FLORIDA - A Taste of the USA

FLORIDA WINERIES

A century before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock; three hundred years before California became a state; wine was being made in Florida. "Florida" was the name given by Spanish explorers in recognition of the state's beautiful fruits and flowers. And among that rich vegetation, lush native grapevines were discovered on Florida's east coast. Following the lead of the French, Spanish settlers harvested the wild grapes; and, applying the same traditions of their homeland, converted Florida's wild muscadine into the first American wine.

Through the centuries, Florida's rich soils and rolling hills have supported both vineyards and wine making. The success of muscadine wine is the byproduct of Old World traditions and new world production methods. The muscadine; it evokes memories of sleepy summer afternoons in the deep south. Smooth, aromatic and nostalgic muscadine wines are a southern specialty produced nowhere else on earth.

Total number of Wineries in Florida (2008): 51

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FLORIDA ORANGE GROVE WINERY
1500 Pasadena Ave. S.
St. Petersburg, FL 33707
Phone: (800) 338-7923
Website: floridawine.com/

Who We Are: Florida Orange Groves Winery, is a family owned Florida Farm Winery that had it's beginnings in shipping and packing fresh citrus in the early 1970's in St. Petersburg, Florida. Our location eventually grew to include retail sales of fresh squeezed juice and a gift shop. Armed with determination and a dream reminiscent of many Florida pioneers, our family started development of our unique wines in 1991.

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EDEN VINEYARDS & WINERY
19709 Little Lane
Alva, FL 33920
Phone: (239) 728-9463
Website: edenwinery.com

Who We Are: The Kiser family began planting of fine wine grapes in southwest Florida over thirty years ago. Their purpose, to see if they could grow the grapes that produce the fine wines of the world; Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Sangiovese and others. They learned that although the grapes would grow, after only a few years they would begin to die. The culprit was Pierces Disease, a little known condition that attacked the vitis vinifera species.