and Lee Miller. The winery produces 24,000 cases of wine each year, using growers based in Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland, according to information on its website.
In 1982 when the Millers founded Chaddsford Winery, there was no local wine industry, no wine culture and no grapes being grown in Chester County or nearby, MediaNews Group reported in a 2012 story.
