This gem near Bloomington is in South Central Indiana's small wine region. There are several good, local wineries in this area. This one, however, rocketed to the top of our list among Hoosier wineries whose products we have tried. Not only was the wine a treat, the experience of the visit was also memorable. The facility was very nice, from the impressive external landscaping to the lovely wine shop/tasting bar to the relaxing garden-patio-themed dining area. We visited with the intention of just doing a tasting but ended up having a light lunch along with that tasting. We were glad that we did as the charcuterie board that we ordered was terrific with olives, naan, hummus, chips, cucumbers and more. It was enough to be shareable. But the highlight was still the wine. We also shared the flight as we did not want to overdo it. We tried the Peach Sangrini, Peach Pie, Lemon Moscato, Raspberry Espresso and Sweet Red Lime. All were good but I'd have to say that the standouts to me were the Lemon Moscato, which was refreshing and tasty, and the Sweet Red Lime which delivered what the name implied with a citrusy, lightly sweet flavor. The prices were not bad as I thought it was a good value for what we received. I would be remiss if I did not also note that the service was top-notch. Our server was efficient, attentive and knowledgeable. The greeter was also pleasant and welcoming. It is likewise noteworthy that we had our 8-month-old granddaughter with us, and it was greatly appreciated that they offered a family-friendly experience that accommodated her as well. Our daughter and son-in-law live in Indy, so this place is just an hour or so away. We'll look forward to the next time we can visit as there are several other varieties of wine that appear to be worth trying. read more

See all

Went on a tour here and loved it! It was a gorgeous day so walking from building to building was nice and easy. The lady who lead the tour was kind and super informative. The wine is absolutely delicious and the even if you do not do the tour, it is worth going!! read more

Oliver Winery - Wineries Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

See all

If you are a sweet wine fan, you will not regret visiting! Prices were extremely reasonable. Some exclusive flavors are not found anywhere else but at their winery. We did the reserved tour and reserved picnic, as the reserved wine tastings were only for weekdays. The tour comes with a souvenir logo wine glass to use as you get a total of seven tastings throughout the tour. Our tour guide, Linda, was very knowledgeable and gave us some excellent recommendations based on our wine preferences. You get to explore different parts of the winery (indoors & outdoors). The reserved picnic comes with a variety of yummy snacks (cheese, spreads, meats, dessert, crackers, baguette, etc.) and a plastic souvenir logo tumbler. The picnic only allows up to four people per reservation, but I would recommend making it more of a solo or couple experience. Wine bottles, glasses, and flights are not included in the purchase of the picnic experience, but they make it very easy for you to order. There is also guaranteed seating with the picnic reservation, which was nice as it started pouring while we were there. I will definitely be back for another picnic experience and stock up on their exclusive flavors. My new favorites include the Blueberry Moscato, Blood Orange Spritz, Lavender Cucumber Chill, Peach Pie, and Creekbend Catawba. read more

Oliver Winery - Picnic Reservation for 2 - Wineries Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

See all

Love it so much. Beautiful. Relaxing. And the wine is great too! Staff is wonderful. Grounds are gorgeous. read more

See all

We did the wine tasting experience in the cellar. It was a little chilly when we went. We also paid extra for the tasting plates. This was the most fun experience :) even for people who aren't big on wine. There's something for everyone. Even if you don't care for the wine, it's a fun experience to participate in. Amy favorite was their espresso raspberry experimental wine. Funky and different. I love that! We bought a bottle to enjoy at home. I also appreciate how affordable the wine is at Oliver. read more

Oliver Winery - Reserved wine tasting - Wineries Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

See all

The winery has beautiful grounds and is dog friendly. You can have 6 tastings inside or enjoy your tasting outside. They offer pilot wines that are not available anywhere else. It's worth the drive and a fun experience to try new flavors. A wine I had to try was the blood orange spritz so good I bought a bottle. The raspberry espresso was also a favorite. read more

See all

We love coming here. Great for a mid day trip from Indy and the ambiance is awesome for a nice day out. Love the staff and e recommend flavors that have been added in the flights. read more

Oliver Winery - Wine flight - Wineries Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

See all

We visited on a Friday in the late afternoon. The wait for a table on the terrace was about 30 minutes. No problem, we just walked around the lake and a while. The grounds are like a leisurely walk in the woods. Picnic tables are dotted around the property at a first come first served basis. The shop has snacks for sale, and lots of wine for purchase. Self guided (read: choose your own) flights of 5 tastes are $15. Lots to choose from, especially on the sweeter side. My favorite was the Cosmoberry. Will I visit again? Without a doubt. Cheers! read more

