New Winery And Bistro Nears Completion In The Heart Of Doylestown

DOYLESTOWN, PA — A new urban winery is on schedule to open its doors this winter in the heart of Doylestown Borough at the 50 North Main Street building.

Franchise owner Eric Landolfi told Doylestown Patch that work is nearing completion on the newest Waters Edge Winery & Bistro – the brand’s 16th - with an anticipated opening in late January or early February.

"We're almost there," said Landolfi. "Construction should be finished this week. From there it's just going through the process of securing permits and approvals from the borough and the board of health.

"I know it's been a long time in coming, but your patience will be rewarded," he promised.

When it does open, the winery and bistro will celebrate with four grand openings, beginning with a private friends and family preview party on Wednesday, a ribbon cutting with the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce and Doylestown Borough officials on Thursday, a ticketed event on Friday and a public grand opening on Saturday.

"Doylestown has a lot of offerings already, but this concept of a wine production facility along with a bistro will be something unique for the community," said Landolfi. "We will be bringing the winemaking experience to the heart of Doylestown."

While technically speaking Waters Edge is considered a Pennsylvania winery, it won't be using Pennsylvania-grown grapes in its production process.

(Waters Edge Winery)

The new winery will be shipping in juice from well-known vineyards from around the world, including the famed wine-producing regions of California and Italy.

"We globally source and locally craft," explains Landolfi. "They (the vineyards) do all of the hard work of growing the grapes. I get all the benefits of their hard labor by them supplying the juice that's already pressed and ready to be turned into wine."

The winery will be offering its wine by the bottle, by the glass, and through a Wine Club membership. Bottles will also be available for purchase to be taken out and enjoyed at a favorite Doylestown area BYOB restaurant.

The winery will be opening with an inventory of more than 2500 bottles of wine, including white wine, red wine, sparkling wine, sangria wine, and dessert wine.

The winery and bistro will occupy the cellar level and the first floor of the building, which is owned by Stephen Worth and once housed the local library and is the former home of the Bucks County Department of Human Services.

Worth completely renovated the building turning it into a showpiece in the heart of town.

"There are beautiful condos and apartments upstairs. For my location, he gave me a beautiful industrial-type of setting to work with," said Landolfi. "From there, I just elaborated a little and gave it a modern industrial look, but very quaint and elegant. I left a couple of beams exposed to give it a historical look."

The 2200-square-foot cellar at Waters Edge is where the magic happens. It is home to an on-site micro-winery, producing in-house wine for tastings and take-home bottles with customized labeling available for special events and occasions.

One of the coolest things, adds Landolfi, is that the public will be able to watch the winemaking process from the Shewell side of the building.

(Waters Edge Winery)

The cellar will also feature a ‘Winemakers Table’ where up to 20 guests can sample wine directly from the tanks while enjoying entertainment, light food, and tapas-style appetizers, said Landolfi.

The Winemakers Table also will be available for up to 25 guests for private events.

The 3,000-square-foot first floor will feature an 85-seat bistro, a full kitchen, and a 10-seat tasting bar. The bistro will be serving artisanal selections of “farm to table” concepts including appetizers, tapas (small plates), fresh ingredient salads, burgers, paninis, flatbreads, sandwiches, desserts, and more.

"Our main feature is our wines, but we will also be offering craft beer and craft cocktails," added Landolfi. "Because we are a Pennsylvania winery, we are authorized to use PA-based spirits and beverages. That's good for the non-wine drinker," he said. "You may not be a wine drinker but you can still enjoy a craft beer or a mixed drink while your significant other enjoys their wine."

Parking will be available behind the building and along the Shewell Avenue side of the building across from the Doylestown Fire Company. Some parking will also be available at the bank next door.

(Waters Edge Winery)

A homebrewer of beer, Eric has dabbled in distilling his own spirits and is excited about the opportunity to make wine in-house.

“Being Italian, I’ve always enjoyed drinking wine and I look forward to further exploring this passion in a new way,” he said. “After meeting with the Waters Edge Wineries team, I immediately knew this concept would offer valuable resources and support as I work to build and grow a profitable local business that answers a definite need, and interest, in our local community.”

Landolfi brings extensive hospitality experience, previously operating a family-owned café with his brother in Yardley. The Doylestown Waters Edge will be the franchise’s first location in both Pennsylvania and the Northeast.

A Pennsylvania native, Eric worked in the paper and plastic manufacturing business for more than 25 years after graduating from West Chester University. For the past 15 years, he has managed and operated a deli and sandwich shop with his brother, Steve, in Yardley, near where the brothers grew up visiting their father’s small grocery store and sandwich shop.

Landolfi was originally attracted to the Waters Edge Wineries franchise system based on the uniqueness of the concept, as well as its solid performance across various territories.

Waters Edge Wineries can be found throughout California, Illinois, Kentucky, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, and soon-to-be Pennsylvania.

For more information about Waters Edge Wineries, click here.