Deer roam freely on the farms of the West End and quickly developed an appetite for grapes. To keep them away from his crops, Dominic installed 9,000 feet of nine-gauge copper wire underground, which created an invisible electric fence. He then got two dogs and put their food at one end of the property and their water at the other, forcing them to patrol the entire grounds. The dogs take the same clockwise course every day and instinctively chase any deer they see. The orange flags indicating the boundary are enough to stop the dogs.
Big Creek grows varieties of grapes from France, Italy, Germany, Hungary and Russia.
Big Creek Vineyard is open for free tours of the grounds Monday through Thursday from 1 to 5 PM, Friday and Saturday from 1 to 7 PM and Sunday from 2 to 5 PM throughout the year. Pa. Highway 534 W., go 0.1 mile to Beltzville Road, then 1.3 miles to Keller Road. Turn left onto Keller Road and go 0.3 mile to the second driveway on the left. Cherry Valley Vineyards Lower Cherry Valley Rd. Upon arriving at Cherry Valley Vineyards, visitors usually are immediately impressed by the beautiful property.