Chaddsford Winery, the award-winning winemaker in the Brandywine Valley, has been sold to the owners of New Jersey's White Horse Winery after being put up for sale earlier this year.
The companies announced the deal Monday, saying the two wineries will continue to operate as separate entities. The scenic Chaddsford Winery, founded in 1982, operates on a five-acre property in Pennsbury Township, Chester County, and serves as one of Pennsylvania's largest wine producers. The company also has a satellite bottle shop and tasting room in Bucks County.
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Former owners Greg and Matt Petrillo put Chaddsford Winery up for sale in February to consolidate their investment portfolio and exit the wine industry. White Horse Winery, founded in Hammonton, Atlantic County in 2013, is a smaller vineyard with a tasting room and event spaces.
The terms of the sale were not disclosed. When the winery was put up for sale, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported the owners were seeking $4.5 million.
The Petrillo family established Chaddsford Winery with Eric and Lee Miller, who retired in 2012. Over the years, the business grew to produce about 24,000 cases of wine per year and developed an events calendar that draws visitors to the property's 200-year-old barn. The winery's annual Adult Trick-or-Treat Festival, a Halloween-themed walking tour and tasting event, became a major driver of revenue growth in recent years with about 6,300 tickets sold each October.
Under the new ownership, Chaddsford Winery will remain open for business seven days a week for bottle sales, walk-ins and table service reservations for guided wine flights.
White Horse Winery, led by owner BJ Vinton, produces about 4,000 cases of wine per year. The business currently distributes only in New Jersey and Delaware. Chaddsford Winery has distribution in seven states. The Chester County winery will keep its leadership and staff.
"When we began this process, our goal was to find a new owner who was the best fit for our beloved Winery," Corey Krejcik, general manager of Chaddsford Winery, said in a statement. "We're confident that the Vinton's and White Horse Winery are a perfect match."
Known for its dry whites, reds and sweet wines, Chaddsford Winery has been recognized with multiple gold medals at the Pennsylvania Wine Competition and awards at the Keystone Cup and Pennsylvania Farm Show in recent years. The winery also makes a variety of seasonal and holiday-themed wines.
White Horse Winery is known for its estate-grown wines and has received the New Jersey Governor's Cup from the Garden State Wine Growers Association in four of the last six years. One of its best-selling bottles is Albariño, a fruity white wine made with grapes from Spain's coastal regions of Galicia and the Iberian Peninsula.
