This post is in partnership with Visit Hershey & Harrisburg who hosted our visit. All opinions are my own. You can read my full Disclosure Policy here.
A couple of months ago, I met up with four other travel writers to visit the Hershey and Harrisburg area for a girls’ weekend. First up on our agenda? A wine tasting tour!
I’ve been to wineries before, but this was my first real tour to several in one day with a group of friends, and let me tell you, if you love wine and love to laugh, you need to do this. Grab your girlfriends, find a date, book the limo, and GO.
Planning a Wine Tasting Tour in Hershey, PA
The wineries in the Hershey and Harrisburg area were amazing, each in its own unique way. I did come home with a lot of wine from this trip but hey, I’m stocking up for winter. Bring on the 3′ snowstorm. I am READY.
Before I tell you more about each winery we visited, there are a couple of important planning tips to consider in advance: transportation and lodging.
Wine Tasting Tour Limos
Before you hit the wineries, you need to plan your transportation because multiple wine tastings and driving do not mix. My friends and I spent the day in a Unique Limousine limo van. LOVED it. It was fancy, clean, comfortable, and we loved being able to just relax and enjoy each winery without anyone worrying about who was driving. Frank was driving! He was our escort for the day and he was great.
I highly recommend Unique Limousine for your girlfriends’ winery tour, and even better: they’ll plan the whole thing for you if you’d like! Learn more about their Wine Trail Services (or click Our Services on the menu bar) on their website.
Where to Stay in Harrisburg
You can make a day trip out of the winery tour I’m recommending below, but if you wanted to turn it into a girlfriends’ weekend, there are some great places to stay in the Hershey and Harrisburg area. Hershey Resorts are beautiful, and both the Hershey Lodge and The Hotel Hershey are perfect places for a girls’ getaway.
We stayed at the Crowne Plaza Harrisburg Hershey and had a lovely stay. This was my first time staying in a downtown Harrisburg hotel, and I loved being able to walk out the front door and go grab a coffee at a cute local coffee shop, take in some of the artwork along the city streets, and enjoy the architecture of the old buildings.
The Capitol Building is just a couple of blocks away, and so is the Susquehanna River along Front Street. This is a great location (and there’s a Starbucks in the lobby!).
5 Wineries in Hershey & Harrisburg to Visit With Your Girlfriends
Below I’m sharing the 5 vineyards that we visited on this trip. I am going to have to go back for a Round 2, because we didn’t hit them all. Check out the vineyard map on the Visit Hershey and Harrisburg website to see all of the wineries you might want to check out, but be sure to add a few of these to your list:
Spring Gate Vineyard
Spring Gate Vineyard Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Spring Gate Vineyard was one of my favorites. They have champagne on tap, so what’s not to love?
We visited in November so there was a chill in the air, but we were still able to enjoy some of the outdoor scenery. There’s a large screened in patio, and more seating outside of that patio which is perfect for warmer weather months.
Their wine was fantastic! I especially loved the champagne bar. I got a Crandy Apple drink that was delicious.
They offer a unique selection, and if you want to buy a bottle and share it, they’ll open it for you so you can take it to a table and enjoy.
We were able to sit outside for a bit before it got too chilly, and when the sun goes down, all the twinkly lights come on. It’s beautiful!
Spring Gate often has food trucks, trivia night, and other family-friendly events which is really cool. I love the idea that we could bring the kids back for a game night and everyone would have something fun to do. This winery is a must-do!
Vineyard at Hershey
Vineyard at Hershey Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
One of the first things the host in the tasting room at The Vineyard at Hershey told us is that they had an upcoming ‘wine and puppies’ event where they had brought in puppies that needed socialization to hang out with guests…and there is wine. Ah, yes please. Every day, please.
This winery has some really unique events that you’ll find on their website and on a blackboard in the tasting room. And speaking of tasting, I loved these wines, too!
The tasting room here is small and intimate, so it’s perfect for a small to medium sized group of friends. It was perfect for our group of five.
Shopping is easy – all the wines you choose to sample are available right there, and they have some really fun wine-themed gifts too. Since it was just before Christmas, much of this was holiday themed. You could definitely cross a few gifts off your list with a stop at The Vineyards at Hershey!
Clearly we were hard at work, sampling all the wines. I left with two bottles: Twisted Kiss (a white) and Crimson Fox (a red).
Love the wine you’re with. I’ll toast to that!
Grandview Vineyard
Grandview Vineyard Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Of all the vineyards we visited, Grandview was my favorite. It’s pretty close to home for me, and I had never even heard of it. Living under a rock here.
This vineyard is gorgeous. The property is beautiful with rolling hills of grapes, and the tasting room is fabulous.
Even the wine on the wall is so pretty that it’s decorative. I bought the most wine here. I tend to like a sweeter wine and they had several that I absolutely loved including the Ruby Red and the Gold Rush Margarita Wine Cocktail. It tastes just like a margarita!
Our tasting host allowed us to take a peek in the back at the barrels, some of which are empty and for sale. Pretty unique decor!
The gem of this property is the outdoor deck. It’s big and beautiful with an amazing view and lots of seating to enjoy your drink with your friends. Unfortunately it was raining the day we were there, but I think you get the idea. It’s lovely!
I think all of us just loved Grandview. This is another one that has some really fun events. Before Christmas they had a cool wreath craft, they have game nights, and lots of unique offerings. I’m looking forward to going back with friends soon!
Cassel Vineyard
Cassel Vineyards Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Cassel Vineyard also has a cozy tasting room.
The lighting and wood walls create the perfect atmosphere for wine tasting.
To be honest, I don’t think I got a full feel for Cassel Vineyard because of the rain. It was really pouring while we were here, and that made it cozy inside with our glasses of wine, but I would like to have seen more of the outdoor space where they host events.
I loved that they had a whole table of wines wrapped up to give as gifts. I bought two sets like this, the spiced wine gift. One I gave to my mom, and then another one I kept to serve to my Christmas guests. Shopping made easy. I’ll take it!
CrossWinds Winery
CrossWinds Winery Website | Facebook | Instagram
The last winery we stopped at on our tour was CrossWinds Winery. Hands down, this place had the best fun gifts for wine lovers!
Their tasting room and shop is beautiful, and while we didn’t get to see much of the outside (this tasting room is not located at the vineyard, though, and it was dark out when we got there), the inside was definitely worth a visit.
Their wines are award-winning, and you can tell when you taste that those medals are well-deserved. My favorite from this winery is the High Flying White.
This is the winery to come to if you want to grab a few gifts for your girlfriends (or wine decor for yourself!). They have a huge selection and we were all walking around laughing, reading each little sign or napkin or wine bag.
Here’s one of the ‘clean’ items that gave me a laugh.
Finally, someone figured this out. I love it!
Visit Hershey and Harrisburg
There is so much going on in the Hershey and Harrisburg area: amazing dining, family fun, and we’ve talked about the wine, right? I’ll have more content for you on this destination soon and will link that below. In the meantime, get more info on things to do in the Hershey and Harrisburg area, and be sure to follow along on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news.
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