One of our favorite PA wineries here at PAVC, Galer Estate, has been sold and has closed; its last day of operation was Sunday, September 17, 2023. Longwood Gardens, the popular botanical garden adjacent to the property, is the new buyer. Longwood will inherit any wine currently in barrel or in the cellar inventory, but does not intend to continue Galer’s winery operations. (Galer wines are currently available by the glass at Longwood’s Beer Garden.)
“We are still evaluating our long-term plans for the property, but our first and most important priority for the property is the preservation of green space and agricultural land,” Longwood Gardens PR manager Jourdan Cole told the Inquirer. “We have no current plans to enter the wine business. The purchase is first and foremost about preserving the agricultural land.”
Brad and Lele Galer opened the winery in November 2011, and ran for, as Lele told us via email, “a great 12 years.” The Galers have flirted with selling for a while now, as Brad’s other career as a medical doctor turned pharmaceutical executive has kept him on the road often. But recent developments sealed the deal.
Brad recently took a new job in Boston that required him to spend most of his time in Massachusetts. In January, the 4 acre property was put on the market for close to $3.4 million. When winemaker and general manager Virginia Mitchell decided, earlier this summer, to leave the winery, this further cemented the decision to sell.
It is of course bittersweet,” Lele continued. “But, there are a lot more local wineries making good wine then there were 15 years ago, and the community has been incredibly supportive and kind. I love what we have created together with the managers, advisors, staff and customers, and I hope that the next owners create something new and wonderful with the property.”
The Galers are “of course hopeful,” she continued, “that they will continue to use the winery as a winery.” (It’s unclear whether the Galers knew of Longwood’s plans or not — one would assume they did — but they were under an NDA.)
More details will be added to this story as they become available.