Wine Producing in Central Florida (Economic Geography)

Monday, December 19, 2011

Wine Producing in Central Florida (Economic Geography)

By Dr. Edmar Bernardes DaSilva with Dr. Robb N. Kvasnak

Visiting Orlando I leaned that Florida also produces wine. I never knew Florida was a wine producer. Believe me it is. The wine region of Florida is located in the Central Highlands a little north of Clermont. Region where the physical geography is made up of rollings hills and a great number or lakes. The winery itself is located at approximately 100 m above sealevel.

Picture of Lakeridge Winery in Central Florida (Near Orlando)

Lakeridge Winery is a lovely place where you can experience wine making, tasting and also can see a closeup of the vines. The winery building reminds you of a house in southern Spain. Inside you will fine loads of local wines and other souvernirs related with wine drinking. Southern Red, which remindes me of the Brazilian wine Sangue de Boi (Ox Blood) and the Portuguese wine Vinho do Porto (Port Wine), Couvé Noir Reserve, which remindes of a wine produced in the upper São Francisco River region in Brazil, Couvée Blanc, Blanc Du Bois, Chablis, Sunblush, Pink Crescendo, Southern White are the wines produced in the winery. They will give you a free tour and wine tasting.

Lakeridge Winery in Central Florida

The amazing thing is that the grapes used here, (the Muscadine grapes), are native to North America. Some of the grapes are imported vines that are grafted onto the native American grapes since vines imported from Europe would not survive in the humid and hot climate in Florida.

Professor Harm de Blij

Dutch geographer and author. Professor de Blij left a legacy to be followed by us younger geographers. His regional divisions of the Earth in my view is the closest to reality (and I love his micro-regional divisions) with exceptions (some flaws can be found in his publications). Great geographer and also a great researcher. Professor de Blij wanted to meet me personally, but I never had the honor to meet him personally. Professor de Blij exchanged e-mails with me and also included my name in two editions of his books The World Today and Regions. I also had the honor to receive from him a copy of his book Why Geography Matters with his personal dedication to me with his signature and date. Professor de Blij did an extensive study of the wine regions of the Southern Hemisphere and Brazil my homeland was part of it which became a book (I own this book). Professor de Blij wrote me in a personal e-mail that he was six month in South America doing the research on wine regions of South America.