Our Story
Brandywine Creek’s founder, Dr. Gene Baker, was a family physician for over 35 years. His practice was built around the community that he cared for. After his retirement in 2017, Dr. Baker returned to his love of farming by cultivating a small vineyard on his Shelby County homestead. Over time, his small operation evolved into two commercial vineyards spanning five acres of homegrown grapes. In 2018, Dr. Baker renovated his former office into a renowned tasting room reminiscent of something you’d find in the Smoky Mountains.
Every August through September, members of the surrounding community join Dr. Baker to harvest each of the vineyards by hand. Once harvested, the grapes begin their journey through crushing, pressing, fermentation, and bottling processes - as they make their way to the tasting room shelves. Though the winemaking process is very labor intensive, Brandywine Creek is proud of it’s award-winning wines and the personal touch that goes into each and every bottle. You’ll see familiar faces from around the neighborhood working and volunteering at the winery on a regular basis.
Brandywine Creek owns and operates five acres of lush vineyards that produce twelve tons of grapes annually, yielding over 2,500 cases of wine. In addition to it’s two vineyards, Brandywine Creek operates a public tasting room just outside of Indianapolis where customers can sample 18 different varietals. During the Summer months, wine lovers of all ages enjoy relaxing afternoons on the outdoor patio nestled among the grape vines. The tasting room is open year-round, Wednesday through Sunday and regularly hosts live music and special events.
Today, that same community that Baker cared for now drives for miles to enjoy his hand-crafted Shelby County estate wines.