Katie Machol
Perfect if:
The end of your work day means the beginning of Happy Hour.
You're a committed locavore.
The brand names Bud Light and Barefoot Wine can never be uttered in your presence.
Itinerary: Drink!
We may not be Napa Valley, but wine production in the state has grown significantly in the past few decades — thanks to the Florida Muscadine grape — and many of our wineries have since produced some award-winning blends. The winemakers have an open door policy and are eager to share their production methods and give tours (and free samples) to curious visitors.
Begin your bacchanalian journey at Florida Estates Winery, a 3,600-acre working plantation located in the heart of Land O' Lakes that produces a wide variety of Florida Vinifera Hybrid wines. The winery also offers more traditional vino — Chardonnay, Merlot, Carmenere — from its sister vineyard in Chile, as well as educational wine classes. 25241 S.R. 52, Land O Lakes, 813-996-2113, floridaestateswines.com
Next stop: Keel & Curley Winery. Just off I-4 in Plant City, Keel & Curley is best known for utilizing the blueberries that grow in abundance on its farm to make a variety of blueberry wines and wine blends. Besides tours and tastings, Keel & Curley also throws a shindig every Friday night on the property with live music, food and drink specials. 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City, 813-752-9100, keelandcurleywinery.com
Finally, head to Florida Orange Groves & Winery in Pasadena, which specializes in ultra-premium tropical, citrus, berry and even vegetable wines. With an array of interesting flavors like Key Lime, Blueberry, and 40 Karat (carrot), you're bound to find at least one that strikes your fancy. While most purists don't consider these products "wine" per se, they're a hit with fans of candy-sweet wines and non-red drinkers and make for some great sangria and wine coolers. 1500 Pasadena Ave. S, St. Pete, 727-347-4025, floridawine.com
If your beverage of choice isn't wine but beer, then hop aboard the Tampa Bay Brew Bus for a day full of frothy fun at local breweries and brew pubs around Tampa Bay and Central Florida. Once a month, TBBB takes beer geeks on an all-inclusive bus trip to various breweries — Dunedin Brewery, St. Somewhere in Tarpon, Orlando Brewing Company, to name a few — to taste their one-of-a-kind suds. The tours begin and end at Cigar City Brewing, beer and lunch along the trip are included and, best of all, there's craft beer on tap in the bus. Because drinking and riding is totally legal, right? Visit Cigar City's website for more information and book early, because seats sell out quickly. 3924 W. Spruce St., Tampa, 813-466-8642, tampabaybrewbus.com
But wait! Your LIBATIONcation's not over till you have a late-night artisanal cocktail or three. You could do the rounds in St. Pete, starting with the charming mixologists at Mandarin Hide (231 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-231-4007, mandarinhide.com), moving on to Manhattans and jazz at Ruby's Elixir (15 Third St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-898-7829), then finishing off with a Skinny Bitch Margarita at Z Grille (104 2nd Street South, 727-822-9600, zgrille.net). Or head across the Bay to see what the supreme mixmasters of SideBern's (2208 W. Morrison Ave., Tampa, 813-258-2233, sideberns.com) are up to — and then finish at the most atmospheric spot for a nightcap in Tampa Bay, the shadowy-cool Ciro's Speakeasy (2109 Bayshore Blvd., Tampa, 813-251-0022), where there really is a Prohibition-style peephole in the door and the bartenders are so accomplished they even work wonders with ice.
Lodging
St. Pete Beach is just over the bridge from Florida Orange Groves, so you have your pick of the beach hotels. Head south on Gulf Boulevard to the Don CeSar Beach Resort (3400 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, 727-360-1881, loewshotels.com/en/Don-CeSar-Beach-Resort) for a ritzy end to your 'cation. If you're not passed out on a beach chair by dinnertime, dine downstairs at Maritana Grille to sample the fresh, gourmet seafood and handcrafted cocktails. If you're in the mood for more casual digs, head to the Postcard Inn (6300 Gulf Blvd, St. Pete Beach, 800-875-2347, postcardinn.com). Each room is unique, decked out in beachy surfer style, and faces onto the open courtyard where you can relax with a drink in hand under the trees or by the beach bar. A platter of ribs from the onsite Wildwood BBQ & Burger restaurant is sure to help ward off any lingering hangover.
Vino veritas
Muscadine grapes have been used for making commercial fine wines and port wines since the 16th century in and around St. Augustine, Florida.
Florida Orange Groves & Winery's wines are the only Florida-produced wines with the Florida Department of Citrus' official mark of superior quality.
Studies have shown that moderate drinkers have fewer heart attacks and are generally less likely to suffer strokes, diabetes, arthritis, enlarged prostate, dementia, and several major cancers. I'll drink to that!
OR…
If you believe that alcohol is sinful and wine should only be drunk during religious rituals, try the … PRAYcation!
This article appears in May 12-18, 2011.