“Florida Wines” a wine blog by...The Green Winer

“Florida Wines”

A Wine Blog by…

The Green Winer

On this first Wine Blog in TownTaster, I thought that it might be appropriate to talk about…”Florida Wines”!

When we think of Florida, we usually think about beautiful white sand beaches, gorgeous warm weather, bountiful sunshine and delicious Florida oranges. Yes, every one of those is a true and accurate description of Florida. In the minds of most Floridians and tourists alike, Florida is defined by each of those fabulous assets. When we think of wines, however, we rarely think of Florida produced wines. It is my prediction, that in the future, Florida produced wines will be added to that list of defining assets.

What makes me say that? Well, quite simply, we now have the grape varieties that will, and do, thrive in our environment.  My wife (Lenora) and I own and operate a “Certified Florida Farm” vineyard and winery located in eastern Manatee County (Bunker Hill Vineyard and Winery  www.bunkerhillvineyard.com  ). We grow a variety of grape known as “Muscadine”. Its heritage is native to the southeast United States and it IS a fabulous grape. In order to survive and prosper in our hot and humid environment, nature endowed this grape with one of the thickest skins of any grape in the world. As it turns out, that thick skin is an asset that’s almost unbelievable. It has 40 times the anti-oxidants and 7 times the resveratrol of any grape in the world! When you make a wine with this grape, you’ve got a wine with ‘World-Class’ potential!

Every type of wine that we currently enjoy can be made from varieties of this grape. Reds, Whites, Rose’, Blush and even Sparkling wines are being made by Florida wineries.

Currently, there are approx. 33 Florida Farm Wineries within the State of Florida. To obtain a list of these Florida wineries, go to the “Florida Department of agriculture and Consumer Services” web site at http://www.florida-agriculture.com/consumers/wineries.htm

A recent action by our Florida legislature will do much to encourage the growth of our Florida wine industry. By changing the rules to include sustainable agriculture (nature produced grapes, fruits and berries) and Florida grown fruits and vegetables, more environmentally conscience wineries will enter the Florida wine scene. The result should be more and more diverse wines for us to enjoy.

So, in the future, when you’re thinking about wine, please consider Florida Wines.

Thank you…’salute and happy days’!

 If you have any comments or questions on this Blog or suggestions for future Blogs, please email me at BunkerHillVine@aol.com.