Visit Florida: Florida Wine Country - Jay Smith

Who loves not wine, woman and song, remains a fool his whole life long." - Martin Luther

We drink beer to party and champagne to celebrate, but we drink wine for the wine. It is an art form with its own vocabulary and rules of etiquette, ones every man should know whether he's entertaining guests in his home or dining at a fine restaurant. Wine's rich, extensive history goes back as many as 9,000 years in certain regions of China and has played a role in religious ceremonies dating back to ancient Greece and Rome and continuing on through Christian and Jewish traditions. Drinking wine in moderation has been shown to offer some positive health effects, including lowered risk of coronary heart disease (although some dispute this). Granted, wine appreciation is often associated with a level of pretentiousness, but it is a common search term chiefly because so many aspects of it are in fact rather complex and require the guidance and experience of experts. AskMen.com's wealth of articles on wine, written by aficionados, provide that extraordinary service.

It's usually California or Europe that comes to mind when thinking about visiting vineyards and sampling wines, but the next time your visit Florida, head to Florida's wine country, which thrives with active vineyards-most of them open to the public for tours and wine tasting.

The first wine made in the New World by Europeans was actually made in Florida by the French Huguenots in 1562 using wild native grapes-muscadines-and most of the modern-day wineries also use muscadines or hybrid grapes in their production.

Chatauqua Vineyards
The Chatauqua Vineyards is located at the intersection of Hwy. 331 and Interstate 10 in DeFuniak Springs. Built in 1989, it is furnished with the finest, state of the art wine-making equipment, including a press imported from Europe. The vineyard-the largest in Florida-was planted in 1979.

The Tasting Room and Retail Shop are open year round for complimentary tasting and tours to the public. For information, log on to www.chautauquawinery.com, or call 850-892-5887.

Dakotah Winery & Vineyards
The Dakotah Winery & Vineyards at 14365 NW Hwy 19, just north of Chiefland, promotes its ambience for visitors almost as highly as its wines.

A visit to Dakotah provides not only an opportunity to buy Florida wine but an opportunity for self-guided walks through the grounds while viewing the grapes, sheep, geese, wood ducks, koi fish and other species. Dakotah has an underground wine cellar and a tasting room as well as its 12 acres of vineyards and green space. For information call 352-493-9309, or log on to www.dakotahwinery.com for a virtual tour.

Eden Vineyards and Winery
Eden Vineyards and Winery-the southernmost winery in the United States-is tucked on 20 acres in the small community of Alva just east of Fort Myers.

The winery reception room is open every day from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. for tastings and sales.

Eden Vineyards is at 19709 Little Lane 10 miles east of exit 141 off I-75. For information, log on to www.edenwinery.com or call 239-728-9463.

Florida Estates Winery
Florida Estates is located on a 3,600 acre working ranch/plantation at 25241 State Road 52, four miles west of I-75 near Land -O Lakes. It is open daily from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Florida Estates Winery combines international favorites with its inventory of locally produced wines. It offers a wide variety of Florida Vinifera Hybrid wines as well as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and other well-known wines.

Picnickers are welcome. For information, log on to www.floridaestateswines.com or call 813-996-2113.

Florida Orange Groves, Inc. & Winery
Relying on Florida's native citrus rather than grapes, the Florida Orange Groves, Inc. and Winery in St. Petersburg offers Key Lime, Mango, Tangerine, Pink Grapefruit and 26 other Florida Citrus and tropical wines. The family-owned Florida wine business had its beginnings in shipping and packing fresh citrus in the early 1970s and started development of their unique wines in 1991, opening the winery in 1997.

All wines are made 100% from pure Florida citrus juices.The winery is open for tastings and tours Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 12:30 until 5 p.m. Florida Orange Groves is at 1500 Pasadena Ave. S. in St. Petersburg. For information, log on to www.floridawine.com or call 727-347-4025.

Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards
In Florida's Central Highlands, just off of the Florida Turnpike at 19239 U.S. 27 N. in Clermont, is the Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards. Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards opened its doors in February 1989, and now attracts more than 100,000 visitors each year.

Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards sits on a 127-acre estate in gently rolling countryside some 25 miles west of downtown Orlando. Lakeridge hosts a regular schedule of entertainment events, as well as daily tours and tastings. For information, call 352-394-8627 or log on to www.lakeridgewinery.com.

Monticello Vineyards & Winery
Visitors must call in advance to visit the Monticello Vineyards & Winery at 1211 Waukeenah Highway in Monticello. The north central Florida winery specializes in producing certified organic products from 13 varieties of muscadine grapes. For information, call 850-294-9463.

Rosa Fiorelli Winery, Inc.
Rosa and Antonio Fiorelli moved to Bradenton from Sicily and planted grapes as part of their backyard garden. They made wine in the garage to begin with, but the hobby that gave them a taste of the old country has turned into a business.

Now producing on ten acres of land from two buildings, visitors are welcome to learn about the art of grape growing and to sample the products. The different types of tours offered are the lunch tour and the regular tour. The lunch tour offers visitors a choice of a Stromboli or sandwich, a garden salad, and a drink. The wine is served in a Fiorelli Winery souvenir glass that is yours to take home.

For information, visit www.Fiorelliwinery.com or call 941-322-0976.

San Sebastian Winery
The nation's oldest city, St. Augustine, is the home of one of the nation's youngest wineries, San Sebastian Winery founded in 1996 at 157 King Street. San Sebastian Winery produces still wine varieties from hybrids and from varieties of Muscadines. The majority of the San Sebastian wines are sold at the winery and local and area shops and restaurants.

Tours and wine tasting, a video presentation, a gift shop and picnic area are available Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. For information, visit the website at www.sansebastianwinery.com, or call 904-826-1594.

Three Oaks Winery
In the northwest corner of Florida, near the town of Vernon just off of I-10, is the Three Oaks Winery, established in 1996. Tastings and tours are available Wednesday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. year-round except in January. Three Oaks is at 3348 Hwy 79 in Vernon. For information, call 850-535-9463 or e-mail Ibiddle@digitalexp.com.

Article provided by Homesteader