Elk Creek Vineyards

AMAZING! My husband bought a groupon to stay overnight at the lodge for our anniversary. We paid a little extra to upgrade our room to the master suite, which was well worth it! Our room was huge and it had an incredible Jacuzzi tub. My only complaint would be that the house is very loud. We were woken up throughout the night by our upstairs neighbors walking around and coming in late (not respecting the 11pm lights out rule). If you are going to rent the suite, I recommend you bring earplugs if you’re a light sleeper. We headed next door to the vineyard for dinner. The food was really good. They have a cute little deli, the menu is small but it is good. There house wines are delicious. We ordered a bottle of concord and a bottle of the blush which were both delicious. The live band, Losing Lucky, was great and very friendly. They pulled me up to sing! Ha! We will definitely be coming back.

Our little staycation at Elk Creek completely went beyond my expectations.
From the cabin to live the music to the special decorative touches throughout the vineyard, everything was high quality. The passion our tour guide had was infectious as he explained what made their winery different from most in the area.
We were afraid the wine was going to be too sweet since they website boasts a lot of fruit varieties, but they also had a handful of white and reds that were enjoyable and inspired by the owners’ California roots.
Our stay at the Lodge was quite comfortable, too. The cabin was large, as was our room that overlooked the lake and rolling hills. If you rented out the entire space, it’d be perfect for a family or special event.
Quick tips:
1) If you stay overnight, bring your own food/​snacks as their menu is limited.
2) Take your tasting outside, the view is gorgeous!
3) The website says the tours start at 3:50, when in fact it was 3:30. Be sure to double check!
Being only an hour from Louisville, you certainly should check out this place for a day trip or overnight stay. Not to mention, the drive was beautiful!

I cannot recommend this place enough. Wines are incredible (their Pinto Grigio is amazing) and their bartender, Karrina, makes every trip worth it. She truly makes a first, second time visitor feel like a regular and makes you want to come back again.

They are running out of wines! No joke. The establishment is wonderful, even a bit out of the way but worth the drive. However a «custody» battle is becoming an issue. Old owners and new potential owners are battling a sale right now that has created a grapes shortage.
Wine is good. Food is too, but again the lack of engaged ownership is impacting orders and the like for the kitchen too.
The site and location are truly beautiful. I’d had to lose this gem and am hoping the sale goes through and that new owner takes a great deal of pride in this business.

Thought the deli sandwiches were very good and definitely would eat again. I didn’t get her name but the person tending the wine bar was very friendly, informative, and helpful.

We so want to love this place, but their food leaves much to desire. The atmosphere is nice, the live music is nice, and the grounds are lovely! We are about a 45 minute drive and love to come out here to taste wines and have a nice lunch, but it always falls short. On this past visit, we couldn’t even order a pizza, because they didn’t have any crust.
When you order at the counter, you just grab a bottle of soda or water from a fridge and they send you on your way. Adding a glass of ice would add some class. I wish they would add a couple of gourmet half pound burgers, with fresh cut french fries … Which would really amp up their current offerings.
On one of our visits, I ordered the salad trio, which was to include chicken salad, shrimp salad and tuna salad served on a bed of greens with sliced tomatoes. First, there was no shrimp salad, they gave me two portions of chicken salad and one tuna salad without telling me. Next, it was served on some iceberg lettuce, with slices of Roma tomatoes. They are in the middle of farms galore, and it would be so nice to see them (especially this time of year) use fresh greens and tomatoes from some of their local farmers. I seriously doubt that they make the salads fresh, as the chicken salad tastes like something you buy from a vendor. There is no fresh chicken it, but more like processed chicken. We also ordered the Vegetable Beef soup, which also tasted like something you buy canned or frozen from a vendor.
Having been to a lot of wineries, there are just some things that they could easily do to make their offerings better, and classier.

If the patio and views were alone what I was rating, my experience would have been much improved; however, the service could not have been worse. Who knew pouring wine could take so long?

Great wine tasting options. Looking forward to our painting with wine event here too. Service and the landscape here are spectacular!

Awesome wine and atmosphere. Great place close to home to visit with friends and unwind!

