YORK COUNTY, Pa. — In 2004, Jim Miller opened Moon Dancer Winery on his 50-acre vineyard in Lower Windsor Township.
Miller purchased the vineyard in 1998 and originally provided ingredients to other wineries before opening his own.
The business has grown, bottled and labeled products for 20 years and now faces an uncertain future.
“We were notified that there was a court order put in place requiring us to close the business and basically cease and desist as of the end of business today, Sunday, June 9,” Miller said.
Miller says the order stems from a legal dispute regarding the use of his agriculturally zoned property. Due to ongoing litigation, he could not provide more details.
Miller described the news as devastating for him, his family and his employees.
“We’ve got idle things because of the pending court order,” Miller said.
The business announced its closure on Friday in a press release. For longtime visitor Deeter Lutz, the news came as a surprise.
“We were saddened by it, and we called over and said if there’s anything we can do, we’ll just be a support to the winery,” Lutz said.
Lutz is also a farmer in Lancaster County and has supported the winery as a customer and musician for more than a decade.
The winery remained open throughout the weekend. Guests described the mood as bittersweet.
“I just hate to see something like that, have a place be shut down, a venue like this that people enjoy so much,” said Lenny Gray from Lancaster County.
Gray has been a customer for 10 years and celebrated his 60th birthday at the winery.
The business is expected to seek permission from the court to reopen while litigation continues, though it’s not known when a decision will be made.
“We wish the best for the winery here and we’d love to see it carry on,” Lutz said.
Miller told FOX43 any scheduled events over the summer are cancelled.
The winery and vineyard will not be open to the public beginning Monday, June 10.