Schnebly Redland's Wines: Florida's Surprisingly Good Wines

Schnebly Redland's Fine Tropical Wines are a refreshing surprise, especially since these crisp and delicate wines are created from Florida's tropical fruits. Florida is not known as a producer of good wine. In fact, many wine connoisseurs may cringe at the thought of drinking a Florida wine made from something other than a grape.

But Schnebly Redland's Fine Tropical Wines stand above most other Florida wines in flavor and creativity. Peter and Denisse Schnebly began making and selling their tropical wine in 2005. Owners of Fresh King, a tropical fruit packinghouse in Homestead, Fla., the Schneblys wanted to do something productive with blemished tropical fruit, called culls. Culls are not pretty enough to be sold to the public but are still consumable.

The result is a collection of six wines from five fruits with their own distinct, fruitful bouquet. The Schnebly Redland's Winery, located in Redland, Fla., and the most southern winery in the Continental U.S., is open daily for wine tastings. For $3, try all six wines: Carambola, Carambola Oak, Guava, Lychee, Mango and Passion Fruit. Keep the etched Schnebly glass and bring it back on your next visit for another sampling.

Not a wine connoisseur? That's alright. Schnebly Redland's Winery has experienced guides to walk you through the basics of wine tasting. Following are impressions of three Schnebly Redland's Fine Tropical Wine.

My favorite Schnebly Redland's Fine Tropical Wine is "Lychee" for its light, sweet flavor, very similar to the fruit. It's ideal with seafood dishes or a perfect after dinner treat. This wine won awards from the Dallas Morning News Wine Competition in January 2006 and the Florida State Fair International Wine Competition in February 2006. It's probably my favorite since lychee is a rare fruit available in late summer and this Schnebly wine lets me savor the flavor all year round.

I also enjoyed Schnebly Redland's "Carambola Oak" wine. Carambola, commonly known as star fruit (when sliced across, the golden-colored fruit yields a five-pointed star shape), has a natural and light sweetness. The wine is aged in French oak, yielding a crisp, refreshing taste with the subtlety of caramel. It's similar in flavor and body to a chardonnay.

Of the six wines I sampled, Schnebly Redland's "Passion Fruit" wine was my least favorite, but it's the winery's most popular. Although it has a hint of sweetness, the tangy, tart flavor lingered too long on my tongue. This combination of sweet and tart, however, makes this wine ideal with chocolate. The passion fruit wine also won an award from the Dallas Morning News Wine Competition in January 2006.

The wines range in price from $13.95 (Carambola) to $18.95 (Lychee). Alcohol content is about 11.5 percent for each wine. A limited edition dessert wine called Denisse's Boo-Boo Wine, similar in taste to sugary sweet ice wine, is available for $34.95. As the name implies, this was Denisse Schnebly's last attempt at wine making.

Schnebly Redland's Winery is open Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. A winery tour and wine tasting is just $10 per person. The little gift shop sells perfect gifts for the wine connoisseur in your life. I picked up a black t-shirt reading "Wine Diva" decorated in glittery bling for myself. If you won't be in South Florida but still want to taste these sweet concoctions, orders can be made on-line at www.schneblywinery.com or call: (305) 242-1224. At this time, wine can be shipped to a limited number of U.S. states.

While the wine tasting is a treat, so is the drive through South Florida's tropical agricultural areas. Located between Miami and the Keys, a trip to Redland and the Schnebly Redland's Winery winds along acres of avocado and mango trees. At one point, I thought I was lost and had missed a sign for the Schnebly Redland's Winery, but turned out I just had not driven far enough. Make the trip, your tastebuds will appreciate it.

Schnebly Redland's Winery
30205 SW 217 Ave.
Redland, FL 33030