Sean Bockstie chose a challenging but rewarding year to serve as the marketing director at Adams County Winery.
One of Pennsylvania’s oldest, it’s celebrating 50 years in business with a blowout celebration on Sept. 27 at the farm winery in Orrtanna.
The public is welcome from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to the winery, at 251 Peach Tree Road, for a harvest festival-like event that will double as an anniversary party.
“I just hit my one-year anniversary with Adams County Winery,” Bockstie wrote in a late August email, “but this year’s festivities were the first big items on my list last year. It’s been such a fun and meaningful project for all of us. Celebrating 50 years of Adams County Winery gave us the chance to look back on the decades we’ve been a part of!”
Three releases of the Decade Series wines have taken place already: First Crush was released at a party on May 24, celebrating the 1970s; Heat Wave was launched during a party on July 12, giving tribute to the 1980s; and a wine called Mashin’ Pumpkin, marking the 1990s, had its debut at an event on Sept. 6.
The fourth and final wine release is scheduled for Nov. 22 and will celebrate the 2000s decade.
“Each release in the Decades Series was designed to capture the spirit of the era, blending the culture, music, and trends of the time with a wine style and personality to match,” Bockstie said. “The wine names were chosen to capture that spirit, while still tying back to the character of the wines. The entire staff has fully embraced the themes, dressing in the styles of each era and creating a lively, memorable experience for our guests.”
Meanwhile, the 50th anniversary party on Sept. 27 will feature the following:
A special citation presentation from the office of Rep. Dan Moul, R-Adams County
Appearances by local elected officials and community leaders
Live music by Skyla Burrell from 1 to 4 p.m.
Delicious offerings from Uncle Moe’s Soul Food and the Terrace Bistro will be available for purchase 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Festive harvest activities for all ages
A unique guest experience: signing the winery’s commemorative 50th anniversary barrel
Ron and Ruth Cooper founded Adams County Winery in Orrtanna in 1975, and owned it for five years, then sold it to Tom and Beverly Campbell, who, according to “Pennsylvania Wineries,” ran it for 18 years as a retirement project. They sold it to Katherine Bigler and her husband, John Kramb, in 1998, and those two have operated it since then.
As the couple told PennLive, they stumbled upon the winery on July 4, 1998, during a time when they were searching for a property to grow grapes and make wine. They purchased the winery and property in late September of that year.
Bockstie said she and her colleagues — including winemaker Bernard Cannac, General Manager Dan Baumgardner, and longtime staff members — all pitched ideas to come up with a way to properly mark this historic year.
“We began brainstorming last year so that everything from the wine styles to the label designs could fit together as a full celebration of our 50th anniversary,” she said. “Due to the process of any aging and tasting mock-ups of blends, wine release planning is traditionally done between 12 to 18 months in advance.”
This 50th anniversary celebration, she noted, will not feature a specific wine release but will instead honor the three owners of the vineyard and their lasting contributions to its success.
“In particular, we will recognize John and Katherine, the longest-serving owners, for their role in expanding the winery and helping to grow agritourism in the region,” Bockstie said.