A big “Thank You” goes out to John Haughey, contributing writer for the Tampa Bay Business Observer for his excellent article on the current state of the Florida wine industry .
John caught up with me in September when I was on the road, and I was able to add a few thoughts to his note pad. Drawing from my own experiences writing Florida Wine Country Guide to North Florida Wineries, I was able to give him a couple of quotes based on my research.
You can read John’s entire article here: Quench the Thirst, October 20, 2017.
For me the big take away is the variety of wines made in Florida. There seems to be something for everyone’s taste, and wine makers are using their skills and ingenuity to create new flavors and blends. This is what I found while traveling across the state over the past two years.
Another thing I’ve found over years of wine travel is that wine is personal. What I like may not be what you like. There are those who would presume to tell you what you should dink. I remember when heavily oaked Chardonnay was the trend. Once at a wine tasting, a friend commented that you could get splinters drinking a particular wine. Today, fruiter Chardonnays are more the norm, but there is still room for oak.
As Florida continues to find it’s way down the vineyard path, we can all enjoy the liquid fruits of the winemakers labors. Meanwhile, thanks to great media coverage like this, more people will know what we know already; that there’s nothing so fine, as Florida wine.
Happy wine trails!
Southern Wine Trails 
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