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Plan the Perfect Valentine’s Weekend

Ah, Valentine’s Day. What’s better than having an excuse (not that you need one) to shower the love of your life with affection?

Wait! You check the calendar and suddenly realize that it’s almost two weeks away and you haven’t made plans. Sure, you could go the old “roses-and-a-box-of-chocolates” route, but who hasn’t seen that a hundred times? How about a trip? It’s cutting it pretty close to start planning an extravagant vacation now though.

Hmm… It’s time to get creative. So, you scour the internet for ideas. Eventually, you find yourself here. Well, look no further because we’ve put together the PERFECT Cape May Valentine’s Weekend getaway for you and your love.

Where to Stay

Cape May is known for its gorgeous Victorian charm, and it’s hard to go wrong with any of the beautiful historic B&Bs and hotels. But if you’re looking to really step it up, the Southern Mansion is the place to be. The New York Times has called it “[t]he only place to stay in Cape May,” and the opulent circa 1860-mansion does not disappoint. Once the summer home of a wealthy Philadelphia industrialist, the Southern Mansion has been meticulously restored and now operates as a 24-bedroom cross between a Boutique Hotel and B&B.

Each guest room is beautifully furnished with a mix of original and high quality reproduction furniture but also has all the modern amenities such as private bathrooms with hand painted tile showers, heating and air conditioning, and 32″ flat screen TVs. Guests also enjoy evening turndown service and a full gourmet breakfast in the morning. We also love the complimentary on-site parking, which any Cape May aficionado knows is a pretty big deal in this shore town.

If you and your love are looking for something a little more private for your Valentine’s Day, then you’re in luck! Willow Creek Winery also has several gorgeous apartments available to rent for the weekend that are located right on the vineyard. Imagine waking up each morning and gazing out over the vineyard as you sip your coffee.

Please visit AirBnB to view our listings for Merlot Cottage, Malvasia Cottage, Chambourcin Cottage, Hamilton Cottage, and The Stable.

Valentine’s Day Dinner

Okay, accommodations are booked, but what about the big night itself? Nearly every restaurant is filling up with reservations for Valentine’s Day dinner, and some of the smaller ones have already booked up. You’re worried that others might feel too cramped or too loud. Will there be music? What will the ambience be like? And perhaps most importantly, what’s for dinner???

Willow Creek Winery has the answer for these questions, too. Enjoy our Valentine’s Day Dinner at the Vineyard, and indulge in a romantic and decadent four-course dining experience in our rustic-chic post-and-beam style tasting room beneath seven-foot crystal chandeliers while sipping on some of the finest wines this side of Europe.

As you gaze across the candlelit table into your lover’s eyes, every sense will be aroused. Taste the divine meal. Smell the aromatic boutique wine. Feel your lover’s hand clasped in yours. And hear the crooning vocals of Rose Kelly as she serenades the room.

View the incredible menu here, and be sure to book your reservation early.

A Low-key Friday

After the formalities that often seem to accompany the traditional Valentine’s Day dinner, you and your love will probably be looking forward to some more relaxed activities on Friday. Spend the morning and afternoon seeing all that Cape May has to offer. Enjoy shopping in the boutiques on the Washington Street Mall, lunch at the many excellent restaurants, and maybe even check out the town’s history by going on a tour or two.

Make sure you keep your Friday night free because you’ll want to come back to Willow Creek Winery for Fire Pit Friday!

Enjoy live music from local musicians 6pm-9pm while you sample our unique selection of locally grown, produced, and bottled wines. Reserve a table to un-wine with a glass (or bottle) of your favorite wine and order farm fresh favorites off our tantalizing tapas and small plates menu. After you finish, be sure to grab another glass before sitting around our fire pit next to our beautiful vineyard beneath the starlit sky.

Pro Tip: Get here early and you can enjoy our Winter Happy Hour. From 3pm to 5pm on Friday we’ll be offering 20% off of our delicious tapas menu as well as glasses of Wilde Cock wines and sangrias (excludes Prestige label).

Saturday: Enough love, time to laugh!