See all

Overall, a good winery. They seem to be a well oiled machine and VERY popular. I was hoping to get a more personalized experience but there was just so many people it was difficult. They had a wide array of wines and even cider! They offer pretty affordable wine and there's lots of scenery to explore outside. read more

Oliver Winery - Wineries Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

See all

They are a shell of their former self under the Oliver family. If you are into fruit wine that's about all they have. You can't call them on the telephone anymore unless you want to dial around the phone tree in an attempt to talk to a human being. Good luck! It is just a shame that they have made this beautiful property a pain to visit, talk to and buy from. I used to give them my corporate business but not anymore. read more

We went on the winery tour with Kathy. It was wonderful! So much fun on a pretty day. We learned about the family and the wine-making process and got to tour behind the scenes. I got a great discount as I was designated driver and got a nice lemonade instead of wine. Very interesting tour and Kathy made it fun. The grounds are gorgeous and you can hang out after. My whole family really enjoyed it. read more

We love your wines, but the big problem is opening the bottles. When you used corks everything was fine, but the change to the screw was a mistake. Now removing the top is quite the project, it takes two people and a pair of pliers. I'm afraid the bottle will break at some point and hurt someone. Please remedy this problem. Thank you read more

Not much needs to be explained about Oliver Winery...It is the best! Great wines! Great atmosphere, inside and outside! Fun tasting option! Excellent cheese, cracker, charcuterie type options in their fridge. Try the Vignoles, it's a great whites that you don't see many places. Have your camera ready, it's such a gem in Bloomington!!! read more

It's Oliver's 50 Year Anniversary, with a dream founded by Law Professor Oliver. I came here as the beginning to my investigation of Wine Wednesdays in Bloomington. It's harvest time so very exciting! I Started off my Reserved Wine Tasting (~$20) with delicious sea salt Spanish almonds, Manchego Cheese, Dried cherries and apricots with four kinds of Greek olives, and a cheese ball of Goat cheese, cream cheese, honey, slivered almonds, and dried cherries, Tasting Food was only a additional $6. We were on the deck with 4 small groups. I tried the Dry Flight with Sauvignon Blanc 2021, Creek-bend III 2021, Creekbend Chambourcin Rose 2021, dry red blend 2020, Zinfandel 2019, and an American Riesling 2021. The Sauvignon Blanc was light and a bit earthy with citrus but not as much as a New Zealand wine. Creekbend III is grown here with complex dry tropical notes with a hint of vanilla. I really enjoyed this interesting local wine. The Rose was extremely dry with strong berry notes. The Dry Red Blend has a blend of Cabernet & Syrah with dark cherry aromas and time in an Oak barrel to lighten the bitterness. Their Zinfandel smells of berries & cinnamon with long legs. It pairs nicely with spicy foods due to its warm mouth feel. Lastly I finished with a Washington state semi-sweet Riesling with strong floral notes and versatile tastes of apple. They sold an astonishing 786K cases of wine in 46 states in 2021! I miss the vibes when they were family owned but understand the desire to sell to corporate owners for some wine makers. read more

See all

So here is the process - wait for a table - no service - get paper pick wines - wait in a ridiculous line to hand off your wine selection and pay - only two registers This is the stupidest and most inefficient setup of any winery I've been to, including paying 150 for a wine tasting in Napa read more

Oliver Winery - Ridiculous line for no reason - Wineries Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

I went here back in February for a wine and chocolate tasting. I've only been here once before and only did a build your own flight. This time around, we got to sit in one of the distilling rooms and I will say, it was pretty chilly the entire time. For the tasting, we got 6 different wines paired with 6 different chocolates. All of the wines were pretty good but the chocolates were a little different. Definitely not your typical type of chocolates, more exotic and decadent truffles. After the tasting, we did sit outside on the heated patio. We split a chocolate board and oh my was that delicious! I also got a glass of the cherry moscato which is my favorite. Overall, I probably wouldn't do a special tasting again but would definitely go back to do my own tasting and sampling. read more

