Keel And Curley Winery
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Keel and Curley Winery is near Plant City, Florida, about 15 miles east of downtown Tampa. The winery and its farm are located on 25 acres on Thonotosassa Road in east Hillsborough County land.
My friends do not believe me when I tell them that the road is named after Lake Thonotosassa, an Indian word that means "lake on the shores of which we find flints to start our fires".
Joe Keel is a Floridian who has been growing blueberries in the area for years.
Every year after harvest, his unsold blueberries were frozen. This is when the idea of blueberry wine came into his mind.Joe found a Vermonter, Chase Marden, and they partnered up. Chase had experience developing fruit wines in Burlington, Vermont. They bottled their first wine in 2003, and now produce 16 different varieties.
The blueberries are picked by hand, crushed, fermented and bottled right on the property. The blueberry wines come dry, semi-dry and sweet.
In addition to the blueberry wines, they also make fruit fusion wines. These include grape varieties fused with tropical fruits.
They also have traditional grape wines made from California grapes.
They have a nice tasting room and gift shop. All of their wines can be purchased in the store. The building also has a nice big deck to enjoy the country air.
"UNCORKED" is Keel and Curley Winery's after hours wine bar. It's open every Friday and Saturday from 5:00 pm to midnight. Happy Hour is from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm. You can enjoy live music along with your wine.
The winery also has banquet facilities, and is the scene of many weddings and wedding parties. The beautiful gazebo is a perfect setting for the ceremony.
The landscaped grounds, grape vineyard and spacious deck are ideal for a wedding reception.
The winery advises calling well ahead to book your date, as popular dates are commonly booked a year in advance.
Unlike many Florida wineries, Keel and Curley Winery sells their wines at your friendly Publix, Total Wine & More and several other stores.
HOURS OF OPERATION
Retail Store Hours
- Sunday - Thursday: 11:00am - 5:00pm
- Friday and Saturday: 11:00am - Midnight
- Friday and Saturday: 5:00pm - Midnight
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DIRECTIONS
From I-4, take Exit 17.
Turn left on Branch Forbes Road. It becomes North Branch Forbes Road.
Turn left on Thonotosassa Road (CR-580). You will see the winery at 5210 Thonotosassa Road.
For additional information on wines and special events call 813-752-9100.
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