Lucky you, you’re just in time for Comedy UnCorked! It’s been a pretty serious weekend, so now is the time to lighten the mood with a three-course wine-paired dinner and comedy show. This hit series of monthly comedy shows featuring professional NYC comedians is back by popular demand. Make sure you purchase your tickets early though because these shows always sell out.

FYI – if you’re easily offended, this is NOT the event for you.

View the February Comedy UnCorked menu and more event details here.

Is the weekend really over already?

Well, eventually every good thing has to end, and Sunday is finally here. Spend your last few hours relaxing with one last glass of your favorite wine or sangria, and maybe grab a few bottles or growlers for the road (our small-batch produced wines are currently only available on-site). Or grab a stool at the Vineyard Bar, sip a wine cocktail to shake off the last bit the Sunday fog, and catch the game on the TVs before loading up the car and heading home.

And remember, it’s not “Goodbye,” it’s “See you later!”

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It’s almost time for Woofstock!

It’s almost time for Woofstock!

We have so many exciting things coming up here at the farm, and we want to be able to share all of them with our Wilde cocks and hens! 

On April 29th, join the Humane Society of Ocean City as they host Woofstock here at Willow Creek Farm & Winery. The voice for the voiceless, Jeffrey Gaines, will be performing a very special benefit concert to bring awareness to the needs of shelter animals and a call for education and training so that ALL animals find the loving home they deserve. There will also be a special performance by “The Turtle Head Band” of South Jersey.

The Humane Society will be providing the entertainment and awareness, and Willow Creek will have wine and tapas available for purchase, as well as the beautiful vineyard views.

Tickets for this very special show are only a $25 donation to the HSOC and all proceeds raised go to help house and care for our shelter animals as they await their FURever homes. Tickets can be purchased at the Humane Society of Ocean City, or online HERE. 

We hope to see you there to support this awesome cause!

Cheers!

Team Willow Creek

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What’s Happening at Willow Creek Farm & Winery 4/13-4/21

Hello Wilde cocks and hens and hello SPRING! We have been waiting for this since last spring ended for many reasons. For one, spring marks the start of our BUSY wedding season. Our first wedding kicks off Saturday, April 21st, so be sure to call and check for current hours during wedding season, as they may be different than advertised due to special events.

Here is what we have coming up at the farm:

Friday, April 13, 2018 – Fire Pit Friday – This weekly event continues through May 11th. Join Willow Creek Farm and Winery every Friday Night as we welcome a different talented musical guest to perform live inside the winery! We have a NEW lineup of local musicians, so don’t miss out!

The fire pit is lit outside at 5:30pm. Seating is first come first serve and self serve in this area, with our enclosed Outside Wine Bar open and our full wine and tapas menu available to order with out outside bartenders.

Music begins at 6pm inside the winery with a different musical guest every week! Reservations are strongly suggested for full service seating or tastings, as they fill up quickly!

Be sure to call 609-770-8782 x5 to reserve your seats and to ensure we are not closed to the public for a private event.

Saturday, April 21, 2018 – Our first wedding of the season! We will be open to tastings, tapas, bottles and glasses from 11am until 4pm, with last call for tastings at 3:30 pm. We kindly ask all guest to be off the property by 4pm so our events team can set up the room for the bride and groom and their guests. Since we are only open for a short period of time, we fill up fast! To make a reservation, please call 609-770-8782 ext. 5 to speak with a member of our reservations team.

We are open during the week from 11am to 5pm for tastings, glasses and bottles. Our kitchen still remains closed Monday through Thursday, but stay tuned for updates on that! The summer seasons is coming, and we can’t wait! In the meantime, we have spring flowers blooming, and trees budding, so still a beautiful atmosphere here at the farm.

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Wine Cocktail Wednesday – Wilde Cock Blackberry Merlot Tea Sangria

Wine Cocktail Wednesday – Tea Sangria

INGREDIENTS (Serves 12):

2 quarts iced tea

1 bottle Wilde Cock Blackberry Merlot

2 Cups berry juice of your choice

2 Pounds mixed berries, sliced

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pitcher, combine tea, wine, and juice. Chill to blend flavors, at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

To serve, add fruit to pitcher or divide among glasses. Pour sangria over the fruit. The sangria may be served over ice if desired.

