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!

I recently hosted a networking event at Cheeseology, and I cannot recommend it enough! From start…read moreto finish, the experience was absolutely seamless, thanks to Kelly, who was amazing throughout the entire process. From booking to the end of the event, her attention to detail and professionalism made everything so easy and enjoyable. The atmosphere at Cheeseology was perfect--warm, inviting, and ideal for fostering connections. Everyone who attended had such a fantastic time! The instructors were phenomenal, bringing energy, expertise, and fun to the event. It was clear they were passionate about what they do, which made the experience even more memorable. One of the standout aspects of Cheeseology is their commitment to sourcing ingredients from local suppliers. It's such a thoughtful touch that adds to the quality and authenticity of the experience. If you're looking for a unique venue with a great vibe, exceptional service, and a focus on supporting the local community, Cheeseology is the place to go. I can't wait to host another event here!

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.

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

A RaRe "EDIBLE...WHERE have you been all my LiFe!" Rating!…read more ++ Ambiance is clean, upscale deli market located in the artsy Rosemary District. It's my new favorite gourmet store / resto in SRQ. The Artisan Cheese Company is a woman owned epicurean food shop. We visited on a weekday afternoon and it had a steady stream of locals. The space isn't huge, but inside is bright with big windows filled with goodies strewn about. In the rear is the order counter behind the cured meats and cheeses. There are few dining tables next to the patio as well as a handful of tables on their patio. +++ The ACC seems to specialize in harder to locate artisan cheeses, butters, gourmet goodies for pantries and has a limited rotating lunch menu. They have so many of my favorites that are difficult to locate, it was impressive. I found Ploughgate cultured butter for the first time in several years, Jasper Hill, Monista teas, Spanish Marconas and even Meridith Dairy marinated cheese here!! DelightFuL to find such a well stocked market! They also serve interesting and comforting light lunches and offer beautifully prepared charcuterie boards. Everything we tried was delicious! We had their open face grilled cheese, tomato soup and tacos which seemed more like tostadas with interesting toppings. This is a perfect place for easy party boards, hostess gifts for those with discerning palates and satisfy your cravings. = Price is high...nothing has a price tag ++ Service is quite good and the staff are knowledgeable! + Parking is street and was easy. This is a non-touristy art district. It is an excellent gourmet shop and sure wish this ACC was in Atlanta! MY RATINGS - - - Inhumane - - Disgusted - Don't bother = Missed the Mark + Good ++ Better +++ EDIBLE...WHERE have you been all my LiFe!

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.

We went in after a full day of working on our boat and we were headed to Trader Joe's to do our own…read morecharcuterie board. I hopped on yelp while on the way to Home Depot and this place popped up. We love charcuterie and thought for the price point we would give it a try. The sommelier was extremely helpful and after our food order, recommended this fantastic French wine which pared perfectly. We will be back as they also had Justin Isosceles in stock on shelf next time we are cooking steaks on our boat

Perfect Birthday Night at The Black Pearl…read more My husband took me to The Black Pearl for my birthday, and it was absolutely perfect from start to finish. From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere felt special--elegant but comfortable, the kind of place that makes you feel like you're celebrating something important (because we were!). The service was outstanding--attentive without being overbearing--and the staff truly made the evening feel memorable. Our meals were phenomenal, beautifully prepared, and worth every bite. It was one of those dinners where you're already planning what you want to order next time before you've even finished your plate. Between the incredible food, wonderful service, and getting to spend the evening with my favorite person, it was exactly how I wanted to celebrate my birthday. The Black Pearl helped turn a special night into a truly unforgettable one. Highly recommend for celebrations, date nights, or anytime you want an exceptional dining experience. We'll definitely be back!

Came in for anniversary dinner and had a terrific experience at The Black Pearl. Restaurant itself…read moreis very small and intimate but not cramped. We were seated and taken care of by a fantastic waiter. We opted for wine and sparkling by the glass and the sommelier was able to provide some good recommendations and even provided some insight on the region of the wines. Waiter explained the menu which was à la carte but included bread, their Black Pearl Salad , and a palate cleanser before the main entree. The food was prepared and spaced out perfectly so you did not feel rushed or waiting at any point during the experience. From start to finish, it ended up being around 1 hour and 45 minutes which is a good range for a fine dining experience for 2. Our food order as followed: Hors d'oeuvres - Pork belly rillettes Bread (included) - Potato bread with garlic herb olive oil Starter - Pate of Foie Gras Salad (included) - Black Pearl Salad Entremet (included) - Watermelon Jalapeño popsicle Entrees - White truffle lobster risotto , Hereford filet mignon Dessert - Tarte Tatin with side of vanilla ice cream Everything was absolutely amazing and the execution and technique was perfect. If I did have a complaint (if you can call it that) was the choice of using a watermelon and jalapeño popsicle as a palate cleanser. The taste was amazing but it may be too aggressive in flavor prior to an entree. Putting my fake chefs hat on, I would have gone with a similar concept but using watermelon and maybe a yuzu citrus for a palate cleanser. Amazing experience, amazing food and presentation, amazing staff. 5/5. If you are in the Tampa Bay Area and you are looking for a true fine dining experience, check out The Black Pearl.