See all

A very relaxed and beautiful place. This winery sits near Bloomington in a pretty open space and offers lots of shopping and wine tasting. We did the flight wine tastings ( 5 choices of your choice or pre designed flights). Some were better than others but all were well made wines. Some special creekside wines made only from grapes grown locally. Also a colts special red wine. 4 choices of pre designed flights and the a make your own flight. All took place in a nice covered porch area. And nestled in a beautiful wooded area. So relaxing and nice. The servers were friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. A really nice relaxing adult experience. They also have a room where you can buy a bottle and sit and enjoy as well as a tasting bar where the bartender explains each of the wines and curates a tasting experience that fits you needs. Then there is a big shop offering all the options and so much more. read more

See all

Went to this winery over the weekend to celebrate a friend's birthday. There were wine tastings, but before that we had a picnic lunch that was paid for ahead of time along with wine flights. The picnic was wonderful, but to be honest I wasn't overly thrilled with any of the wines I had that day. However, I have to say that the surroundings were absolutely gorgeous with amazing landscaping, picnic tables and water features. It was so relaxing! The servers were great as well. To be fair, some of the girls there said that they like and have bought some of their wines that I didn't taste that day. read more

See all

Stopped in on Saturday for a tasting around 5:00. The place was extremely busy due to IU's graduates all over the place. They even had a red carpet rolled out for them. We were greeted by the most amazing hostess Nicole at the bar area, she was so extremely friendly and knowledgeable of all the different wines that we tasted. A person like Nicole is exactly who you want interacting with your customers, she even talked us into joining the Wine Clubs. :) THANK YOU NICOLE for being so NICE & FUN!! read more

Did the Halloween candy and wine pairing. The server was knowledge and efficient with service, and was more than happy to swap out any candy for food allergies. Sitting outside was delightful and all staff was happy to help serve and keep everyone happy read more

Oliver Winery - Front of building - Wineries Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

See all

Three of us tried to sit inside, so we put our name on the list. Hostess told us it would be 45 minute wait and they would text us when a table was available. So we bought a bottle of wine to share while we waited. After an hour and no text we checked with hostess and she told us that somehow they lost our place but we could go in now. How does a hostess lose us??? She took our name and phone number to text us. read more

Oliver Winery - More waiting. - Wineries Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

We have gone to many wineries and this one is now one of our favorites. The fall decor was awesome- hundreds of pumpkins. We were told that the owner grows them. The wines I tried were all very good. And I was able to get a few bottles on sale. read more

We've been to Oliver many times over the years, but yesterday was the first time we tried the reserved tasting experience! Our hostess Bridgette was absolutely wonderful! I asked a lot of questions, but she seemed to never tire of my endless inquiries! The wine was delicious... and it was nice to be able to try some new flavors! It was a little chilly in our seating area initially, but she was able to turn up our heater... and I think the wine might have helped too... lol! read more

See all

Reserve a table! The chocolate fondue was a Good addition! My reviews of the drinks I tried: Creekbend lll - Not bad for a dry wine Colts Collection Rose - good flavor, would try again Ginger Apple Fizz - Subtle but good, would try again Beanblossom Peach Hard Cider - my might be my fave, so so good Moscato - just moscato, not a bad choice Sweet Red Lime - it's giving Welch's grape juice Lemon Moscato - nothing special but the flavor is fine Blackberry - good, I enjoyed it Creekbend Catawba - strawberry is heavy but very very good read more

See all

I don't normally start off my Yelp reviews by bragging about my wine certifications, but just for context, I am a Certified Wine Specialist and have passed the WSET level 3 wine certification. So it is hard for me to appreciate most Indiana wines. (Yes, I may be a bit of a wine snob.) Oliver is in a class of its own among Indiana wineries. Yes, they have the Oliver Soft Red and other sweet wines, as they should, because that's what a lot of people around here like to drink. But they also have some seriously good dry wines. The Creekbend III and Reserve Shiraz are fantastic, high quality dry wines. And that's not to say I'm against sweet wines. Oliver's tawny "port-style" wine rivals some actual Ports I've had. Today we did their new "Harvest Tour" which includes a vineyard walk and tasting grapes straight from the vine and then tasting the wines made from those grapes. It was a very fun and unique addition to the standard winery tour and tasting. I have spent a good amount of time studying wines and how to evaluate quality, and I would say without a doubt that Oliver is the best winery in the state and among the best in the entire Midwest region. read more

