State fair awards show Florida wines coming of age

When it comes to Florida beverages, it's orange juice that first comes to mind. As for wine from the Sunshine State, most people tend to think of the sweet, syrupy ones made from citrus and sold as novelties in souvenir shops.

But palatable wines made by enterprising and diverse vintners are on the rise in the state, as evidenced by the recent Florida State Fair wine competition.

As you might expect, some of the enterprises came about through necessity.

"We were in citrus," says Vince Shook, co-owner of Florida Orange Groves in St. Petersburg and producer of the fair's Best of Show Sparkling Blueberry Wine. "It was a great business to be in, but as the economy changed, we knew we needed a year-round business going forward, and that was making wine with citrus from our groves."

Despite other fruit growers telling him he couldn't succeed, Mr. Shook started making citrus wines 12 years ago. Today the company produces 35 wines, including blueberry, mango, banana and pineapple.

It was much the same scenario at Vino Florida in John's Pass at Madeira Beach. The business began as a T-shirt shop, says Matthew Powers, the owner's son, but needed a way to stand out from the myriad tourist shops nearby.

PHOTO BY JIM MCCRACKEN Keel & Curley Strawberry Riesling Wine Spritzer. "It started as a corner of the store and expanded until now we only sell wines, gourmet foods and cigars," says Mr. Powers, who's been making wine for a mere eight months. He began with fruit wines, but his reserve merlot, his first red, captured a Best of Show at the state fair. He buys grapes from Lodi, Calif., and creates a traditional grape-based wine.

Joe Keel of Keel & Curley Winery is a blueberry farmer in Plant City. Faced with a lot of leftover fruit that couldn't be sold at the retail level, he says, "I was looking for a use other than giving it to my neighbor's cow." In 2003, he started experimenting in his kitchen, making blueberry wines until he developed a product he liked.

Keel & Curley now produces 10 wines: three made with blueberries, several containing grapes from California, Oregon and Canada, and some that mix grapes and other fruits. This year's prizewinners were fusion wines, blended with grapes and fruit juices, Mr. Keel says.

One winner, the Key West Key Lime, is made with a couple of grape varieties, plus Key lime and a touch of other citrus. The winery's Strawberry Riesling contains Plant City strawberries and British Columbian Riesling juice.

Charles Cox of San Sebastian Winery in St. Augustine asked his winemaker to produce this year's prize-winning port as a traditional wine for the city with Spanish roots. The family runs this winery as well as Lakeridge Winery in Clermont. "We only use grapes, which makes us different from all the other Florida wineries," Mr. Cox says.

Jeannie Burgess, winemaker for the two vineyards, says the San Sebastian port uses two red grape varieties based on the Muscatine grape. The process of making port takes away some of the traditional native grape flavors.

All of the wine producers believe consumers need to sample Florida wines for themselves.

"They're not all the same," says Mr. Shook. "Our fruit wines are 100 percent fruit, so not only do they have an authentic taste, when you cook with them the flavor is not diluted or changed, as sometimes happens with wines flavored with fruit."

According to Mr. Powers, "These fruit wines are not like Boone's Farm and other flavored wines from years gone by. They have an intensity of flavor." He suggests blending Key Lime Sauvignon Blanc in a blender with crushed ice, and serving it as a margarita with a salted rim. "Our wines are all about the Florida style of living, just sun and fun."

Many Florida wines are available at ABC Liquors, Total Wine, Publix, Sam's Club and Wal-Mart. They also can be ordered from the wineries.

Wine picks of the week

Here are some of the great wines I sampled at the recent 2009 Southwest Florida Wine and Food Fest:

>>Ponzi Rosato Pinot Noir 2007: Fresh, elegant berry nose with crisp raspberry and citrus fruit flavors and great color. Priced about $20. >>B. R. Cohn Chardonnay Sonoma County 2007: Big nose with pear and apple notes and flavors with a little citrus and a touch of oak. Crisp and clean, priced about $24. >>Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2004: Another great cabernet from this year's signature vintner, the just-released 2004 vintage starts with a complex fruity nose and a dark ruby color. Soft and supple with plum and spice flavors and a lingering finish. About $100.

>>Caldwell Vineyard Rocket Science 2004: Dark and intense garnet color with black cherry and black raspberry flavors leading to a long velvety finish. About $50.