Florida Living: 10 Facts About Florida Wines

by Vanessa Caceres

Florida may not be foremost in your mind when you think about winemaking and wine drinking—but there are several good reasons why you may want to give the Sunshine State a second thought when happy hour rolls around.

Florida has a surprisingly brisk winemaking business. Florida actually ranked fifth in the United States in 2008 for wine production, following California, New York, Washington, and Oregon, according to federal government data.

Florida wines are likely garnering more attention because of a growing interest in sweeter varieties such as moscato and Riesling (although these varieties aren’t associated with Florida wines). Florida-produced wines frequently are made from the native muscadine grapes and tend to be sweeter. However, many Florida wineries also make drier varieties that you can try.

Here are a few more reasons why Florida’s wine business is more impressive than you might think.

1. The first production of wine in the United States actually took place in Florida, long before winemaking famously began in California. French settlers in Fort Caroline near what is now Jacksonville made the first U.S. production of wine with local Scuppernong and muscadine grapes. If you visit the historical city of St. Augustine, you’ll likely hear about this first winemaking event, which took place relatively close to the city.

2. One of Florida’s wineries is among the top 15 in size for wineries on the U.S. East Coast. Lakeridge Winery in Clermont is the largest in the state and holds an annual grape stomping celebration as well as other special events, including a wine and chocolate festival (yum). As of about a year ago, the winery produced 1.5 million bottles annually and 25,000 bottles a day. Its Clermont-based warehouse stores 600,000 bottles at a time. San Sebastian Winery in St. Augustine is owned by Lakeridge Winery. Lakeridge Winery has a selection of about 10 wines that range from a dry cuvee noir reserve (similar to a merlot) to a richly sweet Proprietor’s Reserve (a dessert wine), to its best sellers, the Southern Red and Southern White, which are both sweeter.

3. Florida has 21 certified farm wineries, meaning that 60% or more of the products used to make the wines come from within the state. To be certified by the state’s Department of Agriculture, these wineries also must operate a vineyard and be open for tours at least 30 hours a week.

4. Some people are surprised to find out that Florida even has a wine industry. Lakeridge vp of winemaking operations Jeanne Burgess has worked in the industry for 32 years and still meets people who say they did not know that there are wineries in Florida.

5. Wine growers use hybrids—hybrid grapes, not cars. The muscadine grapes used often in Florida wines are native to the area and can better withstand the heat and humidity than other kinds of grapes. Although you can grow other kinds of grapes in Florida, they require more care, Burgess said. Some winemakers in the state use hybrid varieties of muscadines with other grapes to produce the drier wines they have for sale.

6. The muscadine grapes used in many Florida wines are full of antioxidants. Lakeridge Winery sells a supersweet muscadine juice by the bottle or case.

7. Florida has its share of novelty wines. Perhaps because of the state’s strong connection with agriculture, you can find your share of wines made from oranges, key limes, pineapple, mango, sweet potato, lemon, blueberries, strawberries, and more. If you want to try blueberry or strawberry wines, a leader in the local market is Keel & Curley Winery in Plant City. You can visit the winery for a fun tour and tasting, but you can also find its wines at a number of Publix supermarkets and other grocery stores. If the novelty wines pique your interest more, head on over to Florida Orange Groves and Winery in St. Petersburg, which has more than 40 varieties of wine “flavors.” You can also take a scenic rural drive to Bunker Hill Vineyard and Winery in the tiny town of Duette. Bunker Hill has muscadine varieties and changes out its novelty fruit-based wines by the season.

8. With so many unique wines to choose from, here are some you might want to consider from Florida Orange Groves Winery. Hurricane Class 5, their best seller, is a white sangria with tropical fruit flavors. Key Limen is another popular flavor—it’s very key limey and makes you think of a margarita. Mango Mamma uses Florida mangoes and surprise, surprise, tastes like mango. Other flavors among many include Cocoa Beach (orange chocolate), Orange Blossom Honey (very sweet), Hot Sun (a tomato wine), and Midnight Sun, which mixes orange and coffee in a tasty blend.

9. The Southernmost winery in the United States is located in Homestead, just south of Miami. Schnebly Redland’s Winery has unique varieties such as mango, guava, carombola, lychee, and even a wine called Cat 2 Hurricane White made from avocado and coconut. The winery offers tours and tastings both of its wine and craft-brewed beer.

10. Looking for something to do this weekend? Check out the events going on at the state’s wineries located near you. In addition to tastings, many wineries are holding concerts and special events to lure more customers. Some can even be rented for catered events or weddings. Keel & Curley Winery and Florida Orange Groves and Winery have both used the social media site Groupon to (successfully) attract more business.

About the Author

Vanessa Caceres is an award-winning freelance journalist and editor. She writes about Florida travel, food, and culture for her blog http://floridaculture.wordpress.com and as a columnist for the Central Florida Agri-Leader newspaper. She began to write about Florida after moving to the state from the Washington, D.C., area in 2009. She also has a background in medical, business, and education writing. For more information or to talk about your writing and editing needs, email her at vcaceres28@gmail.com.