Looking for a day away from sunshine and sandy beaches? Or perhaps a night out with friends or a significant other? Maybe you’re looking for something to do on a gray day at the shore? We’ve got the perfect answer: experience Cape May County’s local hops, grapes, and spirits! The Jersey Cape’s local breweries, wineries, and distilleries each have their own unique flair, making for a one-of-a-kind experience at each. Tour the facilities and talk to the experts to learn how beer, wine and spirits are made. Send your palate on a journey with tastings, and bring your favorite flavor home in a growler or bottle!
Visit the beautiful Willow Creek Farm & Winery for all things wine, open daily at 11 a.m. year-round for tastings, tapas, tours, or the private event of a lifetime. Located in West Cape May, the winery is just a bike ride away from anywhere on the Cape May Island. If you enjoy great wines, delicious foods, and a serene setting, this is going to be your new favorite spot!
Seasoned wine drinkers and newbies alike will delight in the beauty of this vineyard farm and winery. This is 50 acres of stunning, unadulterated nature — the roaming gamecocks are a reminder of that, as well as the lush gardens designed by owner Barbara Wilde. This is the Garden State at its best. Then, of course, there’s that other reason to go — the wine itself. In a 12,000-square-foot post-beam winery built by Mennonites from Lancaster, Pa., both groups and private parties of up to 350 guests can participate in fun, educational wine and sangria tastings, vineyard tours, wines by the glass and bottle, and a delicious tapas menu. Choose from their vast selection of wines, which includes the Wilde Cock White, a clean, crisp, and drinkable white, and the Wilde Cock Cranberry Cabarnet, a semi-sweet wine that perfectly balances tartness with extra fruit sugars. All wines are produced in small batches, so check back frequently to stay up to date!
The farm grows 13 different types of grapes with from Spain, Italy, and France. They produce up to 28 types of wines throughout the year, as well as some unique fruit wines including Jersey grown Apple Wine and Blackberry Merlot. Wine tastings are available daily!
The farm also offers a new farm-to-table menu with savory farm dishes to share with good friends and loved ones at the beautiful farm. Choose from salads, starters, signature sandwiches, meats, and cheeses for lunch or dinner and pair your meal with one of their delicious Willow Creek wines. Relax at the vineyard wine bar overlooking the bocce ball court, and enjoy a tableside flight or frozen wine cocktail.
Throughout the year, the winery hosts many different events and activities. Daily events in the summer season, like wine and paint nights, trivia nights, open mic nights, and local vendor markets, are always a great time. But it doesn’t end there! Willow Creek hosts an array of great activities throughout the winter, too. Great events like the popular Fire Pit Fridays leave everyone with a reason to visit our island all year round!
Reservations fill up fast all year round for tastings and tables, so call before you go – a phone call always pushes you to the top of any waiting list. Also, make sure to check the website for a list of closed-to-the-public private events.
Willow Creek Winery
160-168 Stevens St., West Cape May
(609) 770-8782; www.willowcreekwinerycapemay.com