Get to Know Your Local PA Winery: Ten Gallon Hat of Chadds Ford

There’s a new winery in town. Ten Gallon Hat Winery just expanded into a beautifully renovated barn along Route 1 in Chadds Ford. Since December 2013, they had been selling their wine out of a small blacksmith shop, but the barn expansion makes Ten Gallon Hat a must-see stop on any local winery tour. The winery currently has 11 wines for sale, a tasting room known as “The Stable” and a vaulted second-floor lounge nicknamed “The Corral,” which will feature live music on weekends.

Ten Gallon Hat Winery’s owner and winemaker, Christopher Dion, makes his wines using grapes from both near and far, having sourced grapes from Douglassville, MD; the Lake Erie region of New York; and Lake County, CA. “We bring in grapes from the best grape regions; that gives us more time to craft better wines,” manager Hillary Fabe told me during a recent tour.

The red wine offerings currently consist of a 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, which was rich with a slight sweetness. The Barbera had hints of blackberry with a slight peppery finish. They also make a tasty Merlot and a Red Zinfandel.

For white wine lovers, Ten Gallon Hat Winery offers a Chardonnay, as well as a few interesting wines labeled the “Daughter” Series. There’s The Farmer’s Daughter Moscato, The Sheriff’s Daughter Pinot Grigio, and The Preacher’s Daughter Riesling. Each label bears a beautiful smiling woman wearing a cowboy hat. “It’s fun. We get people who stop in and ask for a daughter; they come in and say, ‘I’ll take three of the Farmer’s Daughters.’”

In addition to the traditional red and white wines, Ten Gallon Hat Winery also offers three tempting fruit wines. The Red Raspberry wine, Blackberry wine and Cranberry wine are all interesting, flavorful takes on fruit wines. I definitely recommend the Cranberry wine as a housewarming gift when visiting relatives for Thanksgiving. The Blackberry wine was particularly complex and enjoyable.

Although many local wineries are BYOF (Bring Your Own Food), Ten Gallon Winery offers a light-fare menu to complement the wines. Soups, sandwiches and cheese boards are available, which make this an ideal spot to stop in if you are partaking in a local winery tour. Enjoy a Caprese, a Fig and Robiola, a Ham & Cheese or a 3-Cheese Grilled sandwich. Their soups are made by New York City’s Hale and Hearty. Cheese boards consist of a Gruyere or a Gouda board that will complement your wine choices. They also have plans to introduce a dessert menu soon.

“The Stable” wine-tasting room has original exposed stone walls and rustic wooden beams from the barnThe second floor “Corral” is a bright open loft with comfortable couches, dining tables, another tasting bar and a large stone fireplace. Painted yellow and accented by more wooden beams and an impressive chandelier, this space invites wine lovers to linger. Beautiful paintings by local artists line the walls of both spaces. The art is for sale and will be switched out every three months. Should you need anything while visiting, the staff will be easy to spot; they wear plaid shirts and cowboy hats as part of the Ten Gallon hat theme, a fun concept that runs through from product to presentation.

Ten Gallon Hat Winery is located at 455 Old Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, PA. For more information, call (484) 880-4792.

  • Photography: Jim Breslin