Our Story
Nestled in the rolling slopes of the Laurel Highlands, Stonycreek Valley Cellars was born from a passion for well crafted wines. Our Spirits honor the unique geography of the Stonycreek River by crafting artisanal wines that tell the story of our valley. We use time-honored traditions that speak of the valley's soul.
The Spirit of Craftsmanship
Stonycreek Valley Cellars is a veteran-owned, boutique-style micro-winery specializing in small-batch offerings, expertly crafted by a Penn State-certificated winemaker. Nestled in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands, Stonycreek Valley Cellars sources the highest quality grapes and juice from Pennsylvania and New York vineyards, and from renowned California vineyards, including Lanza, Mettler, and Costamagna, while also sourcing varieties from Chilean growers.
Stonycreek Valley Cellars performs the full scope of wine processing, including crushing, fermentation, pressing, barrel aging, bulk storage, lab testing, bottling, labeling, and finished-wine storage.
We will market our wine at local farmers' markets, wine walks, and wine expos. We also intend to market to local restaurants and retail outlets. We’ll also offer catering for special events like weddings, where we can produce custom labels and even provide private labeling for exclusive marketing.
The Stonycreek Valley Cellars facility is located in a purpose-built facility overlooking Lake Stonycreek. The winery occupies the entire first floor, and the second floor is a beautifully constructed and tastefully furnished lodge, Big Dog Lodge at Stonycreek Lake, opening for guest stays in mid-2027.
Coming in mid-2027, Big Dog Lodge and Stonycreek Valley Cellars will offer a unique vacation destination combining luxury accommodations with a wine cellar experience. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy the rustic beauty of the Laurel Highlands, visit the nearby Flight 93 Memorial, and enjoy exclusive access to the winery. The winery experience will include a detailed tour of the entire winemaking process, from crush to bottle, and will include exclusive wine tasting of the current wines ready to bottle. Guests will be able to bottle their own case of wine, insert corks, and apply labels to commemorative bottles at no charge as part of their stay at Big Dog Lodge.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Stonycreek Valley and the Laurel Highlands for a relaxing and enjoyable visit.
Meet the Winemaker
Tom Hess
Dedicated to artisanal mountain wines and superb craftsmanship that meet the most stringent standards and discerning palates. Try Tom's hand-crafted wines and allow him to personally introduce you to the Stonycreek Valley Cellars facility and Big Dog Lodge.