Florida Winery located at Miromar shuts down

This story was written as part of a wine package that was being reported. In the midst of reporting, I discovered that the number had been disconnected and mall officials confirmed the store had closed. I followed the story and the rest is history.


The Florida Winery and Cigars closed its doors in April at the Miromar Outlets in Estero.

The Florida Winery and Cigars at Miromar Outlets in Estero has closed and customers will have to drive to St. Petersburg or Madeira Beach before they can buy strawberry or peach flavored wines or accessories.

"It probably closed the same way most business close ... it just wasn't making any money," said Tom Powers, CEO of The Florida Winery and Cigars, from the Madeira Beach location which is a separate entity from the store that was located at the outlet mall. "We were unusual and unique and we put a lot of effort in there but it just wasn't enough."

The effort cost owners to lose an estimated $300,000, said Powers, in the two years the store was open at the mall.

"In the 9 months of planning and two years of blood, sweat, and tears into that store and we never made a dime," said Powers, about the store that closed in April. "We didn't have enough pull (to customers) ... ."

Powers said their unique store was different and was a draw for Miromar Outlets but if the "management would have given us some kind of rent concession we would have still been there."

Combining high rent with competing malls including Coconut Point and Gulf Coast Town Center forced the closure of the store whose average ticket sale was $26, he said.

"The type of store we are doesn't afford us the mark ups that shoes and clothes stores have like the rest of Miromar stores. And, if you don't have that mark up, you cant make it up in those environments," Powers said.

Mall officials declined comment.

Blog: College wine-tasting class turns out useful

This blog was written as part of a wine package that included a story about a wine store, why wine is popular and where to get it in the local area.

I took wine tasting in college.

The one phrase that turns heads at parties or causes people to shift oddly in their chairs and gleam as they form questions in their heads.

Most notably: What college did you go to?

Answer: Florida International University.

Which is usually followed by questions about geography and how I ended up there.

But what people forget is that FIU is in Miami.

A big city known for celebrities, parties and booze. Lots of it.

Wine included.

Also, FIU has the second best Hospitality program in the country.

So growing up in a city in love with alcohol and a renowned program, a wine-tasting class seemed more up my alley than algebra, psychology or the history of Southwest Florida.

Especially a class where I could sit and "evaluate" eight to nine different glasses of wine every Tuesday night for 12 weeks.

I learned about the culture, consumption and allure of wine including the history, grapes and winemaking.

I even figured out why some wines are bottled with corks and some have plastic tops and what role dirt plays in taste.

And that wine isn't about price at all. It's about taste.

We were graded based on two exams about regions, vineyards and being able to read wine bottle labels.

But the real test was in my ability to describe the "nose of the wine" or use words like "tannin, palate, fruit, oak or nuttiness."

It was a cultural experience and a class that would equip me for life after college.

Heck, I've never walked into a restaurant and been asked about rock formations, the pythagorean theorem or the history of the United States.

But wine ... I can pick up a menu and order.

That was the point of the class.

Wine, gifts and more at WineStyles

This story was written for a wine package that included a guide to grapes, a personal blog about wine tasting and where to buy wine in the local area.


WineStyles Wine & Gifts part owner Anthony Rodriguez sells gift baskets geared toward wine lovers, chocolate lovers or just those looking for a little relaxation with lotions and bath salts.

Taking the guesswork out of wine buying is the goal of WineStyles Wine & Gifts shop part-owner Anthony Rodriguez in Naples.

He along with his wife, Celina, and relatives Doug and Denise Kay opened up the 1,600- square foot store on Immokalee and U.S. 41 to show customers that selecting wine can be easy — no matter your palette.

"I can help them based on what they like in particular whether it be new world or old world," said Rodriguez, who will refund or exchange a wine if it doesn't fit a customers flavor.

And getting that flavor right is possible for Rodriguez who offers 152 selections that are categorized by style and food pairing.

"We arrange our wines by style or palette, not region ... we have demystified the wine buying process," he said of the store that has been open for eight months.

Rodriguez says wine buying can get confusing because there are so many options from vintages and regions to what is popular at the time.

"For me it's easy to sometimes give customers what they want because we have the more boutique reds, whites, sweets but also carry some of the brands people really like," he said.

Rodriguez's store, which is the latest to open in a franchise of 160 stores nationwide, includes a wine bar in which customers can sample wines before purchase.

