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By CategoryDrink Your Fruit
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Drink your FruitLet Your Taste Buds Be Tantalized!
2006-06-29
Article Written by: Jennifer Day
Drink your Fruit- Let Your Taste Buds Be Tantalized!
Its 5 o'clock somewhere but it certainly wasn't 5 when I walked into the Ormond Winery on A1A. It was only noon actually. And it wasn't the gourmet foods and jams or the multi level wooden wine rack that spans almost the entire length of the far wall of the store that caught my attention. No, it was the bar in the back that had more than a half a dozen people standing around tasting wines in shot glasses. Eat your heart out Jimmy Buffet!
The owner Rocky Meredith and one of his employees were behind the bar handing out shot after shot of the delicious fruit wines. In fact, there was even a wine menu sitting in front of the patrons to make it easy for them to decide. Rocky will tell you that you can try all of them if you wish, and I do believe that this group was doing just that! I walked in on the watermelon tasting, which the people standing around thought to be very light and refreshing. Made from watermelons, how could it be anything but?
The fun didn't stop there by any means. There are mango wines, key lime wines,
muscadine wines, grapefruit, peach and strawberry wines, blackberry, pineapple,
and even a 100% carrot wine! Which by the way tastes exactly like a chardonnay.
There are tangerine and cherry wines, wines of all kinds! Ok, so I'm starting
to feel like Dr. Seuss a bit but you get the picture. I could really go on
and on with the variety of fruit wines that they carry. There was also a wine
called "Hot Sun" which the owner Rocky swears that it's wonderful
with pizza and that he himself enjoys a glass with it. Hot Sun is a white wine
with a light tomato taste and a hint of peppers, I really liked it. It's not
for the weak though as it does have a bit of fire to it. Being a big fan of
foods that pack a kick though, I thought it was great! 
Rocky swears that if
you eat it with pizza, you will taste flavors in the pizza and sauce that you
have never tasted before. A real explosion in your mouth. My personal favorite
though was the Category 5 wine. Named suitably for the hurricanes we've had.
This wine was a real pleasure to try and I even took a bottle home. It is a
white Sangria and is blended with some of their more popular tropical wines.
The taste of it brought me in spirit to a hammock on a hot day, listening to
some island reggae and letting the breeze move over warm skin.... all the while
indulging in some white ocean fish and fresh fruit. Delightful and whole-heartedly
recommended! Another one not to miss before I move on also is the Strawberry
Cream Sherry. It was so warm and sweet on the palate. I see this sherry after
dinner in a snifter glass, perhaps with desert or as desert. Good in the summer
because of the strawberries or in the winter because of the brandy content,
this one is a winner year round!
Another interesting little brew they had is the wine freeze mixers. 1 part fruit wine + 1 part mixer = tropical delight. They'll give you suggestions as to what will go well with what but the creative sky's the limit here. Another summertime favorite! And just like the wines, you can sample the mixes too. You want a strawberry colada? It shall be done and with ease! Mango or Pineapple Daiquiri? No problem. These mixes taste great too.
Ok, I've raved based on my own personal experience at the Winery, but who am I right? Let’s not go on my opinion alone. My personal favorite, Category 5 Wine, won a double gold and Best of Show at the 2006 Florida State Fair. Now let me explain what that means to those of you unfamiliar with the judging. A wine is usually considered phenomenal if it sees a gold medal in its lifetime. To see a double gold and best of show....well that's something of an accomplishment for sure. The Blueberry, Pineapple, Mango and Key Lime also won gold medals and the Orange Sunshine followed closely with a silver. Not too bad a year for the winery at all! These wines have actually won 160 medals over the years. And for the inquiring minds, these wines are not typical of "fruit wines. Most fruit wines have the grape base and then they are "flavored". These wines have no flavoring. They are 100% fruit.
Rocky and Laura Meredith bought into the franchise in 1992 and have been going strong ever since. Rocky even let me in on some upcoming wines that will be hitting the shelves soon. They are Guava Wine, Pomegranate Wine, and a Mango Champagne. Wow, get me a glass for the bubbly because I want to try that one! So there's my two cents on the winery in Ormond. For the full effect you'll have to go in and taste these treasures yourself. Cheers to all!
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