Bunker Hill Vineyard in Parrish is such a quaint little gem! We discovered it on our way to the…read moreStrawberry Festival and are so glad we stopped. It's a small, family-owned spot with such a warm, welcoming feel. The owners were incredibly friendly and made the whole experience even better. We even donated about six of our used wine bottles to them, which made it feel fun and personal in a unique way. They offer wine tastings, and the wines themselves feel clean, light, and thoughtfully made. Definitely a hidden local find worth visiting!

TL;DR - I was totally blown away by this hidden gem. There's no other way to describe this…read moreexperience. Let's just say I learned a lot about Bunker Hill Vineyard & Winery. I also had the pleasure of meeting the husband and wife duo that makes all of these Florida grown products. They made this experience so much fun. All you need to know is that their natural wines, jellies, and jams were all amazing. There's something for everyone here. So, I decided to take a different route back to Brandon from Ellenton just so that I could try these wines. It was an easy drive on US-301 as I made my way to Wauchula Rd. This is where the adventure started for me. It's a 2 lane road with a speed limit of 60 MPH that takes you past farm lands and phosphate mines. I honestly felt like I was lost in the middle of nowhere. Thank goodness for GPS. I pretty much knew that Bunker Hill Road would be coming up soon after passing Lake Parrish, and there it was. The winery is across the street and to the left of the fork in the road. There's plenty of parking in front of it along rows of grape vines. At that point, I was just happy that I found it. I didn't really get a chance to explore around the vineyard. Lenora found me in front of the farm winery accessory building where the wine tasting would begin. That's when I also met Larry as they invited me inside the tasting room. What a cool set up they have! It's inside of what looks like a heavily insulated Quonset hut. Larry explained the differences between unfiltered and filtered wine. Honestly, I didn't know there was a difference. It raised so many questions, and actually made me aware of all the additives that are placed into manufactured wines during the filtering process. Some that I have actually been sensitive to in the past. It was interesting to hear about their process, and even the way they recycle their bottles and jelly jars. They are truly sustainable. What I also noticed is that most (if not all) of their wines are vegan. I'm not vegan, so it's not something that I usually look for. I just didn't know that animal proteins are commonly used in the process of making wine. It's all very interesting. Let's talk about the wine tasting. There's a list of medium dry, dry, and sparkling wines. I made my selections from the list of medium dry wines. I did take some suggestions from them, and I'm so glad that I did. Otherwise, I would have never tried the Bamboo Herbal Tea or Dandelion Flower Petal. Just open your mind to all the possibilities. Your palate will thank you later. There are fruit, vegetable, flower, coffee, tea, and even bamboo wines. I think I saw rice wine as well. If it has grape, then it's the muscadine variety. If you want a mixture, then I totally suggest the Strawberry/Grape wine. This one was one of my favorites. I was also in love with the Guava wine. The same goes for the jam. It's insanely wonderful. You can get it with or without the seeds. I wanted to buy all of the ones on my list. I ended up getting six 12 oz. bottles so that I could share them with my husband. He was just as amazed as I was with his samples of wine. The flavors are so clear and with such a great color and aroma. There was no unpleasant after taste, and it wasn't overly sweet like other Florida fruit wines that I've tasted. I didn't get that wine headache which usually happens with red wines. I guess I'm just sensitive to something in it. I also sampled Lenora's Bamboo Leaf Herbal Tea. It was so refreshing! What a great way to end the tasting. Anyway, I tried 6 different samples for $6. They are truly just a sample. Don't expect to get full size glasses. It's not a wine bar. However, you can purchase a charcuterie platter if you call 24 hours in advance of your tasting. They'll have it ready for you. Once you do the first wine tasting, the other tastings will be complimentary when you return. That's when I plan on trying the vegetable wines. There is one that actually tastes like a salad. I didn't get to try the coffee wine, but I did sample the coffee wine jelly. It was actually very good. The starfruit wine jelly is even better. I can't wait to go back. Hopefully my husband will come along with me next time. I think he would love sampling the wines and jellies. I didn't really get to see the rest of the vineyard this time around. Maybe next time. Thank you Larry & Lenora for making it such an informative & fun experience.