Awesome experience again at Coopers Hawk! Friendly…read morefaces...good wine and sometimes an education...fine food and top notch service. Thanks Gloria for such excellent service

We love that Cooper's Hawk is right down the road from our place in Sarasota. A great happy hour…read moreand a wonderful selection of wines. They have a lot of really great small plates to share as well as solid entree options. We enjoy it so much that we joined their wine club that includes monthly tastings and monthly bottles of wine. If you're a frequent visitor the club pays for itself. Great lively atmosphere and service.

First time visiting Keel Farms and overall, we had a good experience!…read more I really liked the atmosphere. They have both indoor and outdoor seating, and we chose to sit outside where the live music was playing. It was comfortable and well ventilated, and as the evening went on, it actually cooled down nicely. They have live music on the weekends, but I thought the volume was just right -- we could still easily carry on a conversation without having to talk over the music. I ordered the NA Rose, which I thought was delicious! It was a little on the sweeter side for me, but I still really enjoyed it. For an appetizer, I got the Southern Board and it was SO good! There were several delicious options, and I especially enjoyed all the pickled items. It was very plentiful and definitely shareable, but honestly, there was enough that it could easily be a meal on its own. For my main, I ordered the Keel Salad. I really enjoyed it, and the pork belly was such a good addition and made it a little different from your typical grilled chicken Cobb salad. The vegetables were fresh, and I would definitely order this again. The only downside for us was the wait for our food. We waited well over an hour for our entrees. Our waiter was good about keeping us updated and explained that the kitchen/tickets were backed up. He continued to reassure us that our food was coming, which I appreciated. We did get our appetizer first, but there was still a pretty long wait before our mains came out. That being said, I really enjoyed the food, atmosphere, outdoor seating, and live music. Hopefully the long wait was just an unusually busy night because I would definitely come back and give Keel Farms another try!

We had a really great time here! We didn't have a full grasp on all the options before we showed up…read morebut man there is a lot! We ended up doing wine tasting with Marshall and also a tour with Ryan and both of those experiences were great. They definitely get very busy so if you plan to eat there make a reservation.

My family and I stopped her on our way from the central Florida to SW Florida. It's a small,…read morelocally owned winery. The space is beautiful. They have a large outdoor area with a playground for kids and lots of tables. There is a small bar inside, and they are renovating more interior space for additional seating for the hot summer months. The wines are overall pretty tasty. They only grow muscadine grapes on the property and import other grapes from California and elsewhere. They have a selection of drier wines all the way to the sweet fruit wines. They also offer wine sorbets. My husband and I each got a wine flight of 4 wines for $18. I forgot how big the pours were but they were a decent size. They also offer wine tasting experience of 6 wines, smaller pours, that lasts 45 minutes. They have a small section of food. We got the pimento cheese and crackers, the cheese was delicious. They also had popsicles and ice cream, which my kids enjoyed. We got three bottles of wine to take home with us! We love supporting our Florida wineries! Also, our bartender Shelley was fantastic! Very personable and knowledgeable.

Ryan and I had the most magical experience getting married at Fiorelli Winery from start to finish!…read moreThis was the first venue we toured when deciding on where to get married and we never looked back. Kristin is absolutely amazing in everyway! She is the owner, wedding coordinator extraordinaire and overall such a warm, welcoming human that made our day come to life in the most beautiful way! The execution was flawless, the venue was lush and gorgeous and the wine is out of this world. I would highly recommend Fiorelli for a wedding and/or any special event. We go back often to have a glass of wine at the venue because we love it that much. Thank you Kristin and the whole Fiorelli team for making our vision a Disney reality!

If you're a wine lover and enjoy free tastings, Florida Orange Groves Winery is definitely worth a…read morevisit. This location offers a huge variety of wines made right on-site, with unique flavors like key lime, peach, strawberry, passion fruit, and more. Their Hurricane wine is their bestseller and for good reason. I did the tasting flight with 4 flavors for $17, and it was a great way to sample different wines. They also offer complimentary tastings, wine slushies, flavorful spreads, and cute trinkets throughout the shop. There's even a cozy lounge area in the back where you can relax and enjoy your drinks. The customer service was excellent, and the staff was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable about all the wines. I make it a point to stop by every time I'm in the area. Bonus: you can also order wines for shipping directly from their website

I absolutely loved the Florida Orange Groves Winery. The customer service was top-tier. We stopped…read morein after the beach and decided to stick around for the wine tasting that was starting shortly. We got to try several different Florida wines that are made in house at the winery. Some of my faves were the hurricane and I enjoyed each one of the wine slushy's including the strawberry banana, the hurricane, and the best of all was the orange Creamsicle slushy. I decided to purchase some of the orange Creamsicle wine slushy mix to take home and make orange Creamsicle mocktails and received some of the cute little wine bottle greeting cards. They also have military discount.

