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Philly caterer sues over permits blocking vineyard revamp in Bucks County
The lawsuit says the operator spent $1.5 million on equipment and hired a full-time winemaker, but cannot reopen the property and tasting room to the public because Tinicum Township is withholding permits for several projects.
A Philadelphia wedding caterer has filed a lawsuit against Tinicum Township officials, alleging the municipality is obstructing efforts to revitalize a vineyard and wine tasting business in rural Bucks County, according to a case filed in the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas.
The operator, Joe Volpe, bought the Sand Castle Winery at 755 River Road in 2024, renamed it Blind Fox Vineyard, and planned a farm and wine event business tied to its 1974 roots. His complaint says he spent $1.5 million on new equipment and recruited a full-time winemaker from California’s Napa Valley, with an original goal of having the business fully open by spring 2025.
The lawsuit alleges Volpe has been unable to reopen the property and its tasting room to the public because permits are being withheld for critical projects, including relocating a tent, installing two cattle guards, and building a patio roof and a landscape wall.
The dispute also centers on whether the vineyard will be used for weddings, with local concerns about event noise raised to the township board, according to reporting cited in the matter. Volpe’s legal team argued in a May 2025 zoning appeal that wedding events would not violate the property’s residential agricultural zoning if wine made there is the only beverage served.