Wind Down
WITH A GLASS OF FLORIDA WINE By Amanda Overstreet, Communications Coordinator
AGRITOURISM IN OUR STATE appears in many forms from corn mazes to U-Picks to wineries. Farm owners have even turned their barns into elegant wedding venues and family farms have become the destination for farm tours and field trips alike.
Fresh grapes are ready to be pressed.
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FLORIDAGRICULTURE | APRIL/MAY 2020
These innovative avenues of business have opened new doors for farmers and their families not only to maintain a successful operation but also increase public knowledge of agriculture. Located just 35 miles north of Walt Disney World and nestled in the rolling hills of Clermont, Lakeridge Winery and Vineyards has been producing grapes for wine since 1989. Charles Cox, President of Lakeridge Winery and Vineyards, said that his venture in the Florida wine industry began in Tallahassee in the early 1980s where he experimented growing grapes on just five acres. Today, Lakeridge Winery produces roughly 100,000 cases per year, or over one million bottles. “We feel that if there is one thing to point to as a factor to the success of our wine company, it would be the way we have integrated agritourism into our business plan,” Cox said. The winery offers a unique experience for all visitors hoping to taste some of Florida’s most premiere wines. Open seven days a week, Lakeridge Winery and Vineyards offers tastings, guided tours of the facility and vineyard and a unique wine and gift shop. The 127-acre estate, the largest winery in the state, attracts more than 160,000 wine enthusiasts annually. Visitors flock to the lush grounds to sample some of Florida’s most premiere wines and attend year-round festivals and events. Grape varieties grown include the native varieties of