I was looking forward to visiting Elk Creek Vineyards because I’m a huge fan of their Concord wine. When we arrived, we found it confusing to order food because they had menus on the tables and a menu board. The two menus didn’t match up, so we just went for what was on the menu on the table. The food we had consisted of sandwiches and chips. I thought the quality of food was much better than your average deli sandwich.
After we had lunch, we decided to do the tasting. I did the sweet tasting and for $ 6 I was I able to try 5 sweet wines. I tried the blueberry, cran-​apple, blush, blackberry merlot, and chambourin. The only wine that I really liked besides the usual concord was the blackberry merlot. We ended up settling on taking a couple of bottles of the blackberry merlot home with us.
I gave Elk Creek Vineyards three stars because I wasn’t blown away by the taste of the wines and found the setup for food to be confusing.

Gorgeous venues, there is a skeet shooting club on site and the rooms are beautiful and well done. Only drawback is how far away it is, but that is also part of the wonderful charm! So peaceful. Came here for a mini vacation, wish I had booked two nights instead of one.

This wasn’t quite the experience I was hoping for. Sort of messily set up. It was Saturday at 7 so it was very busy. You walk in and have to figure out what the whole process is. You’ll soon figure out that you’ll be waiting in line for a bit to place your order and get a number card. Then go search out a table. I snuck out of line early letting my gf order as I saw only one table left.

After she came back with our number card I had to go to the wine bar area to get us a bottle of wine. Good price to have a bottle of wine for our table $ 11. We got a cranberry Apple wine. It was lacking in flavor but not horrible (I’m no wine snob as you can see by my fruit wine choice). We both got the prime rib. A lady finds your number and brings you your food. It was okay. Not worth the price though. I’ve had better $ 18 prime rib.
I guess this is more of an order your food and take care of everything else your self. No waiters or waitress just someone that brings you your food. I don’t know where you would go to get something extra like sauce for the prime rib. Wait 20 minutes in line I guess.
They got three stars and not two because I think I was looking for more of a restaurant and they are more of a wine/​sandwich shop. Maybe if I was in a different mood or if it wasn’t prime time I would have had a better experience.

Nice and very ornate Love the sweet wine offerings. Atmosphere is very nice and would recommend going with friends.
Blueberry wine was my pick of the litter. 10.99 a bottle.
Café was meh. Out of pizza and prime rib. Guys if you’re offering a coupon with food and wine, you should be stocked for the occasion. My roast beef sandwich was cold but was told it was a hot sandwich. I was thinking wood fired pizza or something along those lines. I guess deli/​light snacks more than a full blown café.
Love the wine and would return. I would like more of a commitment to the food side but the wine and staff were spot on.

There are several locations here to review and it’s all under the same umbrella. I can only speak to two of the business’s here… the lodge and the vineyards.
The Lodge… my GF bought a Groupon to stay here for a night for us for Xmas as I am a bonafied, dyed in the wool, real deal wino. GREAT get away for wine enthusiasts from Cincy, Lexington or Louisville. Also obvious to me that for hunting fans this would be a great place to hit up.
My GF and I over compensated for the adventures we would have on the road while heading there and arrived a full THREE HOURS EARLY! I used to work in the hospitality industry. In this situation the usual response is, «Come back in three hours or spend 20% extra.» The nice lady at the desk didn’t miss a beat. She looked at her ledger and told us we were in luck and they had a room ready for us. No extra charge. No hassle. We were welcomed with open arms.
We checked in and spent an hour in the room relaxing. The room was charming. The Lodge (there are two other places on the 300 acre property to stay) is a sprawling 6 room log construction filled with hunting trophies. PETA fans, find somewhere else. It was charming and cozy. Fireplaces on the first floor great room and the bottom level «Safari» room add to the welcoming atmosphere. The Safari Room has a big screen TV and billiards table. This would be perfect for a lodge full of extroverts that wanted to party! A good time for sure.
The room was fantastic. Cozy. Nice TV. Queen bed. TALL ceilings. Great bathrooms. Warm wood construction. Balcony for every room. The freiking hand soap in the bathroom was HANDCRAFTED by a local artisan and my GF is going nuts to have Anna’s Soap ship us some of that amazing product. The little things count and right down to the French press in the room, the little things were delivered.
The Vineyard… Well of course the real test is the wine. More on that later. After we arrived and settled into our room we drove over to the vineyard for the free tour and cheese plate offered with our coupon. We sat at a table and tried a couple of the wines while waiting for the tour. First time, but not the last I can assure you, that I had Chambourcin. Springing a varietal that I’ve never tried is quite a feat and to offer me something new that I like is even more rare. Good stuff!
The tour was fantastic and the absolute highlight of the whole thing was when we entered the cellar and the scent… oh that scent… entered my nostrils. This was my first actual winery tour. Nobody had told me ahead of time that when I went into the cellar the scent of every wine that had been racked there would linger. Oh my word what a heavenly scent! If you are a wino within 500 miles of this little gem in the hills of Kentucky do yourself a favor and come just for the tour. When you smell it, you’ll agree and be glad you are there. Heaven.
After the tour we had several flights and our gratis cheese platter. We stayed and enjoyed live music and dinner. The food was good. One of the most intimate and thoroughly enjoyable evenings we’ve spent together. Great music and wine. Fantastic atmosphere. Exceptional service from a knowledgeable staff that quite frankly gives an eff about what they are doing. Romantic. Charming. Intimate. Tasty. Yes please!
While I’m not a shooter and don’t know much about it the folks that were there for the shooting seemed to be having a ball! It was like a country club for shot gun aficionados.
Little bit out of the way and hard to find. The food wasn’t the best I’ve had. The wine was good but not amazing with the exception of the Estate Cabernet which is the most perfect wine I’ve ever encountered to pair with cheddar cheese. Seriously. This stuff turns a good cheddar into a great cheddar and a great cheddar into an absolutely sublime experience. Otherwise this was the PERFECT getaway.