See all

I haven't been to Oliver in several years and stopped in after shopping in Bloomington with a friend. The grounds are beautiful and on a nice (warmer!) day a picnic out by the pond would be a nice afternoon out. We visited several wineries and something that set Oliver apart was their process and presentation. Our wine flights were generous and served in little carafes with glasses. This is an especially nice touch after doing tastings from little plastic cups. And it was nice to share wines that we wanted but didn't have room for in our own flight! However, this slowed us down and since we arrived later in the afternoon, we closed the place- To the point where an employee told us we had to chug the rest of our wine and go. This was really the only unpleasant part of our visit but you can't really blame them for that. read more

Oliver Winery - Cute landscaping near the entrance - Wineries Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

See all

This winery venue is fantastic! Unlike a lot of Indiana wineries they offer several dry wines that I like a lot. They are very helpful selecting wines for tasting and they put together great gift baskets during the holidays. The outdoor patio and land around the pound is perfect for drinking a bottle after you buy one! read more

Oliver Winery can be a Wonderful location I appreciate the ambiance, & I love the grounds surrounding the winery. Many of my friends have worked there & repot that they like the way it is run. read more

Oliver is a Bloomington classic. Fall is one of my favorite times to visit. Whether you're in the mood to do a formal tasting or pack a blanket for a picnic, Oliver has the means to provide either. If you have people visiting from out of town, bring them here! The landscaping is vibrant and well thought out. If you choose to do a tasting, you may want to make a reservation ahead of time, especially on weekends, otherwise you will have to wait for a table. I recommend eating before you come, the food gets pricey. And by food, I mean the refrigerator section with different cheeses and such- think charcuterie board. They have pre-made flights or you can wing it and make your own mix. Last time I was there, they actually brought me the wrong flight, but when I mentioned it to them they promptly brought me out the correct one, and let me keep both. It made for a biiiiig headache later, we'll just say that. (They're pretty sugary wines!) Some of my favorites, though, include: soft red lime, blueberry moscato, and camelot mead. Right now I know that they have a special Halloween/fall pairing. I haven't done it yet, but they pair popular candies with different wines. Something fun to do if you're coming in town for homecoming! As they say- stay for the day! read more

My wife loves the Oliver sweet wines. This place is absolutely beautiful. The grounds and the tasting room were awesome. She tried a couple new flavors and bought a couple bottles before we left. Super friendly staff. read more

My initial review of Oliver Winery was five stars. Until our visit on 4/17/21, our visits here were always stellar and enjoyable. My husband and I have always been huge fans of the wine and the top-notch customer service. Well, sadly, pleasing customers no longer appears to be a top priority. After driving two hours to get here, while visiting Indy for a soccer tournament, we were told that tastings were by reservation only. I understand that precautions are needed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but other wineries have figured out how to safely allow tastings in this era of a "new normal." But Oliver sadly has not. If I were you, I would check out nearby Butler Winery and Vineyards. They have a selection of dry, semi-dry and sweet wines,.and you do not need a reservation. Just show up, and a host of friendly staff will be happy to serve you. If you plan to visit Oliver Winery in the near future, I suggest that you book at least a week in advance, especially if planning a visit om the weekend. I'm very disappointed in Oliver Winery. I honestly cannot say when (of if) we will attempt to return. read more

We came down to Oliver for a fun girls day out. During covid, their wine tastings look a little different but it was nice to be able to make a reservation ahead of time & know you had a table waiting for you. Cons: you don't get to choose which wines you try and also it is $20 instead of $6. We had a lady lead our group and it was semi-boring / hard to pay attention. The wine was good though! We got a table on the patio afterwards and were there during the next tasting & sounded like their male host of the hour was a lot more entertaining & interactive with the crowd. For the tasting, again it is preset and they serve 2 at a time after telling you a little of each wine. At our table, we had 2 do the dry tasting and 2 do sweet. The first 3 dries were not enjoyable but I feel like that is common with Indiana wines. The last 3 were ok. I did the sweet tasting- I really enjoyed the creekbend Catawba & white zin. They let us do a bonus sample which was the apple pie- good flavor but I think it would be way better warm. After the tasting we went and got some snacks & 2 bottles to share. The grounds are beautiful and it was a nice afternoon to relax with our favorites from the tasting. We took advantage of the 20% off offer to buy 12 or more bottles & brought some home. I do appreciate getting to find more wines I like since I know which ones to get from the store as well when I can't make it down to the winery. read more

Oliver Winery - Preset up tasting area - Wineries Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

