Do you love wine but struggle to make a great selection when going to a giant wine store? Yep, me…read moretoo! At www.CorkQueen.com owner Karen Koch ("Cook"). a.k.a. the "WineQueen", teaches you about wine from "the ground up". Starting with the top wine growing regions around the world, she educates you on the types of grape vines grown in each locale, the vines history and the types of soil they are grown in. Karen then teaches how those soils and the climate in each region work together to bring out the wine "nose" and "flavors" you will smell and taste. You will learn how to identify these smell and taste attributes that you prefer and how to match the wines from other countries and regions that will have similar attributes so you can easily make great wine selections on all of your future wine purchases. Some of this information in on the website but the best way to truly learn about wine is by attending one of the WineQueen events. Choose from her weekly Wine Down Wednesday, Wine Frenzy Friday or set up a private or group "Wine 101" private wine tasting event to celebrate a birthday or anniversary at the WineQueen CQ's Wine Works location, your home or business. The CorkQueen is not a classic brick and mortar wine store. It's more of a wine club. All purchases are made online. You can pick up your order at the CorkQueen CQ's Wine Works location or have your wine delivered. By creating her business this way the CorkQueen is able to offers thousands of different wines from every region around the world. Plus, for you beer lovers out there, the CorkQueen loves you too! You will find beers from around the world at www.CorkQueen.com that will both pleasantly surprise and delight your taste buds! Private Wine Events are available for booking now. Online wine and beer ordering and weekly Wine Down Wednesday and Wine Frenzy Friday events are scheduled to officially launch April 1, 2020 - April Fools Day! Be sure to check back on April 1, 2020 for the CorkQueen Launch Specials! The CorkQueen is looking forward to seeing you!

What a fabulous gem! The owner (The Cork Queen) has a deep knowledge of wine. Tell her what you…read morelike and she will make a fantastic recommendation! And take the time to educate yo on what to pair the wine with! There are events - wine tastings & education events. Lots of price points to choose from and lots of opportunities to try fantastic wines. Prices are also better than the big shops. And delivery locally in a gift bag, with a note. Great service. Can't recommend highly enough!

Went here for the Blueberry Festival! A lot of the event was super lively; people could shop from…read morevendors, pick blueberries, drink blueberry adjacent wines and beers, and have foods with a blueberry twist on them. Luckily there was a lot of outdoor seating, so it wasn't too difficult to find a seat. I ended up getting the sweet blueberry wine, blueberry flatbread (had caramelized onions, arugula, and prosciutto with a blueberries glaze drizzle), and the blueberry shortcake. The wine was lightly sweet and not dry. The blueberry flatbread tasted more of the caramelized onions and the blueberry drizzle added a little hint of sweetness and tartness. My favorite though was the blueberry shortcake. It was soft and the blueberry compote was absolutely delicious. Although it was rich, it didn't feel heavy. I wish I had gotten another slice. In general, I've been here before and it's nice and cozy inside with great service! I love trying all the flavors available with their wine and beer flights (some are seasonal). Honestly, sometimes I buy their wine by the bottle in stores because it's actually just that good.

Continues to be my favorite winery around. Made reservations with hubs to have a wine lunch then…read morestrawberry shortcake down the road. We chose to sit out on the patio. Service was great and so was the food. I got the sangria and the wine burger. Hubs got the tacos. Love their French fries too! The crispiness and the seasoning on them is just plain good. The wine burger was delicious and probably my fav entree they have.

Updated review! My second time visiting I was able to taste the cheeses and meats with my wine…read more The service from the bartender was prompt and vibes are relaxed, both times I've come in, there's not a crowd which is nice. Intimate and cozy.

Cute place with lots of great options! Service was good! They have very tasty grilled cheeses among…read moreother items! Great place to stop at for after work drinks too! I had a pistachio martini that was delicious but I didn't take a picture.

