Berks County Winery Marks Decade in Business

Folino Estate Winery in Berks County, Pennsylvania, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month, marking a decade of growth and unveiling ambitious expansion plans.

Owners Andrea and Marco Folino are planning the next phase of their winery: Borgo di Folino, a 52-acre Tuscan-themed resort village. It will be located at the winery on 340 Old Route 22, along Route 78 near Kutztown in Greenwich Township. When completed, the complex will feature 40 rooms, a spa, and multiple storefronts, with groundbreaking anticipated in about 1.5 to two years.

The couple has already brought a taste of their winery beyond the property boundaries through The Vintner's Table. One opened in Phoenixville in 2019, and another, with a bigger menu, opened in Wyomissing, Berks County, at the start of 2024. A third, in Ardmore, closer to Philadelphia, is scheduled to open this year. The two existing locations have bottle shops on the properties.

According to PennLive, Lisa Wahl, culinary manager and head chef, who manages culinary operations across Vintner's Table locations, weddings, events, and wine club dinners, and winemaker Zachary Brenner bring 20 years of California wine experience to Folino Estate.

The winery sources 14 acres of grapes for its core wines, supplements with fruit from Pennsylvania and other regions, and produces about 30,000 gallons (approximately 12,500 cases) across nearly three dozen wines. A forthcoming 10th anniversary wine will blend Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, and Petit Verdot, all, as Andrea described, “from decade-old vines on the estate property that celebrate how far we've come.”

Folino Estate traces its roots to its start in November 2015. According to the winery's website, Marco's parents, Rodolfo and Lidia, were instrumental in locating the property on which the winery sits today. The couple opened a restaurant in Kutztown several decades ago after arriving in the United States from Italy. 

In 2000, Rodolfo bought more than 50 acres of land in Berks County with the idea to build homes, but “township and environmental regulations” proved challenging, and he abandoned the plan.

Marco and Andrea conceived of creating a winery on that parcel of land, and so it happened. The idea morphed from a winery-only operation into a tasting room, restaurant, and gift shop. The multi-use purpose of a winery like Folino Estate, serving food and becoming a visitor destination, gained momentum in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The winery is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Brunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Indoor seating is available, along with outdoor seating on the terrace from April through October.