Review of Sweet Treasures Wine Bar in Punta Gorda, Florida

Wine Tasting at Sweet Treasures in Fishermen's Village, Punta Gorda, Florida

Sweet Treasures is a specialty shop at Fishermen's Village in Punta Gorda, Florida that sells tropical wines and accoutrements with a tropical twist, like goblets and wall plaques embellished with mermaids, seahorses or dolphins. For anyone who has been to Napa Valley, California, comparing the two wine tasting experiences is great fun. None of the Floridian wines come from grapes and they are all young. The bottles don't declare any vintage year since they aren't aged, but according to an employee named Cheryl, will last up to two years on the shelf.

Sweet Treasures Wine Bar in Punta Gorda, Florida

photos by Dianne Smith

Florida Orange Groves Winery in St. Petersburg develops all the wines from citrus fruits, passion fruit, mangoes, pineapples, berries, watermelon, bananas and even tomatoes. Only two fruits are imported to Florida from other States, the cherries from Michigan and cranberries from Massachusetts.

                       

Cheryl says she used to be a nurse before moving to Florida, and loves her laid back lifestyle on the gulf coast. She makes visitors feel at home as she offers a flight of six wines for just three dollars, a refreshing change from Californian prices. The hard part for visitors is narrowing down all the choices. Blueberry Blue is a navy colored, semi-sweet wine and Hurricane Class 5 is a white sangria blend with key limes, passion fruit, watermelon, mango and pineapple, touted as uniquely Floridian and an accompaniment to any food. Both were flavorful but a wine named Cocoa Beach was particularly delicious, with its blend of orange and chocolate.

Sweet Treasures is located at 1200 West Esplanade, Punta Gorda, and is one of about thirty restaurants and boutique retailers set in an open air mall called Fishermen's Village, with timeshare guest rooms above on a second floor. The small resort is built on a pier in the Peace River basin, affording stunning sunsets in a quiet setting. The marina offers deep sea and inland fishing tours and yachting excursions, so the place obviously caters to fishermen and boat lovers. However, anyone who enjoys sampling wine will find Sweet Treasures well worth a visit.

Fishermen's Village in Punta Gorda, Florida