I will leave a 2 part review since the rooms are named the same thing as the winery. If you are going to Elk Creek, do not stay at the «resort». It’s such a rip off! $ 190/​night for a room more beat up than a standard $ 30 hotel.
Room: The room was crap. The TV didn’t work and the room was located about ½ mile from the winery. It was 26 degrees when we went so either Elk Creek expects you to drink and drive or walk to and from your room in the freezing cold. We even inquired about getting a ride or requesting a golf cart and they declined. Poor service. Everyone at the winery was drinking (obviously) and I definitely found it distasteful for a place like this not to have alternative driving options. The whole reason we booked a room was to avoid drinking and driving.
Winery: It was alright. The wine is gross. There is a reason wine from Kentucky remains unknown. Some of the other mom and pop stops were better than Elk Creek. It seems to me that the winery is separate from the lodging which is separate from the hunt club. The left hand doesn’t speak to the right hand which leaves guests feeling confused and uncertain about where to go to get questions addressed.
All in all, I am very disappointed in Elk Creek. I thought this would be a lovely upscale resort but instead it was only priced as one. This should have been a $ 50 room not a $ 190 room.
To Elk Creek Management: if you are going to price your rooms at $ 190/​night and get clientele willing to pay that much, then you should cater to their needs and prioritize customer service.

We were on our way home from Lexington and wanted to stop by. For the longest time, I’ve been wanting to visit Elk Creek Vineyards. I’ve tried their red wine a couple years back at the Cincinnati International Wine Festival and really enjoyed it.
WOW! Entered the parking lot and the first thing you noticed is an open beautiful farm in front of the building and behind the building is the drop off of the vineyard. The bottom of the hill is where they have wedding events/​events. What a gorgeous view!
We entered the building and really loved the cozy rustic feel/​décor. Very welcoming. There is a café, followed by the giftshop, bar, dining/​lounging area, live music and 2^nd floor is the gallery. They also have tours (we did not get to do it).
My friend and I wanted to do the tasting. I did the $ 9.00 red wine tasting which you can choose 5 wines.
This is what I tried:
–Cabernet Sauvignon
–Red Table Wine
–2007 Petite Syrah
–Bone Dry Red Cabernet
–Estate Cabernet
My personal favorites is the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Petite Syrah.
The staff was very friendly and attentive. I had a wine passport and Elk Creek was my last destination. As my free gift, I got the stemless wine glass (their logo on the glass).
I purchased the Cabernet Sauvignon for $ 26.99.
I also had a groupon for $ 25.00. You receive two entrees at the café, two stem wine glasses, and a bottle of wine.
I ordered the Insalata Caprisi $ 9.99– An array of fresh sliced roma tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, drizzled with aged balsamic vinaigrette and topped with fresh basicl chiffonade, served with toasted flat bread.
And last– Chrardonnay Gourmet Grilled Cheese for $ 8.99 (for my husband)
Layers of swiss, smoked gouda and havarti cheese with fresh basil and roma tomates on grilled flat bread.
I got the meals to go and went to the bar and go my wine glasses and as my bottle the Kentucky Blue Riesling ($ 16.99).
ALL the staff (café and bar) was very nice and super quick!
Before I ordered the food, we enjoyed a glass a wine on their outdoor patio. You’re view is the rolling hills of kentucky! Lovely view!
I had a great experience and would definately come back! Great quality tasting wines at a reasonable price.

