When Lori and Kirk Thibault decided to tap in to the state and local wine market, they did just that — tapped in, literally.

The Thibaults own Ashton Creek Vineyard, a 5,000-case-a-year operation conveniently located between Richmond and Chester on Jefferson Davis Highway.

Open for two years, Ashton Creek offers something few other wineries in the state do: wine on tap. Eight wines are available for tasting on tap (or through bottle sales), including a steel-fermented, oaked-aged and delicious chardonnay; a semi-dry riesling; a spicy chambourcin; and a malbec dominated by black cherry flavors.

The decision to use taps was logical, Lori Thibault said.

“We were doing research on wineries across the country and read that West Coast wineries were adopting wines on tap,” she said. “We thought it was a great idea. It just makes perfect sense.