Farm Winery Experience
| January 30, 2009 | Posted by Tom under Wine |
Florida has about 30 wineries that we know of. They are all different and each has its unique characteristics and particular style of wine. That is, I’m sure, why touring Florida wineries can be such an enlightening journey. Not only will you be able to experience many types and flavors, of wine and people, but you will discover the significance of a Florida Farm Winery.
Farm Wineries are agricultural operations that grow products for wine making, harvest these products, make wine from them then sell them at a retail shop that is open to the public at least 30 hours a week. Most of the Farm Wineries are small family run businesses that carry on a great agricultural tradition in our state. They have involved their livelihood in a sustainable value-added agriculture business that is growing and has a semi-sweet to sweet future in Florida.
Most of the Farm Wineries make wine from grapes grown in Florida but there are some that make wine from many other products, like tropical & citrus fruit, tomatoes, blueberries and even carrots. These crops of wine producing commodities represent maintained agricultural land. We can plant only one crop of houses on our land or plant crops of a naturally renewable resource that can create wine and many other high demand consumer products year after year. Most people will agree that a winery and a retail shop with 20 acres of a wine making commodity makes a more pleasent site than 60 houses or a strip mall on the same 20 acres.
During the pleasing task of learning more about Florida wines by traveling the Florida Farm Winery map you will be supporting local business while tasting the flavor of the land from people who love working it. Is there anything better for wine lovers than to drink hand made wine at the winery where it was produced?
Visit Florida Wineries on line here:
http://www.florida-agriculture.com/consumers/wineries.htm
I took an ag tour several years ago that visited one of the wineries. I tasted 5 or 6 of the tropical fruit wines and I have to say I liked these wines so much I have given them as gifts several times.
T. D.