We’re on the road this week for Wine Spot Wednesday and heading just a bit north to Sarasota Wine Co in downtown Sarasota! Only 20 miles from home, but it feels like a whole new world of wine spots to explore.
Sarasota Wine Co has been on our list for a while, and now I wish we’d made the drive up sooner. They host tastings on Thursdays from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM and Saturdays from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM so we dropped in last weekend to check it out, and it did not disappoint! (As with all details, please verify times before planning your tasting as they could vary).
Quick Facts
- Location: Palm Avenue in Downtown Sarasota, FL
- Details: Check out their website
- The Vibe: Cool and coastal. The shop is bright, open, and perfectly set up for casual, unhurried tastings, and relaxed browsing.
- Food: Because this is primarily a boutique wine shop, there is no formal food menu. However, they do provide chips with the tasting (and wow, are those chips amazing!).
Why Visit
- Curated Selection: Beyond the regular tastings, Sarasota Wine Co offers a thoughtfully selected collection of wines by the bottle.
- Themed Tastings: The flights are beautifully organized by theme—we enjoyed a fantastic lineup of four Sauvignon Blancs.
- A Relaxing Escape: It’s a gorgeous little shop where you can truly unwind and savor the experience.
- Top-Tier Hospitality: Riley led our tasting and was absolutely delightful. She is incredibly friendly, deeply knowledgeable, and perfectly attentive without hovering. The regulars who strolled in clearly appreciate her, too!
Our Venice Wine Experience at Sarasota Wine Co
At first glance, the setup was so pristine it looked like they were preparing for a private event! But that’s just the level of care they put into their public tastings. We were greeted warmly by Riley, who invited us to sit anywhere we liked, so we claimed two seats at the main table.
She let us know the theme for the day was four Sauvignon Blancs – a perfect choice for a hot, humid afternoon right after a classic Florida summer rainfall.
While she greeted other guests and prepped the bottles, we loved browsing the retail racks. You won’t find the typical “see-them-everywhere” commercial labels here. Instead, Sarasota Wine Co features a small, masterfully curated selection from small producers around the world. We spotted a few familiar producers, but nothing we currently have in our collection.
As we chatted, a mix of folks strolled in – some definitive regulars staying to sip, others just browsing. The atmosphere was completely zero-pressure and incredibly comfortable. Honestly, we could have stayed all afternoon!
Riley brought over the four wines and poured them for us to enjoy at our leisure. As she poured, she shared specific, fascinating details about each bottle. We deeply appreciated her depth of knowledge and the easy way she shared it. It was the perfect tasting format: four great wines, no rush to finish one before moving to the next, and just enough background info to guide us while still allowing us to taste and judge for ourselves.
The tasting also included a small can of the most delicious chips. They paired beautifully with the crisp acidity of the flights and hit the perfect note since we hadn’t eaten lunch yet (and yes we brought some home!)!
The Lineup:
- Lions de Suduiraut Blanc Sec (2023)
- Producer: Château Suduiraut
- Wine Name: Lions de Suduiraut Blanc Sec
- Vintage: 2023
- Type/Region: Dry White Wine (Bordeaux Blanc Sec), France
- Floreado Sauvignon Blanc
- Producer: Cantina Andriano (Kellerei Andriano)
- Wine Name: Floreado
- Grape Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
- Region: Alto Adige / Südtirol, Italy
- Sam’s Creek Sauvignon Blanc (2024)
- Producer/Brand: Sam’s Creek
- Grape Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
- Vintage: 2024
- Region: Marlborough, New Zealand
- Domaine Reverdy Sancerre
- Producer: Domaine Bernard Reverdy & Fils
- Appellation: Sancerre
- Grape Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc (implied by the appellation)
- Region: Loire Valley, France
In addition to the chips, we were offered a bump of caviar, which my Partner in Wine thoroughly enjoyed with his tasting. They feature an impressive retail caviar selection and even host dedicated caviar tastings occasionally, if that’s your style (or if you want to find out if it is!).
🍷 Our Final Pour Wrap Up
Now, we may have mentionedthis before, but our cellar is bursting at the seams right now, so we are strictly trying not to buy wine—especially since we need to save room for our upcoming trip to Napa! But this tasting had us both ready to break our purchasing ban.
We both agreed that the French Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc blend was the standout of the day (stay tuned/subscribe for an upcoming review of this wine!). We couldn’t resist grabbing a bottle to enjoy on the lanai in the near future. And, of course, we had to grab a few cans of those incredible chips to go with it!
Overall, Sarasota Wine Co. was one of the most enjoyable new-to-us wine spots we’ve discovered in a while. The ambiance is calm and restorative, the retail selection is stellar, and the tasting experience is top-notch. Riley was the ultimate host, bringing genuine wine education to the table. As she works her way along the sommelier path and her WSET credentials, it’s no wonder she ran such a flawless tasting!
This little downtown treasure is a spot we’ll happily return to, and one we’ll always keep in mind when looking for a unique bottle. 🥂Salud to Sarasota Wine Co – add it to your list of wine spots!
🌴 Looking for more curated wine spots in the Venice or Englewood areas? Check out our comprehensive Local Guide to Wine Spots and stay up-to-date on the latest tastings with our Monthly Wine Events Calendar and Happy Hour Guide.