"We strived for a warm feel where people could come and spend time," said Rodriguez, whose wife helped decorate the store that includes seating areas. "There are feminine touches in here that Celina and Denise put that just make the customer say 'wow' when they walk in."

And that wow affect combined with Rodriguez's hospitality background and customer service keeps customers returning.

"We specialize in wines that are $10 to $25 but its the service we give to our customers that they like," said Rodriguez who will hold cases of wine for customers who call in or special order wine free of charge.

The store also offers wine tastings that are open to the public twice a week, every week with light hors d'oeuvres. Customers may also host private wine tastings at homes or visit the shop for happy hour every day.

"We are a one-stop shop because we offer all types of services and even have the most wine accessories that no other wine store in southwest Florida," said Rodriguez about the store that can also special order accessories.

"There is a lot of history, tradition behind wine and we are here to show that it's not difficult," he said.

Volunteer to give Hebrew lessons

Ron Drown wants to be involved in the community but he isn’t going to volunteer his time at a retirement home or collect canned goods for the homeless.

Starting June 12, he will be teaching Sephardic Hebrew classes in Bonita Springs to inspire people to read and understand the Bible.

“My intention is that everybody will go away knowing the basic vowels, sounds and how to read,” said Drown, 67, of Bonita Springs. “They will get a crash course in Hebrew.”

The course will be an intensive eight weeks of classes that will include writing, reading and speaking in what Drown calls the fundamentals of Christianity.

“I finally realized that the beginning of Christianity is Hebrew thought and culture so I started to study it myself and now I want to share that,” said Drown, who moved to Bonita Springs last year after having lived in the area 20 years ago.

Drown was a pastor in Indiana for more than 20 years and is now semi-retired but says he still has something to offer.

“The Hebrew language opens up a treasure trove of understanding into the works of the bible,” said Drown, who studied biblical Hebrew and Greek.

During his studies Drown translated “The Gospel of Mark” word for word from Hebrew to English and found new meaning.

“Once you learn Hebrew, you can reconnect to the old text and manuscripts in a new way. There is so much more meaning,” he said.

“I think that getting people involved in learning the basics of Hebrew on the kindergarten level will give them a better understanding of Christianity.”

That better understanding Drown hopes to achieve by having his daughter Martha Grass videotape each session.

Students who complete the course will be given the tape to take home along with a certificate.

“Ron likes to get to the beginning, or the foundation because the bible was originally written in Hebrew and this is the type of class,” said his wife, Ruth Drown, 68. "We will be getting to the roots of it and the class will teach adults a lot.”

Ruth Drown says the interest in Hebrew in Bonita Springs and the area is growing.

“We have met a lot of people around here that are interested in learning more and this is a great way to do it,” she said.

Diamond drop highlights benefit for foundation

Diamonds will be immersed in champagne thanks to Congress Jewelers during the “Uncommon Evening” event on Thursday that is being hosted by the Uncommon Friends Foundation.

The sparkle Congress Jewelers is providing is in the form of a diamond drop in which 98 cubic zirconias and two certified diamonds are dropped in glasses of champagne and sold randomly to event attendees.

“It’s a neat event because the odds are great to win. And honestly if you don’t win the diamonds, most people keep the cubic zirconia as well,” said Scot Congress, the president of Congress Jewelers.

The jewelry is being donated and is valued at $5,000 each with organizers hoping to raise at least $20,000 from the champagne glass sales alone during the night.

“This is a great way for us to make money as part of this event and we are grateful that Congress Jewelers is helping us do this,” said Stephanie Hoffman, the marketing membership coordinator for the Uncommon Friends Foundation.

Congress added that Congress Jewelers will provide a gemologist to test each jewel and determine the winner.

“That’s good because it keeps everybody involved throughout the night,” Congress said.

The foundation is hosting this event for the second time to raise money and give out 24 scholarships to students who were nominated based on their character.

“We are celebrating another year of important work in character education and will be bestowing scholarships to students nominated by teachers or guidance counselors,” Hoffman said.

The scholarships award night will also conclude the awarding of the Uncommon Friends Business Ethics recipient with finalist including Leesar, Entech Computer Services and WilsonMiller Inc.

“This is part of our outreach to the community and we hope everybody comes out to this neat event,” Congress said.