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Barbara’s Favorite Flowers: Narcissus

Barbara’s Favorite Flowers: Narcissus

The Daffodil (Narcissus) brings an over the top burst of golden yellow to brighten up our day and mood!

There is something about that warming burst of yellow after the winter grey/brown doldrums that will always make Narcissi a perennial favorite of so many.

It’s an easy flower to grow from bulbs and they naturalize so well with so little effort. They also have the additional benefit of a lovely sweet scent!

The high levels of alkaloid poison, lycorine, found in the bulbs and leaves makes Daffodils unattractive to the squirrel, skunk, mole and deer – another bonus that makes them a spring garden necessity .

The history of the Latin name for Daffodil stems from the myth of a beautiful youth named Narcissus, who upon looking into a pond fell so in love with his reflection that he would not leave it to eat or drink. As the story goes, the gods took pity upon him and transformed him into a flower whose yellow head looks down to always feast upon it’s reflection!. You can remember this tale every time you use the word “narcissist.”  Bottom line, they are gorgeous and supremely mood up-lifting.

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Barbara’s Favorite Flowers: Camassia Quamash

Barbara’s Favorite Flowers: Camassia Quamash

Another edition to Barbara’s Favorite Flowers is here! See what she has to say about this weeks entry.

I love blue flowers and Camassia Quamash is a great blue flower for early to mid Spring that can handle a damp, sunny or shady area. I use it in my shade gardens at the Mansion and in marshy meadows at the Vineyard. Meadow gardens are one my favorite natural gardens to design. Nature herself is truly the greatest muse. Wild bog meadows in southern New Jersey are sensual places with sedge, tawny grasses, and seasonal natural flowers like Swamp Mallow, Asters, Clethra, and Joe Pye weed catching the caress of the wind and glistening in warm sunlight offering beauty throughout the seasons. 

The Camassia was originally placed in the Lilliaceae family and was a food staple for the American Indians. The bulb can be roasted and is actually sweeter than a sweet potato. (Yes, I ate one and it was very delish!) It can also be ground into flour.

Camassia is a friendly, easy to grow bulb that naturalizes well and rewards you with ever-larger swaths of brilliant azure blue every year.

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Wine Cocktail Wednesday – Cab Sauv Cocktail

Wine Cocktail Wednesday: Cabernet Sauvignon Cocktail

INGREDIENTS:

16 ounces 2014/2015 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – Limited Reserve

8 ounces cranberry juice

4 ounces fresh orange juice

4 ounces Chambord

Ice

3 ounces chilled lemon/lime sparkling water

Thinly sliced lemon zest

Thinly sliced lime zest

Thinly sliced orange zest

DIRECTIONS:

In a pitcher, combine the wine, juices and Chambord; refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Stir well and pour into ice-filled white wine glasses. Top each drink with 1/2 ounce sparkling water and garnish with the zests.

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Barbara’s Favorite Flowers: Cat Mint

Barbara’s Favorite Flowers: Cat Mint

Cat Mint Nepeta × faassenii ‘Walker’s Low’

This is a great drought tolerant re-bloomer. Blooming starts in May or early June so you can luxuriate in a whole field of glorious purple. The leaves are a great grey-green and heart shaped. I recommend this plant in huge masses to everyone! Cat Mint is super easy peasy and looks good most all the time.  Even though it is in the Lamiaceae family and very similar to catnip, it does not have the same euphoric effect on our feline friends. Beloved by hummingbirds, bees and butterflies, plant to stellar effect in front of borders en masse and rock gardens. Trim back a bit after flowering and you are rewarded with constant blooms! Also used in herbal medicine! The mild sedative effect on humans makes it a wonderful relaxing tea!

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Wine Cocktail Wednesday – Red Wine Sour

Wine Cocktail Wednesday: Red Wine Sour

INGREDIENTS:

2 parts Bourbon

1 part lemon juice

2/3 part simple syrup

2/3 part egg white

1/2 part Wilde Cock Red

DIRECTIONS:

Fill a shaker with ice cubes. Add bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white. Shake and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice cubes. Float red wine.

Recipe inspired by Absolut