Q: Does Hickory Creek have options for on-site wine tasting?
A: Yes!
Indoors: Enjoy a traditional tasting at the bar, or relax with a glass, bottle, or flight at one of our high-top tables. Small groups can also book a behind-the-scenes tasting in our barrel room.
Outdoors: Grab a spot on our first-come first-served patio, picnic area or firepit seating. Feel free to bring lawn chairs or a picnic blanket. Stop into the tasting room anytime for wine, logo merch, or locally made gifts.
You can request to reserve space here.
Q: How much is the wine tasting?
A: Our wine tasting is $15 and is offered in two formats:
Traditional Tasting - Relax in our tasting room or barrel room while our staff pours your selected wines one at a time and shares a little about each one. Crackers are included to help cleanse your palate between sips.
Flight Board - Prefer to taste outside? Choose your five wines and we’ll pour them into individual carafes on a flight board so you can take your tasting out to the patio.
Either way, you’ll enjoy the same amount of wine — just pick the experience you like best.
Q: How long does the wine tasting take?
A: We typically block one hour for each reservation. This allows us 45-50 minutes for the tasting and a few minutes to reset for the next group.
Short on time? Let us know and we’ll do our best to accomodate your pace and schedule. Having too much fun and want to stick around after your tasting? Just ask our staff and if our schedule allows, you’re often welcome to keep enjoying the space where your tasting took place—or grab a glass of wine and head outside to keep the experience going.
Q: We are thinking about visiting your winery. Do you require reservations?
A: It depends.
Reservations are required for groups of 6 or more people. You can request a group reservation here.
Reservations are highly recommended for weekend visits, especially Saturdays, no matter the group size.
We also recommend reservations for smaller groups of 4-6 people no matter what day you are visiting. If you have less than 6 people, you can make a reservation here or by calling us at (269) 422-1100.
Reservations are encouraged and accepted for couples and small groups, seven days a week. It is helpful for us to know you are coming!
For parties less than four, you are welcome to walk in. Most of the time it isn’t a problem to get you in, especially if you have less than four people in your party.
Q: We are coming to visit. What can we expect?
A: A warm welcome and a relaxed rustic vibe. We like to think of Hickory Creek as a hidden gem—comfortable, approachable, and all about great wine.
Saturdays (late April–October) can be lively and busy, especially from noon–5pm. Weekdays and the off-season tend to be quieter and more laid-back for a slower, more intimate tasting.
When you arrive, choose your vibe:
Inside: Enjoy a guided tasting where our team pours five wines and shares the story behind each one. You can also grab a glass or bottle, snack on pizza or charcuterie, and browse our small shop featuring HCW merch and local artisan goods.
Outside: Head to our picnic tables or patio seating and enjoy a self-guided flight board, a glass, or a bottle—perfect for relaxing outdoors.
Q: How can I ensure the best experience during my group wine tasting?
A: A few helpful Dos & Don’ts can make your visit smooth, fun, and memorable…
Do:
Make a reservation for groups of 5+, especially on weekends. This helps us have space ready and keeps your wait time short.
Arrive on time (and remember we’re on Eastern Time, not Central—so 4pm in Chicago is 5pm here at Hickory Creek Winery). If you’ll be more than about 10 minutes early or late, just give us a call.
Come with an open mind. Wine tasting is the perfect chance to try something new—maybe a dry wine if you usually drink sweet, or a white if you’re typically a red drinker.
Ask questions and chat with your tasting consultant. We love sharing stories about the wines, the grapes, and the winery.
Eat beforehand and drink plenty of water so you can fully enjoy the experience.
Support local by taking home a bottle of wine, winery merchandise, or items from local artisans we feature in our shop.
Don’t:
Bring outside alcohol onto the property—it’s illegal in the State of Michigan.
Bring portable speakers into the tasting areas (we’ve got the music covered!).
Wear heavy perfume or cologne, or smoke right before a tasting (especially cannabis)—strong scents can interfere with the aromas of the wine and affect both your tasting experience and those around you.
Bring inappropriate bachelorette party props (anatomically shaped items, matierals displaying profane language, etc)—we love celebrating with groups, but we also strive to keep the winery welcoming for everyone, including families with small children. We ask that you keep any questionable items in your car or bus, please.
Follow these simple tips and you’ll be set for a relaxed, enjoyable tasting experience at Hickory Creek.
Q: What are your hours?
A: Our current hours of operation are the first thing you’ll find on our homepage. We also update our Google, Yelp and Facebook listings with our current hours.
