This week was my 13th wedding anniversary and my husband and I were fortunate enough to have received a gift card for Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurant. I had never been there before and knew nothing about it but was excited to try it. They have 8 locations (with more coming soon), and we visited the one in Indianapolis on a Tuesday evening.
Cooper's Hawk Restaurant Review
When we first entered, we passed through a gift shop with some really cute wine related gifts, including useful items like corkscrews and fun items with wine jokes and sayings on them. We were given a sample of the wine of the month. There was also a display area with all of the different wines made by Cooper's Hawk (and there are a lot–maybe 40+?) from which you could pull tags if you wanted to buy them.
We were seated quickly (we did have a reservation and probably needed it because it was fairly busy, especially for a Tuesday). We ordered wine flights, but I'll get to my wine review later. The menu was very impressive with everything from gluten free foods to a healthy menu to big steaks. Each entree listed suggested wine pairings with it. The restaurant itself was very nice but not overly stuffy or cold. We started with the monthly cheese platter, which was fantastic. Each month this changes, so it is worth it to go back and try over and over. The cheeses were like none we had ever tried before. We each then had small steaks with different side dishes (included in the price, not separate like the fancy steak restaurants in Indy) and berry cobbler for dessert. It was easily one of the best meals we have ever had in Indianapolis. But the highlight of the night was definitely the wine.
Cooper's Hawk Wine Review
Cooper Hawk Wine Flight
Our wine journey started with the samples we received at the door. We were also told that we would each get 2 free samples with our meal (our choice). My husband and I had white and red, respectively, when we first entered so we chose the opposite when we were seated. Between the 2 samples and the 2 we selected, all were very good. We then each chose a “wine flight” to go with our meal. I have been enjoying both white and red lately, so I chose 2 of each. My husband favors white wine more, so he ordered the standard white flight that was on the menu.
As you can see in the picture, the wine flights consisted of 4 different glasses, but each glass was less than half full. It was still a good price for what you received, and it was an excellent opportunity to try the many different wines. There was not a single wine that we tried that we didn't like. I was surprised to find that one of my favorites was the Malbec, especially paired with my petite filet. Toward the end of the meal, we used our second free tasting to each choose a sparkling wine. We had the Peach and the Almond. Those were probably our least favorite of all of the wines, but we were also incredibly full by that point!
Cooper's Hawk Winery Wine Club
At the end of the meal, we decided to join the Cooper's Hawk Wine Club. You pay by the month and can choose either 1 or 2 bottles a month. There are many benefits to the club including discounts on your wine purchases, special member events, and accumulating points to get gift cards. The biggest perks of the wine club are really for people who are local. You can send the wine club as a gift, but you can only send it to about 20 states and it may not be worth the price if the recipients cannot take advantage of the local perks. The quality of the wine itself is very similar to the Cellars Wine Club Premium that I reviewed a couple of months ago. I'm anxious to go back next month and receive our first bottle plus do an actual wine tasting in their tasting area (I think those were $7 a person or free if you are a 2 bottle member of the wine club).
All in all, I would absolutely recommend Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurant to anyone who enjoys a good meal paired with wine. We intend to take our out-of-town family there the next time they are here plus I am already planning a Girls' Night Out there with friends!
Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurant:
3815 E. 96th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46240
317-574-WINE (317-574-9463)
twitter: @chwinery
