By Caroline Roosevelt
Contributing Writer

Peonies have long served as the silky smooth, fragrant indicators that spring has sprung. Their buds usually bloom in early May, thanks to a symbiotic relationship they share with ants who stimulate the petals to unfold. Several locations in Chester County celebrate the peonies, and we all pour out like determined ants from our homes so that we can weave our way through the fields of color, soaking in the beginning of spring. 

Acadian Wine Company, a bucolic vineyard located in West Grove, invited wine appreciators and peony enthusiasts alike to its third annual Peony Festival on May 17-18. I brought my mother and my sister along on Saturday to partake in the festivities and upon entering the estate, we immediately found ourselves among lacy vines which danced along the green fields. We found an ideal spot to perch on the porch overlooking the estate and within earshot of Nicole Zell and the Sin Brothers Band, while white canopies from the dozen local artisan vendors welcomed us in.

After setting myself up with a tasting flight of the winery’s Gruner Vetliner, Rose, Vidal Blanc, and Redbone, I connected with the winery’s owner/operator Kyle Jones to learn a little more about Acadian and the event. Jones has been making wine since 2016 and his resume expands beyond wine into a variety of arms of the nonprofit sector which has imbued his operation with core values of inclusivity, sustainability, and a holistic, community approach to his work. He visits properties in Erie, Lehigh, and Rising Sun, where he grows other varieties of grapes beyond the two estate varieties. 

“The Peony Festival literally just occurred because the first spring that I was here, I noticed those flowers and I said, ‘Oh, that’s beautiful. I wonder what’s going to happen with those,’” Jones said. “That’s how I met Richard Curry of Styers Peonies [who welcomed Acadian’s contribution to the Peony Festival, which has already been established at other sites throughout the county.] The first festival was small and confined to Saturday, but last year, we began opening it up for both days, and the peonies are all in bloom for one weekend.”

As successful events in beautiful locales often do, this event has grown in popularity with each passing year. On Saturday, the lawn was filled with lawn chairs, patio furniture, picnic blankets, and each table on the patio was occupied, a scenario that was repeated on Sunday. After my last sip of Redbone (their dry red from the Erie area of PA), my sister and I wandered along the peony fields taking in the warm late afternoon sun and mingling among visitors picking their own peony bouquets for purchase, as well as taking home jars of Peony Jam!

The Acadian Wine Company is located at 553 South Guernsey Road in Werst Grove. To learn more about upcoming events, visit www.acadianwinecompany.com.