Top PA Winery Hosts Release Event for Ag Promotion Grant Winners

There are a number of Pennsylvania wine industry success stories.

The state Secretary of Agriculture on Wednesday chose one of those,
Waltz Vineyards Estate Winery
in Lancaster County, to announce an investment of $224,190 in agriculture promotion grants to support projects aimed at increasing domestic sales or exports of Pennsylvania agricultural products.

Russell Redding made the announcement at one of the state’s top wine producers, located at 1599 Old Line Road in Manheim, during an early afternoon event that featured a tour of winemaking operations, the grounds, and the tasting room.

One of many
PA Farm Bill
-funded initiatives to grow Pennsylvania agriculture, the grants will reimburse nonprofits up to 50% of costs for projects educating consumers,
promoting specific agriculture sectors
, growing the consumer base for Pennsylvania products, or promoting regional agriculture-based tourism.

“Pennsylvania families produce the quality food and drinks that bring families around the world to the table, and not only that, the table and the fine hardwood it’s made of,” Redding said of two leading ag sectors supported in this year’s grants. “Pennsylvania’s wine industry has grown from William Penn’s vines in colonial Philadelphia into the nation’s fourth-ranking wine producer. And from its beginning as Penn’s Woods, we have grown to be the nation’s number one hardwood exporter, driven by the excellence of family-run businesses.”

One of the projects supported by the grants will be the
Pennsylvania Wine Association’s (PWA)
Fall Harvest Celebration, set for later this year. Waltz Vineyards will be among the participating wineries.

“The Harvest Celebration is a new event for the PWA,” said Zach Waltz, director of operations at Waltz Vineyards, who was among several speakers at Wednesday’s event. He’s also vice president of the PWA. “The purpose of this event is to focus in on the best wines that each participating winery has to offer. We believe that this will help to educate attendees on the level of high-quality wines being produced throughout the state, and also which varietals of wine stand out on a regional and state level. These are the types of events that we believe will help to continue to put Pennsylvania wine on the map as a significant wine region.”

For four generations, the family grew traditional crops, including tobacco, corn, soybeans and wheat. But Jan and Kimberly Waltz saw the potential for a different product, and in 2000, made their first wine in an exterior garage. By 2009, several acres of vines were planted, and their European-inspired tasting room opened.

Since then, the winery has
won numerous state, regional and national awards
, has built a
large network of partnerships
with many restaurants and other establishments that carry their products, and just opened another location,
a wine bar and lounge in Lampeter
, Lancaster County.

“This was previously a Britain Hill winery location that we took over after they left,” Zach told PennLive. “It’s a beautiful spot just outside of Lancaster city, [with a] cool small-town feel. We are also doing food service there and serving local beer.”

It continues to operate its
Wine Shop at Kitchen Kettle Village
in Intercourse, which includes a main floor and a loft with more tables outside on a patio.

Per the most recent data
, released in 2024, Pennsylvania’s wine and grape industry supports 10,756 jobs and contributes $1.77 billion to the state economy annually and ranks fourth in wine production nationally. With more than 400 licensed wineries across five distinct regions, Pennsylvania wineries generate $747 million in tourism revenue every year.

Waltz has been among the most consistent producers of quality wines in the state for years now.

Among several other initiatives this year, Zach said, is the planned release of a sparkling rosé made
in the Charmat style
, which should be out around the time it holds another harvest festival, which he said “was such a big success last year.”

How that family farm evolved largely into a business producing grapes and wine, including interviews with Zach and Jan Waltz, can be seen in the video below.

Also attending the event were PWA President Mark Rozum, of
Black Dog Wine Company
, and state Sen. James Malone, D-Lancaster County.

Wednesday’s announcement covered more than just the wine industry, with agriculture promotion grants being awarded to the following recipients:

Allegheny Hardwood Utilization Group

– $5,828

Elevating the role of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) in Pennsylvania’s hardwood industry – McKean County

Friends of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Foundation

– $23,730

Support for educational events promoting Pennsylvania agriculture during the PA Farm Show™ – Pennsylvania’s state fair

Keystone Wood Products Association

– $7,500

Exposing students to wood-product manufacturing and forest products industry careers using 360 videos and virtual reality goggles

Pennsylvania Beef Council

– $49,990

PA Beef to PA Schools
– connecting school food service professionals to beef producers to support local farms and get quality protein in school lunches

Pennsylvania Forest Products Association

– $53,000

Supporting education, promotion, and outreach initiatives related to forestry and the wood products industry in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation

– $47,000

Statewide education promoting Pennsylvania agriculture

PA Sustainable Forestry Initiative

– $6,000

Video series promoting sustainable forestry practiced by Pennsylvania’s hardwoods industry – Clearfield County

Pennsylvania Wine Association

– $31,142

PA Wine Harvest Celebration
– Lancaster County – Wine-tasting event celebrating Pennsylvania vintners and winemakers during Wine Month in October

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