He’s mastered the art of the high-end Philly wedding. Now, he’s opening a local winery.
Joe Volpe said the vineyard will not be part of his event company, Cescaphe. But it will make private-label wines to be served at his nine wedding venues in the city.
The Philadelphia region will soon have a new vineyard, thanks to a titan of the city’s high-end wedding industry.
Joe Volpe, CEO of event company Cescaphe, said he plans to open Blind Fox Vineyard this fall in the Upper Bucks County community of Erwinna. The sprawling property at 755 River Rd. was home to Sand Castle Winery before Volpe purchased it last year for $2.35 million, according to county property records.
The vineyard will not be part of Cescaphe, according to company executives, and there are currently no plans to host weddings or events there. However, it will make private-label wines to be served at Cescaphe’s nine Philadelphia venues, including Water Works near Boathouse Row, Tendenza in Northern Liberties, and the Bellevue Hotel’s two ballrooms, which the company acquired last year.
» READ MORE: From 2024: Cescaphe’s made-in-Philly wedding empire hosted over 750 nuptials last year, and has no plans to slow down
“We are always looking for ways to take the wedding experience to the next level,” Volpe said in a statement. “The opportunity to own and operate a vineyard where we could curate premium wines for our couples and their guests to enjoy felt like an obvious next step for my wife, Andrea, and I.”
When the winery opens this fall, it is set to feature two tasting rooms, vineyard tours, and outdoor spaces for seasonal tastings, executives said.
“Our estate-grown wines, European-inspired tasting room and wine cellar welcomes family, friends, and new acquaintances to come together,” reads a description of the vineyard on its website.
Andrew Misialek, a native of the Philadelphia region with nearly a decade of experience in Napa Valley, will be the head winemaker, with executives saying he will cultivate “a diverse selection of European varietals, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Pinot Noir.”
Volpe declined to disclose how much money his family is putting into renovations at the vineyard.
The name Blind Fox is an homage to Volpe’s late mother, Lucille, who was legally blind. Volpe means fox in Italian.