A First-Time Visitor’s Guide to Wine Tasting at Willow Creek Winery

Willow Creek Winery’s Tasting Room

A first visit to Willow Creek Winery can include wine tasting, vineyard views, dining, and outdoor seating in one West Cape May setting. Guests often tell us how quickly they’re greeted and settled in, how many wine styles there are to choose from, and how hard it is to leave once they’ve claimed a spot outside near the vines.

Willow Creek Winery’s Tasting Room in West Cape May is open daily, and reservations are strongly encouraged on weekends and from May through October, though walk-ins are welcome when space allows. Guests can order a self-guided flight of three three-ounce pours, wine by the glass or bottle, or a private table-side educational tasting. Outdoor seating with vineyard views is also available.

Wine Tasting at Willow Creek Winery

Willow Creek sits on a 50-acre vineyard estate in West Cape May, with a rustic Tasting Room built around a post-and-beam ceiling and a stone fireplace, seating up to 350 people under one roof. The Tasting Room is open daily, and inside you’ll find estate-grown wines and sangrias available by the flight, the glass, or the bottle, along with gourmet charcuterie and full menu items if you want to make a meal of it.

Getting Seated and Settled In

Reservations are strongly encouraged, especially on weekends and during the busy May through October season, though walk-ins are welcome when space allows. Guests frequently mention how fast the team gets a table set with water, plates, and everything needed to start tasting. If a table isn’t available right away, there’s additional first-come, first-served seating at the outdoor bar area or on the grass, so a full house doesn’t have to mean waiting around.

Wine tasting flight on a table with vineyard views at Willow Creek Winery in West Cape May

Choosing Between Flights, Glasses, and Bottles

One of the easiest ways to try a range of wines in one sitting is the self-guided tasting flight, three curated three-ounce pours served in an elegant tasting tree right at your table, with selections that change with the season. Prefer more guidance? A private, table-side educational tasting walks you through a signature three-sip system with a wine educator. Groups often split down the middle here. Some in the party gravitate toward the sweeter whites, others go straight for the dry reds, and a flight is a low-pressure way to figure out which camp you’re in without committing to a full glass first.

Fire Pits and Outdoor Seating When the Weather Turns Warm

Willow Creek’s outdoor spaces are built for lingering. There’s expansive seating with vineyard views, and fire pits and outdoor fireplaces are part of what regulars come back for, especially once the weather warms up enough to sit outside comfortably. It’s the kind of setting that turns a quick tasting into an afternoon, particularly if you’re the type who likes to end a meal with your wine still in hand while the sun goes down over the vines.

Guests seated at a table in the Tasting Room at Willow Creek Winery

Visiting as a Group or Family

A lot of first-time visits happen the same way: someone brings their parents or a small group of friends who’ve never been before. The winery is a working vineyard that caters mainly to adults, though well-behaved children are welcome as long as a guardian is supervising and anyone occupying a seat orders a full meal and non alcoholic drinks. Leashed pets are welcome on the patio during quieter times too, so a group visit can genuinely include everyone.

Conclusion

A first visit to Willow Creek Winery tends to set the tone for every visit after it. Between the range of wines available by flight, glass, or bottle, the fast start to the visit, and outdoor seating built around fire pits and vineyard views, it’s easy to see why so many guests come once and start planning their next trip before they’ve even left.

Book a tasting, reserve a table, or plan a group visit at Willow Creek Winery in Cape May. Call 609.770.8782 or reach out at info@willowcreekwinerycapemay.com to check availability.

FAQs

Do I need a reservation for wine tasting?

Reservations are strongly recommended, particularly on weekends and during the May through October high season, since tables can sell out. Limited first-come, first-served seating is available in the outdoor bar area or on the grass.

What are my options for tasting wine?

You can choose a self-guided tasting flight of three curated three-ounce pours, order wine by the glass or bottle, or book a private table-side educational tasting led by a wine educator using a signature three-sip system.

Can I sit outside near the fire pits?

Willow Creek Winery offers outdoor seating with vineyard views. Fire pits are available for rent by the hour, and outdoor fireplace features are also part of the property. Ask the team about current availability. 

Are children and pets allowed?

Well behaved children are welcome with a supervising guardian and must order a full meal if occupying a seat. Smaller, leashed pets are welcome on the patio during quieter times.

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.

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.

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

Wine Cocktail Wednesday – Prestige Spritzer

Wine Cocktail Wednesday: Prestige Spritzer

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 Cup ice

2 Tablespoons frozen berries of your choice

2 oz Wilde Cock Prestige Gold

6 oz sparkling water (La Croix recommended because of it’s subtle flavor and no added sweetness)

DIRECTIONS:

Pour ice into a glass. Add frozen berries. Pour in the wine, then the sparkling water. Sip and enjoy.

Wine Cocktail Wednesday – Blushing Beauty

Wine Cocktail Wednesday: Blushing Beauty

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tablespoon + 3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (2 packets)

1 C water, divided

1 C sugar

1 bottle Wilde Cock Blush

DIRECTIONS:

Sprinkle the gelatin over ¼ cup of the water in a small bowl. Set aside for a few minutes to rehydrate.

Combine the remaining water and the sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat.

Add the gelatin to the sugar syrup and stir to dissolve. Combine with the wine in a medium mixing bowl or a 9-inch square baking pan. Refrigerate for 3 hours, until set.

Serve with fresh whipped cream and berries!

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