Adams County Winery Owners Celebrating 25 Years of Stewardship

ORRTANNA, PA (Aug. 17, 2023) — Adams County Winery, Gettysburg’s original winery and the fifth oldest continually operating winery in PA, is thrilled to be celebrating 25 years of winery stewardship by current owners John Kramb and Katherine Bigler this September.

Kramb and Bigler purchased the winery from Tom and Beverly Campbell in 1998 after visiting the Gettysburg area on holiday. During their visit, the pair learned that the winery was for sale by the Campbells. Two days later, Kramb and Bigler purchased Adams County Winery, along with the Campbells’ blends and recipes for wines such as Tears of Gettysburg.

“As we headed down Route 30, we saw a little wooden sign that said, ‘winery this way,’ and so we came back later that weekend and followed the signs,” Bigler said of discovering the winery. “We mentioned that we had been looking at properties in North Carolina for starting our own winery and he said, ‘Well that’s too bad, I just put this on the market last week.’ So, we asked to look around. I remember as we walked up the hill in the vineyard, we were so excited because John loves Civil War history and we had been looking for a place to retire to.”

After purchasing the winery, Bigler continued her military career in the Washington D.C. area, and Kramb ran the winery alone for the first few years, including the vineyard management and winemaking duties.

“It was a learning experience,“ Kramb said of his first few years running the winery on his own. “I had made wine at home, so I thought I knew enough… I was wrong. I found out almost all the different ways you could ruin a batch of wine. Of course, back then when we ruined a batch of wine it was only 50 gallons, not 3,200 gallons.”

Kramb would soon find success in 1999 with his blend of Niagara and Concord dubbed Rebel Red, which quickly became a favorite amongst guests at the winery and took home the winery’s first gold medal. Since then, the winery has won over 150 awards for its wines.

Over the 25 years under the supervision of Kramb and Bigler, Adams County Winery has seen its annual wine production skyrocket from 2,300 gallons to more than 45,000 gallons.

In celebration of this landmark achievement, Adams County Winery is bringing back one of Kramb and Bigler’s favorite wines from over the years, Memory Lane.

Memory Lane, a complex red blend with notes of apple, blueberry, and orange blossom, will be exclusively available at the Farm Winery in Orrtanna and the winery’s downtown Gettysburg Wine Shop starting on Saturday, September 16^th.

The Farm Winery is hosting an event for the release of Memory Lane on Saturday, Sept. 16^th.

From 1-4 p.m., there will be live music by the Jazz Me Band, remarks from guest speakers, and other fun activities along with discounts on Adams County Winery branded merchandise and a one-day 25 percent case discount for all guests.

Adams County Winery opened its doors in 1975 in Orrtanna, PA, and is currently Pennsylvania’s fifth-oldest operating winery, as well as the Gettysburg area’s original winery. The Farm Winery location sits on more than 75 acres of rolling hills and farmland while operating out of an 1860’s registered historic PA bank barn. In 1988, Tears of Gettysburg was introduced, and to this day remains one of their most popular wines, as well as one of the oldest continually made wines in Pennsylvania. The vineyard is home to five varieties of grapes, spanning more than 12 acres. Adams County Winery is the 10-time winner of Best Winery in the Gettysburg’s Greatest Awards, and a favorite spot for locals to relax and enjoy a glass of PA-made wine.

For more information, please call 717.334.4631 or visit us on the web at www.adamscountywinery.com

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