Near+Afar
Daysips
A short drive to Lakeridge Winery makes for a perfect afternoon. TAR IN SCAR BR OUGH
T
he beauty of living in Winter Garden is you rarely need to leave. With so many options for food and entertainment, I find myself often staying within “the bubble.” But one Saturday, the remarkable weather made me want to venture out—not far enough to be forced to combat the traffic on I-4, though. A quick search on the internet for “outdoor live music” and
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The Local
“wine” led me less than 30 minutes outside town to Lakeridge Winery for “Weekends at the Winery.” Lakeridge sits on a sprawling 127 acres located in the rolling hills of Clermont, Florida. I’ve grown up going to festivals at the property, but now that they offer live music every Saturday and Sunday afternoon, it was refreshing to enjoy the space comfortably
WI N TE R G AR DE N
without hordes of people . As soon as I walked through the doors, the complimentary wine tasting began. And this wasn’t just one or two wines. I was delighted to sample eight wines, two ports, and two reserve bottles! On the weekends, the facility is open to the public. Visitors get to tour the entire facility and production hub, with its giant tanks and bottling system.
(They’re actually the largest winery in the state, so of course they have massive equipment.) Every employee was so engaging and educated guests by explaining facts and food pairings. Seeing that type of passion reminded me of why I began enjoying wine in the first place. The tour ended in a gift shop, where they obviously sell the wine they sampled, but you also can get all the
