Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
The Union Hotel, one of downtown Gettysburg's last historic hotels, offers 12 newly remodeled suites, luxury amenities, and warm hospitality steps from Lincoln Square's top sites, shops, and dining.
Most couples come to Gettysburg for the battlefield, yet the countryside around it was growing fruit long before it drew history buffs. Gettysburg wineries sit in the same Adams County orchard hills that earned this corner of Pennsylvania its Fruit Belt nickname, and a half day of tasting turns a history trip into a true couples getaway. Drive to the countryside tasting rooms first, then park the car and finish on foot. At The Union Hotel, your last pour is next door.
Start about eight miles west of town at 251 Peach Tree Road. Founded in 1975, Adams County Winery is Pennsylvania’s fifth oldest operating winery. Its tasting room occupies a bank barn built shortly after the Civil War. From May through October, the Terrace Bistro serves wood fired pizza Friday through Sunday, so a flight and a shared pizza on the patio make a relaxed opening stop.
Next, head to 405 Boyer Nursery Road. Screaming Bambino Cellars pours its wines and hard ciders here, along with Jan Zell Wines, inside a former garden shop at Boyer Nurseries & Orchards. The tasting bar is built from chestnut, and the wraparound porch looks out over the orchard. The tasting room opens Friday through Sunday only, so plan this stop around a weekend.
Brookmere’s tasting room faces the New Oxford square at 2 Lincoln Way East. The winery makes everything from Pennsylvania grown grapes and fruit, with a list that runs from dry reds to sweet fruit wines. Ask about Red Foxx, a cinnamon accented red created by owner Ed Glick. There is no kitchen, but outside food is welcome. Because New Oxford lies east of town and the first two stops lie west, choose one direction per afternoon.
Once the driving is done, the rest of the evening happens on foot, which is the best reason to stay downtown. The Union Hotel stands a half block west of Lincoln Square in a building that first opened as the Sign of the Buck tavern in 1804. Each of its 12 suites includes a separate living room, bedroom, and kitchenette, so you have room to open the bottle you bought that afternoon. For an anniversary, the Abraham Lincoln Suite adds a freestanding jetted tub, heated bathroom floors, and an espresso machine.
The downtown wine shop at 25 Chambersburg Street is next door to the hotel and pours the full Adams County Winery lineup daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Arrive before closing, then keep walking.
Reid’s, at 400 Baltimore Street, pours wines and ciders from its family orchard side by side. It stays open until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and closes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, which makes it the natural evening stop.
Dinner is downstairs. Sign of the Buck builds its menu around produce and meats from local farms, and readers of Celebrate Gettysburg magazine voted it their Best Romantic restaurant. The hotel’s Romance Package pairs a prix fixe dinner for two and a champagne toast with a charcuterie board, a bottle of wine, a local flower arrangement, and chocolate covered strawberries in your suite. Packages must be booked at least two weeks in advance.
Book your suite directly at The Union Hotel, one of the downtown hotels in Gettysburg, PA and the one right next door to your final tasting room.
Are there wineries in Gettysburg, PA?
Yes. Adams County Winery’s Gettysburg Wine Shop and Reid’s Winery Tasting Room & Cider House both pour downtown. Boyer Cellars, Brookmere’s New Oxford tasting room, and Adams County Winery’s farm winery are a short drive away.
Can you visit a winery in Gettysburg without a car?
Yes. Both downtown tasting rooms are within walking distance of The Union Hotel, and the Adams County Winery shop is next door.
When is the best time to visit wineries near Gettysburg?
Aim for a Friday or Saturday between May and October. That window lines up Boyer Cellars’ weekend hours, the Terrace Bistro season, and Reid’s late closing time.
Are Gettysburg wineries a good fit for a couples getaway?
They are. The tasting rooms are small and unhurried, and ending a countryside afternoon with dinner downstairs at Sign of the Buck keeps the whole day simple.