We booked a tour here on a Saturday in August and it was a perfect way to spend the day. For a reasonable price, we were able to sample nearly 20 wines! The tour guide was knowledgeable and passionate about the business, answering all of our questions throughly. While on tour, we were able to taste six wines. At the end of the tour you are led to a tasting room where each person selects four additional wines to sample. Between two people, you can cover a lot of their wine offerings this way! At the end, you are welcome to sit on an exclusive patio and enjoy snacks and you guessed it, more wine. If you attend a tour and then buy a case of wine, you get a $15 rebate which for us worked out to about 2 free bottles! Worth your time to get here. read more

Beautiful winery!! Came here for my birthday and as a surprise, my fiance bought me a picnic basket that they offer. You get a TON of cheese, bread, and fruit!! We also had a wine sampler to try all their yummy wines (although their sweet lime red will always be my favorite!!) You get a table for two hours with this picnic reservation, which is plenty of time. They have a beautiful seating area that overlooks a pond. In the tasting room, there is also a gift shop that you can buy their wine, wine home decor, and even food from local vendors. We bought some "boozy bourbon bacon bbq sauce" and it is AMAZING. Can't wait to come back here for a tour!! Definitely don't skip this place!! read more

Oliver Winery - Picnic! - Wineries Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Had an amazing time here! Decided to surprise my fiancé with a cute picnic date and he had no idea we were headed there until I told him the morning of. We arrived a little before our scheduled picnic (I ordered the pre-made picnic for 2), so went to the tasting room for samples. It was a bit of a wait since it was a Saturday with a live band outside, but once we started the tasting we enjoyed every sample! After picking a favorite (Catawba), we bought 2 bottles then headed outside for our picnic lunch. The basket and setup was perfect! Complete with a checkered picnic tablecloth, we had a cute basket filled with delicious food - grapes, an assortment of meats and cheeses, spread, bread, olives and other goodies. We finished just about everything, and our bottles, which made for an entertaining lunch lol! We loved our first time at Oliver and would do it again and recommend to others! Definitely book a picnic beforehand if you can, it's nice how they put together everything and it's well worth the value! On our next visit we would love to do the winery tour! read more

See all

Came to the Oliver Winery with some friends to celebrate my 30th birthday and completely forgot how much I LOVE Oliver wine. We ordered a few bottles and some food and sat outside to enjoy. The staff was very attentive and the day was absolutely beautiful! It's nice that they have different flavors of wine there that you wouldn't normal get at retail. One of the bottles of wine we got was the lemon moscato which we thoroughly enjoyed. The only suggestion I would have is that they maybe offer better cutlery because we bought a few blocks of cheese and all they had was a plastic knife. But overall was a wonderful experience! read more

Oliver Winery - Wineries Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

I have so many fond memories here. This winery is a great place to come with family and friends. The place is beautiful especially in the fall. In some of the pictures I shared you can see the pumpkin fall decor and the lovely nature in the background. They have seasonal wines as well such as the apple pie wine during the fall which I love. They have some charcuterie snacks that they sell insides as well. You can have picnics outside, have a wine tour and even do a wine tasting which is fun :) they have a lot of parking areas and many places to set up a picnic. Definitely check this place out when you're heading to Bloomington. read more

See all

We stopped by Oliver Winery on our way to Bloomington, IN. The hillside was beautiful, especially on warm sunny days! There were a lot of sweet wines to choose from. My favorite ones were the blueberry and cherry moscatos. They were delicious, unique, and very reasonably priced! They were taking COVID-19 precautions when we were there end of April/early May 2021. Wines were served in plastic cups and everyone inside the winery had their masks on. We did not do any tastings and did not make any reservations. We walked in, the staff were friendly and greeted us at the door to show us the wine menu. We each ordered a glass on wine served in plastic cups and sat by the hillside. read more

I've been to wineries from France to Nashville and never have I seen such a incredible ridiculous process -not only do you need wait for a table, you can't order at table -instead you get a printout and wait in a ridiculous line to hand off your wine selection and pay I'm going to avoid this from now on read more

Oliver Winery - Crazy line out the door - Wineries Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Beautiful property. Some of the wine was good but nothing really stood out for us today. I will say that we are pretty spoiled since we live in Northern California and close to many wineries. There were some pretty good wines that we tasted but nothing that we wanted to purchase. If you are looking for a nice place to visit with plenty of wines to choose from then you should stop by for a tasting. Reasonably priced tasting and they have plenty of food to buy and it looks like you can reserve a table and select a charcuterie board to go with your wine read more