How far in advance should I book my party?

That’s a question we get a lot. The best answer we can give is – provide us with as much advance time as possible.

For instance, if you want a June wedding reception (our most popular month), six months out is a good time frame. Same goes for booking a holiday party. The earlier the better – especially for much sought after Friday and Saturday nights in December. They go early.

The good news is that Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering can  provide information about the best time and days of the week for parties, “bar flow,” and other details that will help you and your guests take maximum advantage of our venue.

Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering has fantastic ideas for themed parties and events at Finley Creek Vineyards, too. Give us some ideas to get us moving in the right direction, and we’ll be happy to spin out everything from ethnic foods to theme color-coordinated appetizers, bands, PA systems, lighting, signage…stuff you may not have even considered.

When you book a party with us, you get the best food and service...and the best planning, too.

Let’s plan a great evening together!

- Jacquie

 

 

Every day is Earth Day at Finley Creek Vineyards!

This month’s Earth Day celebration (Sunday, April 22nd) is all about honoring our planet by celebrating the amazing diversity of life around our lovely state and beyond, and getting in touch with nature’s bounty.

It’s also about protecting our environment through education, recycling, and support of sustainable, environmentally sound practices, as we do at Finley Creek Vineyards.

Owned and run by Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering, Finley Creek Vineyards supports responsible Indiana farms by purchasing from sustainable and non-GMO, organic farmers across the state. We use locally sourced organic meats from Indiana farmers as much as we possibly can, too.

The Buff Oprington

Jacquie Bols, owner of Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering, is a fan of sustainable farm-to-table, environmentally conscious practices. “Not only does organic, sustainably raised meat and produce have a superior taste,” says Jacquie, “but the practice supports responsible farmers who choose to raise their crops and animals sustainably rather than mass-produce them on factory farms.”

And now that Finley Creek Vineyards raises several breeds of chickens, we have a steady supply of organic, all natural chicken right in our own backyard. Fresh eggs, too.

Since we recycle at Finley Creek, you’ll notice we never use plastic stirrers or straws at our events. No plastic plates or cups either.

As a part of that sustainability, we recently added three bee colonies to the grounds of our Finley Creek Vineyards. As the hybrid bees get settled in, they will be pollinating produce and flowers on nearby Zionsville farms, as well as producing honey for us. Our plan is to use the honey for baking, and eventually, we will offer it for purchase.

Our next addition to Finley Creek will be Tea Cup pigs, which will eat leftover food from our events (lucky pigs!)

“I’m confident I’m giving my customers safe, quality food,” Jacquie continued. “That’s something that’s incredibly important to me, and I believe it’s something my clients value and support as well.”

Celebrate the earth and sustainability with us every day, and with every event -- at Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering and Finley Creek Vineyards.

 

 

 

Finley Creek is buzzing with excitement!

Russian hybrid bees are the newest fans of Finley Creek Vineyards, the lovely destination for Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering parties.

Located in Zionsville at 795 S. US 421, Finley Creek is charming, romantic, rustic, and the perfect place to host a wedding reception, family reunion, company picnic or corporate retreat.

It’s also the perfect place to start a colony of Russian hybrid bees, and we’re all a-buzz about our new residents!

Our Russian honeybees (Apis mellifera) originated from the Primorshky Krai region of Russia. The strain was imported into the United States in 1997 in response to severe declines in bee populations caused by infestations of parasitic mites. Russian honeybees are resistant to mites, so the bees have hybridized with American honeybees and improved American bee colonies, resulting in healthier bees, and producing more honey.

When you visit Finley Creek’s grounds, you’ll notice we have added three vertical stackable-framed hives.

These lovely handmade wooden hives are a sort of honeybee brood nest, where our Russian hybrids will congregate, take care of their families, and produce honey. This type of framed hive simplifies honey collection since a “box” of honey can be removed from the stack without upsetting the bees in the entire hive.

Will our bees bother our guests? Absolutely not. They are way too busy working to pollinate the flowers and vegetable plants nearby – (and hopefully very soon, our vineyard flowers.)

It takes a lot of bee energy to produce honey, too. You’ll see we have placed our hives in the back of our extensive property. Our bee keepers will be able to access the honey our bees produce later this season. We’ll be using the honey in our farm-to-table organic baking. We can’t wait for you to taste the results!

Our hope is that as our bee colony succeeds and grows, we will be able to sell our all-natural, locally produced Finley Creek honey and honey-made desserts to the public.

Bee on the lookout for interesting bee updates from Finley Creek Vineyards!

 

ILEA thows a lovely luncheon together with ABC -- at our Finley Creek Vineyards

Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering is proud of our newest event site, our own Finley Creek Vineyards in Zionsville.

The vibe at Finley Creek is relaxed yet chic, and the food, naturally, is always fabulous – as it is prepared by Jacquie’s gourmet team of professionals.

Last week, ILEA, the International Live Events Association, partnered with the Association of Bridal Consultants to host a terrific luncheon at Finley Creek that included renowned wedding consultant Sasha Souza of California.

Jacquie pulled out all the stops for the luncheon, attended by 150 folks. We kicked off the luncheon with some of our favorite hors d’ouevres, which were all met with approval:

The salads were colorful and crisp:

And then, the main course:

Braised Indiana-raised Pork Tenderloin from This Old Farm stuffed with Fig and Pancetta. Served with French Puy Lentils, Haricot Vert Bundles, Butternut Squash Chutney, Vincotto, and Micro Ruby Radish Greens, it looked as fresh and savory as it tasted!

There was also a yummy vegan entrée: 
Cilantro Potato Cake toped with King Trumpet, Mushrooms with Roasted Corn Salsa, and Roasted Red Pepper Puree, Garnished with Micro Ruby Radish Greens.

Which… leaves the dessert (which nobody left alone!)

Our Dutch Apple Baby with Salted Caramel Gelato was met with universal approval. A lovely finish to a great gathering.

Because this was a celebration, there was a self-serve Glug Station featuring Cinnamon Sticks, Cream, and Nutmeg.

There was also a signature gin drink for the occasion, created especially for the group by Hotel Tango, plus red and white wine, soda, Hibiscus iced tea, and lemonade.

Industry experts have give Finley Creek Vineyard their 'air kiss' of approval. Be sure to check us out for you next event!