I got off to a rocky start with the Lakeridge Winery.\u00a0 Before I ever went to the Winery and Vineyards, I bought a bottle of one of their most popular wines, Sunblush.\u00a0 I like supporting local business, and I love wine, so why not?\u00a0 It’s to date one of the only two bottles of wine I’ve ever poured out.\u00a0 I thought something was wrong with it.\u00a0 It tasted like licking a monorail seat.\u00a0 That reference may not make much sense to those of you that don’t frequent Disney World as much as I do, but imagine the smell that thousands of sweaty tourist make on vinyl seats.\u00a0 It’s alarmingly barnyard-esque.\u00a0 Now imagine that smell on your tongue.\u00a0 That’s what I think the Sunblush tastes like… and I’ve tried it sense, there sadly wasn’t something wrong with it.<\/p>\n That being said, I’m very glad I gave the Lakeridge Winery a second chance.\u00a0 While their wine still isn’t my favorite, most of it is way better than the Sunblush and it’s still a great outing.<\/p>\n Lakeridge host events almost every weekend, but they do free tours and tastings all week.\u00a0 The tour starts with an educational video on the history of the Cox family, the owners of the vineyard, and the general wine making process.\u00a0 After the film and a brief Q&A, guest are guided through the fermenting and bottling areas.<\/p>\n While it’s always interesting to see behind the scenes, everyone is waiting for the main attraction; the tasting.<\/p>\n The tasting is free an is an excellent way to sample the wines without having to commit to a bottle.\u00a0 Every guest is given a wine glass and a list of the wines being sampled to make notes on.<\/p>\n Like I said, the wine is not my favorite, but it’s still a fun day.\u00a0 I tend to prefer the big full bodied reds that just can’t happen in such a warm climate.\u00a0 It’s the tradeoff I make for living amongst palm trees (and totally worth it I might add).\u00a0 To me, most of the wines are sickly sweet, but others seem to love them.<\/p>\n The whites are the best bet and my favorite was the Blanc Du Bois Reserve.\u00a0 It’s still a little sweeter than I’m used to, but was perfect for drinking outside while watching the sunset over the vines.<\/p>\n While the holidays are a great time to escape the Orlando tourist, they are not the best time to look at the vines, which are bare during this time of year.\u00a0 For that you should visit in late summer when the winery hosts a harvest festival and grape stomping contest.\u00a0\u00a0 Any time you can make it out the Lakeridge Winery though, there is sure to be something fun going on.\u00a0 They have year round festivals and music events, and of course, Central Florida has great weather most of the time.\u00a0 The same weather that has made it difficult to produce more complex wines also makes it much nicer to visit the winery itself.\u00a0 A fair trade off I think.\u00a0 You can check out the Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards website<\/a> for an up to date calendar of events…. and no matter when you go you can’t beat the view!<\/p>\n![\"Lakeridge](\"https:\/\/magsonthemove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/image16-e1421007373768-510x680.jpg\")
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