My husband and I had the most incredible date night at the Epicurean Theatre! We attended the…read more"Dinner with a Master Chef" class on Friday, July 18th 2014. Our instructor was celebrity chef, Whitney Miller, winner of Master Chef (season 1). The Epicurean Theatre is a gorgeous and very modern culinary classroom in the Epicurean Hotel in South Tampa. The culinary classroom has a kitchen in the front of the theatre for the instructor/ chef and stadium-style seating for the students. (If you want a seat near the front of the class arrive early!) Flat screen televisions are located in the front corners of the classroom to display close-ups of the food as it is being prepared. The layout of the classroom allows participants to eat and drink while watching a cooking presentation. After the chef completes each course of the meal the Epicurean's wait staff serves the dish. Whitney Miller was so charming and entertaining throughout our class. I loved her stories about growing up in Mississippi and being a contestant on the Master Chef. Her menu in our class included some of her favorite Southern dishes: First Course: Arugula Salad with Grilled Figs, Homemade Buttermilk Ricotta Cheese, Crispy Prosciutto and a Citrus Vinaigrette (Wine Pairing: Schiopetto Pinot Grigio) Second Course: BBQ Shrimp and Cheese Grits (Wine Pairing: Black Bird Rose) Third Course: White Chocolate Bread Pudding (Wine Pairing: Rosa Regale) Everything was so delicious and I cannot wait to make these dishes at my home! Confession: I probably won't make my own ricotta cheese for the arugula salad because who has time for that?! We received so many great cooking tips from the class and I plan on purchasing Whitney's cookbook so I can introduce my husband to more Southern cooking. If you are interested in taking a class at the Epicurean Theatre I highly recommend it! They offer a variety of classes from cupcakes to cooking to wine or even speaking a foreign language. They even offer brew bus tours! The classes range from $45-$125. Our Master Chef class cost $65 per person which wasn't a bad deal in my opinion considering we received a two hour demonstration from a celebrity chef, a three course meal, and three wine tastings. Can't wait to take my next class at the Epicurean Theatre!

I went to a great event here called Cupcakes and Cocktails held by Chef Beth Lukens, who owns and…read moreoperates the local company Cloud 9 Confections. Everything about this event was fun. Just like you see on cooking shows, Beth stood in front of the 3-tiered seating area, with a camera on her, and a camera overhead showing inside the pot she was cooking in. Beth is an experienced baker, and I loved that in addition to demonstrating how to make the Bourbon Chocolate Pecan cupcake, she also gave us helpful tips for substitutions and shortcuts. In addition to cupcakes, the event included 3 cocktails, specially designed to compliment the cupcakes we would be taking home. Pumpkin Prosecco - made of champagne and pureed pumpkin, Hard Apple Cider - made with gin, cider, and fresh crushed grapes, and a Bourbon Cocktail - but after the first two drinks, I have no recollection of what went into this last one. It was great, though! :-) Roger, the bartender from the hotel restaurant Élevage, came in each time to explain his concoction, which was really a nice personal touch. After Beth demonstrated how to make the first cupcake, all the participants went down to group stations where we got to frost our own cupcakes. She had all the different cupcakes lined up for us, as well as the different bags of frosting. First we did our own Bourbon Chocolate Pecan cupcake - by scooping out the inside to fill it with pecan filling, then frosting it with a thick bourbon chocolate buttercream, and sprinkling roasted pecans on top. Next was the Hard Apple Cider cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream. And finally we did the Pumpkin Spice cupcake, with a sweet cream cheese frosting. I have to admit, there was a LOT of taste-testing the frosting, even after the cupcakes were all frosted. Beth even provided plastic cupcake containers, so our 6 masterpieces (2 of each flavor) could travel in safety and comfort. I would definitely do another event here - it was very well organized, and in addition to the promised take home cupcakes, we were also provided with recipes on how to make the different cupcakes and frosting. The only thing that wasn't cool, and wasn't mentioned ahead of time, is that you had to pay $5 for valet, which also meant tipping too. I think the Epicurean Hotel needs to include this in the cost of the class, or let people self-park in the spots they have available for the wine store or bakery. Other than the parking, an A+ event from start to finish. Support local small businesses and go check out Beth's webpage, too - yum!

Cannoli making class was fun…read more So the 3 stars is based on their customer service & how we were treated. 7 of us signed up for a week night class. We arrived late because we thought the class was 30 mins later than it was but we text them we were on our way. They were visible annoyed when we walked in & we did not get a warm welcome. I have to say there was only 2 people, a couple, in the class so it wasn't like we interrupted a big class. We were bringing the big class. And they had only poured milk into a pot & letting it warm up when we arrived so we had not missed anything. The whole class the women that worked there were not giving warm fuzzy vibes. It lacked fun & enjoyment honestly. We felt like we were treated like a nuisance & like we couldn't even laugh. The cannolis were good & we learned a lot.

