This program originally aired August 6, 2019
Many people may not realize that wine making in Florida is a billion-dollar industry. There are dozens of wineries across the state employing nearly 100,000 people, and university research departments dedicated to viticulture.
How can this hot, humid, fungus-friendly state support successful wine production? And how does the reputation of Florida wines stand up to wines grown elsewhere like California or New York?
We talk about whether Florida’s wine industry is economically viable on this week’s Florida Matters.
LISTEN:
Our guests include:
• Vince Shook, president of Florida Orange Groves Winery, which sells tropical fruit wines
• Chuck Hollweg, non-commercial hobbyist grape grower and wine maker from Central Florida
• Gina Birch, host of the WGCU podcast Grape Minds
Listen in as panelists sample some Florida wines and discuss more about the industry in an upcoming episode of WUSF's podcast The Zest, which will be available online Aug. 8.
