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    5 months ago

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    Bunker Hill Vineyard & Winery

    Bunker Hill Vineyard & Winery

    (35 reviews)

    $$

    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.

    Grape Expectations - From the parking lot

    Grape Expectations

    (18 reviews)

    $

    Walking through the storefront entrance, wasn't expecting the level of sophistication inside…read more There is a working piano to the left when you walk in. The bar is on the right. And there are plenty of tables to sit. I think there were some ladies playing the Chinese domino game, it starts with an "m". Got to meet the owner Ray and he picked out a fantastic Cab for me, it was the Story Storypoint Cab out of California. Later I also had the Martin Ray and in my opinion it was not as good, but it was a heavier mouth feel and it had layers to it. They have a piano player Wednesday and Saturday. He shows up around 6pm. So they have free slasa and chips in the back corner most nights. On Tuesday the have tacos. And Tuesday there are meatballs. On Friday they have Karaoke around 7. If you like wine, or you are an enthusiast, this would be a great place to visit if you find yourself in Winter Haven Florida. They have buy one glass 2nd half price. If you buy a bottle and stay, it is a $15 corkage fee. We kind of did the math and depending on the pour, and their pours are generous, it is cheaper to buy by the glass. When you visit they your own math gymnastics. Bottom line, Grape Expectations, the wine is great. The service is exceptionally better. And if you like a mellow vibe with great wine. You won't be disappointed in this stop. Finally, shout out to Terra, between her and Ray we had such a great time. CAN'T WAIT TO COME BACK!

    Small wine bar in a strip mall. Food service premade snack trays. Limited seating. Very cluttered.read more

    Keel Farms

    Keel Farms

    (856 reviews)

    $$

    Went here for the Blueberry Festival! A lot of the event was super lively; people could shop from…read morevendors, pick blueberries, drink blueberry adjacent wines and beers, and have foods with a blueberry twist on them. Luckily there was a lot of outdoor seating, so it wasn't too difficult to find a seat. I ended up getting the sweet blueberry wine, blueberry flatbread (had caramelized onions, arugula, and prosciutto with a blueberries glaze drizzle), and the blueberry shortcake. The wine was lightly sweet and not dry. The blueberry flatbread tasted more of the caramelized onions and the blueberry drizzle added a little hint of sweetness and tartness. My favorite though was the blueberry shortcake. It was soft and the blueberry compote was absolutely delicious. Although it was rich, it didn't feel heavy. I wish I had gotten another slice. In general, I've been here before and it's nice and cozy inside with great service! I love trying all the flavors available with their wine and beer flights (some are seasonal). Honestly, sometimes I buy their wine by the bottle in stores because it's actually just that good.

    Continues to be my favorite winery around. Made reservations with hubs to have a wine lunch then…read morestrawberry shortcake down the road. We chose to sit out on the patio. Service was great and so was the food. I got the sangria and the wine burger. Hubs got the tacos. Love their French fries too! The crispiness and the seasoning on them is just plain good. The wine burger was delicious and probably my fav entree they have.

    Sugar Sand - winetastingroom - Updated May 2026

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