A popular Oxford winery known for hosting concerts and weddings was slapped with a stop sale on raw fish and hit with administrative complaints during a recent health inspection.

Whispering Oaks Winery, located at 10934 N. County Road 475, was visited by a health inspector on Thursday, June 4. The routine inspection resulted in five high-priority, six intermediate, and eight basic violations, prompting the inspector to mandate a follow-up visit.

The most severe infraction involved 19 packages of raw tuna that had been completely thawed inside their reduced-oxygen packaging in a reach-in cooler. Because the packaging explicitly stated that the fish must be removed prior to thawing, the inspector issued a stop sale on the tuna. According to the report, this was a repeat violation that triggered an administrative complaint.

The inspector also cited the winery for high-priority cross-contamination risks, noting that raw shell eggs were stored above ketchup packets, and a bag of frozen raw beef was resting directly on top of frozen vegetables. Another high-priority violation was issued after bottles of bleach and perfume were found stored directly beside pitchers and packs of crackers near the kitchen’s pass-through window. Staff members corrected the storage issues while the inspector was on-site.

Additionally, a live fly was spotted flying in the front of the kitchen.

The establishment also faced scrutiny over its staff training. The winery was hit with a second administrative complaint because it could not provide proof of manager certification for “Chef Paul”—a repeat violation from a previous inspection in March. The inspector also noted that the food manager certification for another employee had expired in March 2024, and the facility could not provide proof of required state-approved food handler training for any of its current employees.

Other notable violations found during the inspection included:

  • A can opener blade soiled with old food debris (a repeat violation).

  • Water leaking onto the lids of food pans inside a walk-in cooler.

  • A pot of soup that was not properly date-marked.

  • Cracked floor tiles throughout the kitchen.

  • Three outdoor trash cans missing lids, and a grease dumpster sitting directly on the grass rather than a proper nonabsorbent pad.

Whispering Oaks Winery remains open for business but will require a follow-up inspection from the state to ensure the ongoing violations are brought into compliance.