We went here for a wine tasting, but were immediately told "you're gonna have to give me 20…read moreminutes" upon walking in. Nice to meet you too. We would have been happy to call ahead for a tasting but the website didn't say that we should (or needed to), and we were definitely visiting in the recommended 'walk-in tasting' times. Even though we didn't exactly get a warm welcome (there was also a table of people who looked at us strangely as we walked in) we would have been ok with waiting except that we had a three year old with us and this is DEFINITELY NOT SOMEPLACE YOU WANT TO BRING A YOUNG CHILD. Beautiful but fragile stuff at easily reachable areas all over the tightly packed space. Also this is a winery in a sketchily empty strip mall. We were very disappointed, especially after reading all the great reviews. Oh well, we'll spend our money at a nicer and friendlier establishment.

This was a hidden treasure! John was a great host. He educated me on wine tasting and had a few…read morerecipes for us to try later. My husband and loved talking to John! One of the friendliest people we have met on our vacation so far.

We love Bonnell's. They are both so sweet, helpful and the BEST vitamin C & hydrologic acid EVER…read more Truly worth the price. I have not found anything as good as her products. Lenora

Just had a fantastic facial with Lisa. She's been doing my skin since I moved to the Venice area…read more Professional who knows exactly what is needed to maintain beautiful skin. My spa experience is always a joy and something I look forward to. Looking for a great new look in makeup? Lisa has worked with all major companies such as Chanel, La Prairie, and Guerlain. With more than 40 years of experience in keeping people beautiful, I trust my face and skin to her. Debi

Bunker Hill Vineyard in Parrish is such a quaint little gem! We discovered it on our way to the…read moreStrawberry Festival and are so glad we stopped. It's a small, family-owned spot with such a warm, welcoming feel. The owners were incredibly friendly and made the whole experience even better. We even donated about six of our used wine bottles to them, which made it feel fun and personal in a unique way. They offer wine tastings, and the wines themselves feel clean, light, and thoughtfully made. Definitely a hidden local find worth visiting!

