Penns Woods Winery Celebrates 25 Years With Wine Enthusiast American Winery of the Year Nomination

The Chadds Ford based estate enters its anniversary year with national industry recognition, local acclaim and new momentum for Pennsylvania wine.

CHADDS FORD, PENNSYLVANIA • SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

Penns Woods Winery has been named one of five nominees for Wine Enthusiast's 2026 Wine Star Award for American Winery of the Year as the family-owned winery celebrates its 25th anniversary. Wine Enthusiast's media divisions select nominees for their dedication and innovation within the wine and beverage industry.

Based on the 2026 nominee slate provided to Penns Woods, the winery is the only East Coast producer nominated in the American Winery of the Year category and the first Pennsylvania winery to be nominated for a Wine Star Award - a distinction that brings national attention to Pennsylvania's growing reputation as a serious wine region. Founded in 2001 by Italian-born wine importer and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Gino Razzi, Penns Woods began with a conviction that exceptional wine could be grown and made in Pennsylvania. Razzi restored a decades-old vineyard beside an 1800s farmhouse in Chadds Ford, combining Old World knowledge with a deep commitment to the soils and climate of his adopted home.

Today, Penns Woods manages 53 vineyard acres across Chester and Delaware counties and produces wines exclusively from Pennsylvania-grown fruit. After an April 2026 frost destroyed more than 70% of the Chadds Ford Estate crop, the winery chose to invest rather than retreat - assuming stewardship of 13 mature vineyard acres at Equivine Farm to preserve productive agricultural land and strengthen the future of Pennsylvania wine.

“We have never tried to imitate another wine region. Our work is about understanding the vineyard, honoring each vintage and expressing Pennsylvania with honesty.” – Davide Creato, Winemaker & Vineyard Manager

The nomination follows major regional honors: Carley Razzi's selection as one of Main Line Today's 2026 Power Women and Penns Woods' recognition as the publication's 2026 Best Winery. Penns Woods also marks its anniversary through service, with 48 documented 2026 in-kind contributions valued above $19,000 and partnerships supporting historic preservation, animal welfare and conservation.