Chaddsford Winery — Attraction in Pennsbury Township

Unfortunately, as much as I’d love to give Chaddsford Winery a glowing review, I cannot. If this were five years ago, I’d have nothing but amazing things to say about this establishment; however, in recent years Chaddsford has continued to go downhill. My husband and I would frequent Chaddsford once to twice a month, especially during the warmer seasons fo MANY years. We enjoyed bringing our own chairs to the grassy area in front of the old home and listen to the live music they would play. We would share a bottle of wine and relax. We would see families bring their children to play in the field while parents enjoyed some time together listening to the music and sipping on their wine. We always talked about how we looked forward to bringing our children when the time came and now that the time is here, we no longer feel the positive vibes we once did.

For one, the staff has not been very kind. Of course there are outliers and some staff were indeed kind and helpful. That being said, most of the staff both my husband and I have encountered have been nothing but quick and rude. The manager (or whomever it is that responds to these reviews) loves to stand up for/make excuses for their staff but I can assure you that we have been nothing but kind to those we’ve spoken to.

One of the more recent times we decided to visit Chaddsford, my husband and I parked next to the lawn and brought our chairs out. We went in to purchase wine and on the way in my husband was stopped by a very rude employee who lambasted him for not having a wristband. I understand that this is a new rule and even possibly a state mandate, but we had always parked near the lawn and sat there without needing wristbands. We weren’t fighting the idea of wristbands, we just didn’t know. The way the employee decided to go about this was very wrong and completely uncalled for.

Another time we went to this establishment, I went to head into the building and was stopped by an employee because I didn’t have a mask. This is a completely understandable rule. I forgot mine so I asked if they had one I could have. They didn’t respond, they just handed me a mask without even looking at me in a very rude way.

There have been other rude encounters but I’ll spare you given the length of this post. I have seen other people remark on the staff’s attitudes and rude behavior, but the manager excuses it and blames the customer. Business 101 would say to do otherwise but I suppose they will never learn.

Additionally, the rules have gotten out of control! As I stated previously, my husband and I used to come here to split a bottle and enjoy the atmosphere. We read online that Chaddsford will only allow you to purchase wine by the glass and no longer by the bottle. WHAT?!?! I have never been to a winery that does not allow you to purchase a bottle of wine. This was the final straw. We used to be able to enjoy a good day without spending too much money and as a result gave Chaddsford a ton of business. We will no longer go to Chaddsford unless things go back to how they were.

I also cannot fathom that they do not allow limos or party buses to come to their establishment. The fact that Chaddsford has limited their business and micromanages to the degree they do makes me feel completely uncomfortable as a customer. I understand having rules for safety measures and I know that some of these rules stemmed from Covid, I’m a very realistic person. However, these rules are over the top and unnecessary. It now costs more to go to Chaddsford for a less enjoyable time. If you’ve never been, my suggestion is don’t go now. There are many wineries and other drinking establishments close by that offer a much more fun and free atmosphere that remains safe and...

I want to start by saying that I did win this tour/tasting through a radio show. I was told this was the reserve tasting plus a private tour for 10 people. We ended up having a total of 8 people in our party. We all drove over an hour for this tour/tasting. We planned it over 3 months in advance with someone in their hospitality department. They said the first date I choose was good and would get our tour/tasting reserved for us. When we arrived at the location we all went inside and I told the girls at the front we were here for the tour/tasting that I had won. She said she would get our tour guide (I cannot remember her name) and we could start. We went out to the cottage for a private tasting of the three reserve wines. After that our guide took us on a tour of where the wine is pressed, fermented and packaged. Once we were finished she said we were done and could buy wine upstairs and enjoy some outside if we would like. We enjoyed the tour guide she was very knowledgeable and willing to answer any questions. From what the sign said when you come in out front the reserve tasting include our traditional tasting, plus three one ounce samples of our small-batch wines paired with artisanal treats. I was confused that all we had for our tasting was the three small batch wine samples. I went out to the front and asked the girls out there if the reserve tasting came with the traditional wine tasting and the said it did. I told them we only tasted the three reserve wines. They gave us tickets to do the other seven wines. It was pretty crowded in this area due to a food and wine festival that they had. From what I understood in my emails to reserve the tasting, the whole tasting/tour was supposed to be a private event. While doing the traditional tasting we asked the guys serving the wine when we would get the artisanal snacks. He said they were not doing any reserve tastings today due to the food and wine event. I told him we won the private tour and we already did the 3 reserve samples and tour he asked his manager for us. The manager came over and said that they didn’t have any of the normal snack because of the food event going on and brought us a dip and some crackers instead. At this point we all needed something to cleanse our palates to be able to continue tasting the wines. Our whole group felt that we did not get what we were told we would be getting. If I hadn’t said anything to the girls at the front we would not have even gotten to try the other 7 wines. If we had not said anything to the guys that we didn’t get the snack we would not have received those as well. The person that booked our tasting/tour should have said there was a special event that day and we would not be able to have everything that was supposed to come with the reserve tasting. This was for my Birthday and it was so disorganized that we didn’t feel very welcomed. I do understand that we won the whole tour/tasting but I don’t expect to be treated differently than someone who would purchase the tour. We did enjoy the wines and the tour guide but the event as a whole felt...

Adult Trick or Treat: $45 for what, exactly?

Made the trip from Philly with seven friends. One friend was not permitted to drink due to having only a photo of her ID, and another was not allowed due to an expired ID. Both over 40 years old, but whatever, it's PA law. They were given the option to attend the event without drinking, or to request a refund of their ticket and wait inside while we did the Trick or Treat. They chose the latter. I'd say it worked out for the best for them, as after experiencing the event, I'd much prefer to have my $45 back.

We were in a group of 35 guests with one staff member. Missed most of whatever was said at the welcome as we had no idea that our "guide" was addressing the group, and once we realized, couldn't hear anyway because of the large group size and no amplification. We were taken around to various outdoor tables/tents, where our guide (with no other staff assistance) would pour all 35 beverages and distribute "snacks." There were a couple dollar store decorations thrown on each table. For example, a glass high heel and a piece of a cheap feather boa comprised the "Cinderella" theme at the first station. Clearly no effort put into the vibe/atmosphere.

We got very small pours of a sparkling, standard white, standard red, Victory Prima Pils (a basic beer), Sangria Spritzer (a canned cocktail/fruity hard seltzer), and a warm spiced apple wine. We were not given any opportunity to rinse our glasses. I was pretty surprised when staff poured about a fifth of a can of beer per person into the dirty wine glasses.

As far as the "snacks," all items were prepackaged and could be purchased elsewhere for much less than the price of the ticket. The "scone" was a flavorless lump of flour, and at the last station, the caramel stroopwafel came in its original packaging.

After the event, we briefly joined our friends in a lounge area before departing. Guests were not permitted to use the indoor bathroom, but were directed to stand in the rain/mud to wait in line for porta...