Oak Creek Vineyards & Winery

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Erik Dietrichvia Google

2 months ago

In full disclosure, we didn't try any of the wines, food (or even water). We never got the chance. The staff seemed to have other priorities than running the tasting room. I'm giving it a 2 because the ambiance was nice and they had games for our kid during our 35 minutes waiting there, for any semblance of service at all, even a simple "sorry about the improbably long wait for service, here are some waters". We arrived at about 1:45 PM on a weekday and they were fairly slow: maybe 6-7 parties against 4 employees rotating behind the bar and serving/cleaning. A server told us to grab a seat outside and that, for outside tables, the protocol was to wait until someone came by with waters and to take our order, and that there were some folks they needed to serve in front of us. Fair enough. We waited outside for about 15 minutes, playing Sorry, at which point the bugs became enough of a problem that we moved inside to keep the yellow jackets away from our 4-year old. Assuming, since people were sitting at, and ordering from, the bar, the indoor protocol was to order from the bar, my wife went to order a tasting. The server curtly told her to wait her turn and that there were "still tables in front of us." So we resumed our game of Sorry for 20 more minutes, still waiting on a water or, really, even an acknowledgement that we were customers. After a total of at least 35 minutes with no service, or even courtesy, we packed up the Sorry game, put everything back, and walked out without saying anything. The server observed us leave without saying a word, creating the distinct impression that serving customers was a major imposition for the server. I say this because during our 20 minutes inside, waiting for service, there was no sense of urgency to what anyone behind the bar was doing. 4 employees were taking turns occasionally pouring a tasting, slowly washing dishes, socializing with bar-fly regulars, socializing with each other, and generally going about their business as if they were hosting a backyard pool party for their friends (and ONLY their friends). And, honestly, that's fine if you're clear about how you do things. Maybe this place is kind of a lifestyle business where it's a hobby for the staff as much as a job. Maybe their schtick is they make each table feel as if they're the only table in the place, treating them to detailed explanations of all of the wines until they leave after a few hours. Maybe my wife somehow pissed the "wait your turn" server off by misunderstanding the "outside protocol" versus the "bar protocol." Maybe they didn't like that we brought a kid, kid's games notwithstanding. None of that's my business. Do you, Oak Creek. So I'm offering this review not so much for the place to "improve" since I doubt they care, but for other people who just spent a day in Sedona hiking, and who have 5 Verde Valley wineries to choose from. Oak Creek has a lot of good reviews on their wine and their food, so it's gotta be pretty good if you power through the invisible velvet rope for non-regulars. But unless you wouldn't mind spending all day there, I'd consider skipping this place, or at least setting a clock of "10 minutes with no water, and we bail." We went next door to Javelina Leap, which was much busier and had only one person serving the entire place, and had great tastings and snacks in under 5 minutes. Ditto with Page Springs Cellars when we went for dinner. So don't go here and get the impression, like we initially did, that the wineries in the area are so busy that you should consider yourself lucky to get a tasting.

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Mark Gosiewskivia Google

3 months ago

We’ve been Oak Creek Winery members for a little over a year, and while the wines have always been excellent, things went from great to exceptional when they brought on Abby as their chef. Her food is absolutely incredible, packed with flavor, and presented with the kind of artistry you’d expect from a Michelin-star kitchen. On top of that, Abby brings a warm, cheerful energy that makes every visit feel special. Oak Creek has always delivered fantastic wine, but Abby has elevated the entire experience. If you haven’t been recently, you’re truly missing out!

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Henry Ayalavia Google

3 months ago

Decided to stop you on the way to Sedona. The lady behind the counter was wonderful knowledgeable very friendly. I wish I would’ve catch her name. We did the wine tasting flight. Then we order the spinach artichoke. It was delicious. Will be back.

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Jimmy Kruegervia Google

3 months ago

We stopped in recently and had a good time. I tried the bolder reds flight and my wife tried the white flight. My favorite was the select Syrah. My wife liked the select Sauvignon blanc the best. We enjoyed our covered outside patio seating. They have a food truck on site and the apple fritters were delicious. The staff were friendly and informative.

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Carrie Snydervia Google

5 months ago

Absolutely loved oak creek wines! The staff was great and attentive and the wines were all great! We tried a few other local wineries and this was our favorite, going twice in our 3 days in Sedona. Highly recommend!