TL;DR - I was totally blown away by this hidden gem. There's no other way to describe this…read moreexperience. Let's just say I learned a lot about Bunker Hill Vineyard & Winery. I also had the pleasure of meeting the husband and wife duo that makes all of these Florida grown products. They made this experience so much fun. All you need to know is that their natural wines, jellies, and jams were all amazing. There's something for everyone here. So, I decided to take a different route back to Brandon from Ellenton just so that I could try these wines. It was an easy drive on US-301 as I made my way to Wauchula Rd. This is where the adventure started for me. It's a 2 lane road with a speed limit of 60 MPH that takes you past farm lands and phosphate mines. I honestly felt like I was lost in the middle of nowhere. Thank goodness for GPS. I pretty much knew that Bunker Hill Road would be coming up soon after passing Lake Parrish, and there it was. The winery is across the street and to the left of the fork in the road. There's plenty of parking in front of it along rows of grape vines. At that point, I was just happy that I found it. I didn't really get a chance to explore around the vineyard. Lenora found me in front of the farm winery accessory building where the wine tasting would begin. That's when I also met Larry as they invited me inside the tasting room. What a cool set up they have! It's inside of what looks like a heavily insulated Quonset hut. Larry explained the differences between unfiltered and filtered wine. Honestly, I didn't know there was a difference. It raised so many questions, and actually made me aware of all the additives that are placed into manufactured wines during the filtering process. Some that I have actually been sensitive to in the past. It was interesting to hear about their process, and even the way they recycle their bottles and jelly jars. They are truly sustainable. What I also noticed is that most (if not all) of their wines are vegan. I'm not vegan, so it's not something that I usually look for. I just didn't know that animal proteins are commonly used in the process of making wine. It's all very interesting. Let's talk about the wine tasting. There's a list of medium dry, dry, and sparkling wines. I made my selections from the list of medium dry wines. I did take some suggestions from them, and I'm so glad that I did. Otherwise, I would have never tried the Bamboo Herbal Tea or Dandelion Flower Petal. Just open your mind to all the possibilities. Your palate will thank you later. There are fruit, vegetable, flower, coffee, tea, and even bamboo wines. I think I saw rice wine as well. If it has grape, then it's the muscadine variety. If you want a mixture, then I totally suggest the Strawberry/Grape wine. This one was one of my favorites. I was also in love with the Guava wine. The same goes for the jam. It's insanely wonderful. You can get it with or without the seeds. I wanted to buy all of the ones on my list. I ended up getting six 12 oz. bottles so that I could share them with my husband. He was just as amazed as I was with his samples of wine. The flavors are so clear and with such a great color and aroma. There was no unpleasant after taste, and it wasn't overly sweet like other Florida fruit wines that I've tasted. I didn't get that wine headache which usually happens with red wines. I guess I'm just sensitive to something in it. I also sampled Lenora's Bamboo Leaf Herbal Tea. It was so refreshing! What a great way to end the tasting. Anyway, I tried 6 different samples for $6. They are truly just a sample. Don't expect to get full size glasses. It's not a wine bar. However, you can purchase a charcuterie platter if you call 24 hours in advance of your tasting. They'll have it ready for you. Once you do the first wine tasting, the other tastings will be complimentary when you return. That's when I plan on trying the vegetable wines. There is one that actually tastes like a salad. I didn't get to try the coffee wine, but I did sample the coffee wine jelly. It was actually very good. The starfruit wine jelly is even better. I can't wait to go back. Hopefully my husband will come along with me next time. I think he would love sampling the wines and jellies. I didn't really get to see the rest of the vineyard this time around. Maybe next time. Thank you Larry & Lenora for making it such an informative & fun experience.

What a hidden gem just off US19 in Clearwater that I am so glad I discovered…read more I have done two different fun craft classes here. This was the first time I ordered Sangria and the Winery Sampler Charcuterie plate. The Winery Sampler and the Blueberry Sangria were so perfect and delicious. I was taking an awesome Creative Resin-nations craft class and was able to bring my food and drink in to the back room while I worked. There was a list of all the fun events coming up at the bar like lots of different Bingo and craft classes. I can't wait to come back for the Wine-O Bingo night. I also saw that they have Winery and Tasting Tour. Aspirations Winery is such a fun place to check out for a girls night out or date night!

Hubs surprised me with a day date wine tasting and tour. We were their first tasting of the day and…read moregot there when they opened. Greeted by friendly staff and the owner. The tasting included our choice of 3 wines each and a cheese and cracker app each, plus a tour of their facility. The samplings are full glasses and the wine is so good! My fav was the Poolside red. I loved that it's sweet red but not overly sweet. So smooth and free of preservatives so I didn't get the wine headache. Ended up going home with 7 bottles. Great place and we will be back and I'll definitely be restocking.

Green Apple Delight wine from Gilded Grape is like a subtle apple cider and it's DELICIOUS!!read more

Okay, they were out of several vintages. They were out of cheese and crackers. They had just…read morere'orged their whole business. I wasn't expecting much. I'd just moved south from the heart of VA wine country, not a snob, but used to a certain wine experience. This was different: so fun, comfortable, friendly and informative. Loved every minute (and we stayed a while) of the afternoon. Go give them your support and enjoy your own time with the owners. They have a lot to share.

I really enjoy going to Fine Wines and Tastings on Main St in Lakewood Ranch. Scott and his mom…read morehave created a wonderful atmosphere for buy wine by the bottle or by the glass. They have a revolving selection of well known and under the radar wines for you to enjoy. They also offer a small selection of fantastic light snacks to eat while sipping good wine. Additionally, they have a couple of beers and seltzers. If you find yourself wanting a nice glass of wine, please give Fine Wines and Tastings a chance. I promise you will love it.

One of my favorites while living down in SRQ.. has the best selection, pricing, staff, and light…read morebites (charcuterie board, and popcorn with balsamic!) Craig was very helpful in selecting wines based on what we told him we were looking for. They also host wine walks every few months that are Halloween themed, spring, etc., and they are amazing!! Absolutely recommend for a glass, or a few, alone or with friends/family.