Went to Elk Creek Winery to see my daughter to have lunch at her work with me, Toey, David, and Sascha. We came up to it, what a beautiful view. Got to see the rolling hills of all the grapes. So we ordered some sandwiches. Toey and I ordered the chicken sandwich, was recommended by my daughter Kri. Sensational, the chicken breast was tender and a lot of cheese melted on it. The rolls was great. Had pasta side dish and pickles. Next time I get there I’m ordering the prime rib sandwich and have dinner with some good wine.

Went here a few days ago. Loved it! Love the country drive there… seeing the vineyards as you get close… and then the warm welcome upon entering.
We ordered the Tuscan and Vineyard sandwiches. They came with chips or pasta salad and a pickle. We gave each other half our sandwich just to taste both. Both were SCRUMPTIOUS!
We also taste tested a couple red wines… decided on the Concord. It tastes just like the grape but sweet. Perfect for dessert… and perfect bottle to take home.

Just about an hours drive from Lexington, through the scenic country areas, I’ve been going to Elk Creek for several years. I first discovered their wines when they used to have the kiosk in the mall. At the kiosk, the tastings were free, but not at the winery. I opted for a tasting one time, and I can’t remember the price but I remember the pours were lacking and over priced. The bottles and glasses of wine however, are fairly inexpensive. They have some of the best Chardonnay made in KY. All of their wine prices vary but average about $ 20.
The patio is my favorite patio in KY. The view, overlooks the beautiful rolling land and rows of vines. We usually go there enjoy lunch, a cheese tray and a bottle of wine for several hours.
They host special event dinners but I haven’t been to one, I can comment in the food though. The menu mostly consists of sandwiches, soups and salads.
I can’t comment on the lodging at the Inn because I have yet to stay there, it seems like a nice weekend getaway.
The only bad thing that I have consistently experienced is the less than friendly staff. This past week, I ordered at the bar and before getting my bottle, she answered the phone and proceeded to answer the phone and answer groupon questions, the conversation lasted at least 5 minutes. The other lady behind the bar, wasn’t waiting on anyone and while just standing there, looked over at me and looked away. I promise, if I didn’t like the wine and the patio, I would not tolerate or give my business to them. They seriously need to address those issues.

So the hubs bought us a Groupon to stay at Elk Creek Vineyards for our anniversary which I was excited about. We drove in from Cincinnati where we stayed the night before, and got a little nervous. It was very off the beaten path with pretty much nothing around it so we were wondering what we were going to do after we got finished with the wine tasting. We got there at noon, and we went directly to the wine tasting since it said to check in around four. However, they were fabulous and had our room already ready. We went ahead and split a wine tasting ($ ⁵⁄₅ tastes).
The wines we tasted were pretty good, the watermelon was actually very nice. The sommelier that we had was semi-​knowledgeable about their product… what they had left of it. They had apparently sold out of a lot of it the weekend before.
After we were finished we drove to the room, which I will say was very nice. Updated, had a nice big flat screen TV. But it did have the one thing that I hate more than anything, which is a light switch to the bathroom OUTSIDE of the bathroom! But honestly, everything in the room was very nice looking.
A free cheese and cracker plate came with our room, so we had to drive back to the winery (I wish they would have given us a golf cart at least so we didn’t have to keep driving our car) to get that. It was yummy, some havarti, cheddar and blue cheese with two kinds of crackers, and we both got a glass of wine. Hubs had the blueberry and I had the blueberry Merlot, which was sweeter than I would have liked, but good. We asked when the tour was, and the sommelier said that she gives it and we’d have to wait for some water to be pumped out of somewhere which made me a little nervous.
It was going to take about 40 minutes for the tour to be ready so we went back to the room to relax for a little while after our drive. When we got back, there were some people doing a tasting, and seeing as how the sommelier was the one who was supposed to be giving us a tour, there ended up not being one. Now I will say that it’s probably mine and my husbands fault for the rest of the evening, but we’re not ones to just sit around, and since there was nothing left to do (and no tour in the foreseeable future) we honestly just left to come home. Like I said, super nice room, pretty decent wine, we just don’t like being bored (or shooting guns, as the only thing near the property was their gun range).