Since Dave and Bev Fleming purchased Rose Bank Winery in 2000, the couple have continued to expand upon the site’s many charming event spaces.
The historic property, which dates to William Penn, has become the go-to spot for bashes both large and small, including weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, bar and bat mitzvahs, and celebrations of life.
“We’re an event space that happens to be a winery,” Rose Bank Winery’s events manager Peter Gower said. “It has rustic elegance.”
At Rose Bank Winery, there is certainly no shortage of special event venues.
The Rose Ballroom is the most spacious of the sites. Large windows offer scenic views of the vineyard and pasture where the winery’s four sheep and four goats graze. The space holds 250 guests and features a bar and plenty of room for a dance floor and buffet tables. A beautifully maintained outdoor space featuring fire pits and breathtaking backdrops makes this space accessible for both indoor and outdoor weddings and other large special events.
The Buckman Barn features a lower level with seating for about 60 people, as well as access to an adjacent patio.
The Vintner’s Ballroom and loft is great for special events and wine tasting for up to 200 people. This building has a large open downstairs area with bar, an upstairs loft with wood floor, and a huge second story outdoor deck.
The newest special event space is the Ash Room. Featuring Amish construction, this smaller event space is ideal for bridal showers, baby showers, or small weddings.
At the root of the extraordinary special events venues is the fact that Rose Bank Winery is a wine producer and grower of grapes for winemaking. During a tour of the 63-degree wine cellar, Dave Fleming jokes that making 10,000 gallons of wine per year is miniscule compared to other wineries.
“We brag about being the smallest,” he said. Yet even with limited production, Rose Bank makes 20 wine varieties, including a selection of reds and whites, as well as unique and fruity wines like blackberry, blueberry, and red raspberry. Outdoor picnic tables can be used by visitors to enjoy wine by the glass or bottle or to try a wine flight (a selection of six wines).
The newer addition of hard cider, made with apples and pears, is taking off in popularity, according to Fleming.
Rose Bank’s hard cider is becoming popular for special events, such as weddings.
“The cider has taken over from champagne for weddings,” he said. Rose Bank makes three varieties: Apple, Rose, and Perry (Pear).
While weddings and special events will remain the primary focus, Rose Bank is looking to expand its winery offerings. Peter is trying to create a calendar of fun events during the off-season like comedy nights, trivia nights, pinot paint parties and wine and art events. The height of wedding season is April through June and September through early November.
Rose Bank is also looking to shift some of its special events space beginning in 2022. The existing tasting room would be converted to a space to host cocktail hour for special events and the tasting room would be relocated downstairs.
Whether guests visit to plan a special event or relax and enjoy a wine flight, Rose Bank Winery is open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.