Lakeridge Winery; Tour, tastings, store offer plenty for the wine lover to explore

Written by Rori on 24 February 2012

Lakeridge Winery brings a touch of Tuscany and wisp of Napa to the rolling hills of Central Florida. Photo Rori Paul

Florida isn’t often thought of by those of the Wine Set. Yet as more and more “common folk” discover that wine is all about taste and enjoyment over snooty-stereotypes, entering the world of grapes and wines with increasing numbers, so too are folks discovering that Florida offers up a range of tasty delights. Lakeridge Winery in Clermont, about 20 minutes drive from the Orlando attractions, is Central Florida’s offering in the wine-world.

While plenty of fine establishments bring to the table wine from the vine, Lakeridge is a full-on winery, with bottling on site, a store and tasting area, and brings to Florida’s tables and stores some very fine offerings.

The award winning Lakeridge Winery offers up a range of wines for visitors and wine lovers at a good price with great flavors. Photo Rori Paul

For those who cannot make the journey to these rolling hills and greens stretches leading up to the winery, Lakeridge wines can be found in a number of stores including Publix and Target. Stop by and look for the cream color label with the Lakeridge name, and grab up their most popular wine; Southern Red. This sweeter and smooth Red is our favorite and can usually be found in our home’s fridge. A Southern White is also tasty, and can be found as easily as the Red on area shelves. Other types might not show up as easily, but may be out there.

For those who can’t make any such trip, Lakeridge Winery allows you to buy online.

Visit Lakeridge for a tour and tasting or stop by to pick up some bottles and other items, and enjoy a tasting too. Photo Rori Paul

Lakeridge Tours and Tastings
For those who do travel to the Western edge of the area’s attraction world, soon leaving the bright lights and overly done-up tourism mecca, they’ll find themselves in rolling hillside and green stretches that harken to old Florida, when roadside attractions were the norm and Walt Disney World was the new kid on the block.

This is farming country, albeit a changing one, with citrus fields still dotting the landscape in ever decreasing fashion. Soon these hills will no longer be alive with the smells of orange blossoms, but for those of us who still treasure this rich and rewarding rural offering, this is still a taste to treasure.

Humor and grape-harmony go hand-in-hand with the Lakeridge offerings. Photo Rori Paul

Clermont is a charming and changing area, growing as the fields leave, with a suburban feel filtering in, but the old-school warmth still at work. Travel past the burgeoning strip malls and if you come from that direction, Showcase of Citrus (another area favorite we recommend as a must-do) and find Lakeridge on the edge of a hill, overlooking the area from its still majestic location on top.

The view has changed over the years, and maybe you won’t notice what’s come into place, honing in on the fields of vines at the ready – sometimes ready for next season, sometimes ready for rest, sometimes ready for harvest.

These grapes will soon be picked and bottled on-site, a winery tour showing you how things are done Central Florida style, with the fruits of their labor not only on sale in the winery store, but a tasting room letting you try-before-you-buy. All of the Lakeridge offerings will be found here, letting you decide exactly which bottles to take home.

Grab a wine & food plate for your next party or wine tasting. Photo Rori Paul

Upstairs and at the end of your tour, or for those stopping by, you too can enjoy the tastings, you’re privilege will include a number of samples of both red and white with a bubbly addition on the menu. There are a range of flavors for a range of palates and while we have a few we don’t lean towards, and a few we would put in the middle of our list of likes-dislikes, there are at least 3 or 4 we’d easily partake and take home at any time.

Pricing is good for the general drinker, and most will find that a bottle or two are easy to afford, while those who wish to indulge in more will usually find a nice deal to be had for larger purchases.

Lakeridge Winery Store
Lakeridge is all about the wine drinker – of any level – with a range of offerings to adorn the at-home kitchen, bar or entertainment area. Grab up an umbrella that looks like a wine bottle, a battle cut down for candles, shirts and hats, and many other items that will tempt your wine-loving side.

Show off your wine-love anytime - or rainy time - with this bottle-umbrella. Photo Rori Paul

We find the store to be our great weakness, but fun to explore. There are many items here we’ll eventually add to our collection; we have our eye on a few things already. And for those who need gear to get the bottles open and poured, you’ll find what you’re looking for. The price points are the colors of the rainbow as well, with so much to enjoy personally, as gifts, or for that next party.

Florida offers up a number of wineries and wine bars. There is a Florida Grape Growers Association for help on more options, and we love to partake and share here at Rori Travels Florida from time-to-time, but I’m happy to suggest that you enjoy what Florida has to offer, with Lakeridge Winery and all of the wine-lovers and enjoyers options you’re going to find in the Sunshine State.

Lakeridge Winery
19239 US Highway 27
Clermont, FL 34715-9025
(352) 394-8627

Lakeridge Winery offers a number of itmes
for sale in their store, including glasses and other
tools to enjoy a good glass of wine.

Show off your wine-lovers side with something special.

Wine tastings begin with a small sampling cup
you’ll use as you move from wine to wine.
There are a number of wines to try from
Lakeridge Winery.

On our most recent visit we tasted and greatly enjoyed the
Proprietor’s Reserve.

Another of our “new finds’ was the cream sherry,
which we’ll add to our shelf on a future visit.

Lakeridge Winery has shelves of bottles on hand from which
to choose. Take some home with special deals on hand to make it
easier. Or stop at several Central Florida stores to find something from Lakeridge.
Also available, online ordering.

We “discovered” the Sunblush and brought home a bottle to try…