Q: What payment options do you have?
A: We accept cash, all major credit cards, and Apple Pay and other tap-to-pay platforms.
On a related subject, guests participating in group tastings are welcome to pay separately or all together. We can accomodate advance payment for groups, but this is not required.
Q: Do you serve food? Can I bring my own food to your winery?
A: Yes and yes!
We offer thin crust pizzas by RoundBelly’s Pizza out of South Bend. We carry pepperoni, sausage and cheese and a few specialty/seasonal topping options.
We also offer snack-sized, locally sourced charcuterie plates that include rosemary crisps, raw cow milk tomme cheese and rosé infused salami (seasonally available).
Both are limited and can sell out, so feel free to call ahead if you’re planning on them for a meal.
We also carry selections from The Blueberry Store, including their famous chocolate-covered blueberries. Crackers are included with tastings to help cleanse your palate.
You’re welcome to bring your own food and picnic in our outdoor seating areas. On Saturdays, outside food isn’t allowed inside the winery unless arranged in advance.
Q: Are you dog friendly?
A: Yes, you are welcome to bring your well-behaved dog. In fact, often the dogs are more welcome than the people! We ask that you keep your dog leashed and that you clean up after any messes. We have a couple of water bowls, just let us know if you need one! The Blueberry Store’s famous blueberry dog treats are available for purchase for your pup.
Q: Can I bring my young kids?
A: Yes, the kiddos are welcome! Kids love climbing around our vintage tractor. Obviously they are not allowed to consume alcohol, but we have grape juice, sparkling juice, soft drinks and bottled water (still and sparkling) available for purchase.
Q: One of the people in our group is under 21. Can he or she participate in the group tasting?
A: They’re welcome to join the group, but they can’t participate in the wine tasting. Please let our staff know ahead of time who is under 21.
We do offer grape juice, soft drinks, and still or sparkling water for purchase so everyone can enjoy the experience together.
Q: Do you have beverage options other than wine?
A: Absolutely. If you’re sitting out the wine tasting, we offer grape juice (still or sparkling), soft drinks, and still or sparkling water for purchase.
Q: Are there dining options close to the winery?
A: There are many amazing restaurants in our area. Baroda (4.7 miles), Sawyer (7.3 miles), and Bridgman (7.6 miles) are smaller towns near us that have quaint local options including cafés, breweries, delicatessens and farm-to-table restaurants. It’s best to check restaurant websites or call ahead for operating hours as some of these small businesses close midweek, even in the summer and fall. Many of these establishments encourage reservations. Stevensville (9.8 miles), St Joseph (15.1 miles) and New Buffalo (17.5 miles) are bigger towns that have great local fare and also offer fast food and chain restaurant options.
Q: Where is the closest gas station?
A: Yes, this is a frequently asked question! We are kind of remote out here in wine country, so make sure your gas gauge isn’t on E when you drive out here. But to answer your question, the closest gas station is 4.5 miles from the winery. The address is: Baroda Party Store, 9691 Cleveland Avenue, Baroda MI 49101.
Q: Do you offer winery tours or vineyard tours?
A: Not exactly—but we’re happy to share a peek behind the scenes.
We’re a small winery (about 1,500 cases a year) and most of the action happens in our barrel room, which you can see from the tasting room. If things aren’t too busy, just ask for a closer look. Our team is happy to show you around and chat about the winemaking process if we have the opportunity.
We don’t offer formal tours, but we love talking wine and sharing what we do.
Q: I like sweet wine. Will I find wines to enjoy at Hickory Creek?
A: We hope so! While we’re known for drier wines made from European grape varieties, we offer several off-dry options (about 2–5% residual sugar) on our tasting menu.
Wine tasting is the perfect chance to try something new without committing to a full glass or bottle, so come with an open mind—you might discover a new favorite. And if a wine isn’t your style, that’s okay—we just ask that feedback to our hardworking staff stays kind and respectful.
Q: Do I get to keep my glass as part of the tasting?
A: The tasting fee doesn’t include the glass, which helps keep our tasting fee at $15. Also, in our experience, not everyone wants or needs another wine glass in the cupboard at home. So rather than being wasteful or forcing our guests to buy something they don’t want or need, we reuse them.
For those who do want a logo tasting glass (because they really are awesome tasting glasses), we can tack it on to your tasting for just $5. We also offer laser-etched stemless glasses for $8 and crystal Spielgau logo glasses for $15.