We rented out the space on a Saturday afternoon to celebrate a friend's birthday. The space was…read moreclean and everything was setup when we arrived. They also have a nice selection of wine. We made the Sweet Ricotta Brule. They was a total of four people on staff to assist our class of 12. Everyone had a great time. I am looking forward to taking the pizza making class this summer with my son.

If you're a wine lover and enjoy free tastings, Florida Orange Groves Winery is definitely worth a…read morevisit. This location offers a huge variety of wines made right on-site, with unique flavors like key lime, peach, strawberry, passion fruit, and more. Their Hurricane wine is their bestseller and for good reason. I did the tasting flight with 4 flavors for $17, and it was a great way to sample different wines. They also offer complimentary tastings, wine slushies, flavorful spreads, and cute trinkets throughout the shop. There's even a cozy lounge area in the back where you can relax and enjoy your drinks. The customer service was excellent, and the staff was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable about all the wines. I make it a point to stop by every time I'm in the area. Bonus: you can also order wines for shipping directly from their website

I absolutely loved the Florida Orange Groves Winery. The customer service was top-tier. We stopped…read morein after the beach and decided to stick around for the wine tasting that was starting shortly. We got to try several different Florida wines that are made in house at the winery. Some of my faves were the hurricane and I enjoyed each one of the wine slushy's including the strawberry banana, the hurricane, and the best of all was the orange Creamsicle slushy. I decided to purchase some of the orange Creamsicle wine slushy mix to take home and make orange Creamsicle mocktails and received some of the cute little wine bottle greeting cards. They also have military discount.

I had the tacos for lunch They are sooooo good…read more The staff is super friendly and place is bright and welcoming Menu listing: TACOS 18 (on two tortillas) Lil Moo, Melted Cheddar, Roasted Organic Turnips, Red and Green Cabbage + Rainbow Chard Slaw, Daikon Radish Matchsticks, Watermelon Radish, Fermentilicious Kraut, Pickled Onion, Feta, Carrot Curry Aioli, Micros

I like cheese. As I have learned through experimentation, not every cheese is a winner. The…read moreArtisan Cheese Company had a wide variety of cheeses in a wide variety of prices. They also offer additional offerings that look great and seem priced equitable. The staff is wonderful. They have provided education and cheese insight with no pressure tactics and a seemingly sincere desire to be helpful.

One of my favorites while living down in SRQ.. has the best selection, pricing, staff, and light…read morebites (charcuterie board, and popcorn with balsamic!) Craig was very helpful in selecting wines based on what we told him we were looking for. They also host wine walks every few months that are Halloween themed, spring, etc., and they are amazing!! Absolutely recommend for a glass, or a few, alone or with friends/family.

I really enjoy going to Fine Wines and Tastings on Main St in Lakewood Ranch. Scott and his mom…read morehave created a wonderful atmosphere for buy wine by the bottle or by the glass. They have a revolving selection of well known and under the radar wines for you to enjoy. They also offer a small selection of fantastic light snacks to eat while sipping good wine. Additionally, they have a couple of beers and seltzers. If you find yourself wanting a nice glass of wine, please give Fine Wines and Tastings a chance. I promise you will love it.

Wow! Incredible! Perfection! Amazing experience! I would…read moregive more than 5 stars if possible! This is a very small venue with limited tables so make sure you get a reservation. You get very personal service and luxury experience. We had hors d'oeuvres, wine service, appetizers, bread service and our main meals. We also ended with desserts we all shared. Absolute 5 star food and service! Cannot recommend highly enough! What an incredible find!

Ambiance is set to be a personal experience for every table. The sommelier Jake understood exactly…read morewhat we wanted based on our preference for flavor profiles. He was very knowledgeable and personable. Our server Lori was helpful and offered great suggestions!! All in all a very approachable and high end fine dining experience!!!

I was thoroughly impressed by AJ's Kitchen Drawer. Everything was exceptional--the instruction,…read morefood, people, and ambiance. I attended a work event where we were fortunate to have Chef Keith Simpkins. It's evident that Chef Keith is passionate about his work, and his enthusiasm is contagious. Chef Keith taught us how to make tiramisu, pasta, and pesto, which are all among my favorite dishes. I'm pleased to say that I left the dinner with improved cooking skills.

The absolute best experience ever. Third time here and it just keeps getting better! Came for the…read moreValentine Date Night and it was incredible. Chef is a great teacher, helpful and funny. Food is delicious and plentiful!! Perfect night out. Will be back again soon!