Store offers wine, education
By Suzanne Schmidt
Staff Writer
WESLEY CHAPEL—When entertaining at home, it is sometimes difficult to decide which wine would be the best to pair with the evening’s food, which is something WineHarvest is hoping to help people with.
The store, which recently opened in Wesley Chapel, is hoping to provide those answers and much more when it comes to wine. WineHarvest, 1269 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., offers a wide selection of wines and a nice atmosphere to enjoy it in. Joshua Bradley, store manager, said he likes to share his extensive wine experience with customers.
“Our motto is it is all about the good life,” Bradley said. “This is a place for people who are thoughtful about wine and interested in learning more about wine to slow down and enjoy the good life. Our philosophy is the right wine every time.”
The store offers wine tasting events, a wine club and other deals to help the community learn more about wine while also saving some money in the process. Through the wine club, customers select a membership level like silver, gold or platinum. Each month the customer will get two bottles of wine along with exclusive discounts and offers. Each Friday, there are free wine tasting events from 5 to 7 p.m.
“We want this to be a place for the community,” Bradley said. “Some people come to a wine tasting interested in learning all there is to know while some just want to have some nice white fruity wine and just have a good time, we like to cater to both crowds. We also have different themes for our wine tasting like an Italian night where we offer wines from Italy.”
The selection of wine includes mostly domestic wines from California and some from Oregon and Washington along with many imported wines from all over the world. In the future, the store will add Florida wines and organic wines.
“We have some of the wines that can be found at area liquor stores, but this a serious wine shop where we focus on allocated and hard to get wines,” Bradley said. “We are interested in boutique wines and other wines that can’t be found anywhere else. We also have a good selection of microbrew beers available.”
Bob Ong of Wesley Chapel said he loves the new store. He said he thinks it is much better then when it was a Cork & Olive.
“It is a lot more inviting and not so stark,” Ong said. “When I walk in, I feel like I want to sit down and have a drink. I like the bar and the artwork on the walls. I think it makes it look more inviting. It feels like a wine shop in SoHo in New York.”
Carol Worthingon of New Tampa said she loves the new place especially since members of The North Tampa Art League are showing their artwork there.
“I have been to the Friday wine tasting and I think they are great,” Worthington said. “I have learned about a couple wines. It is nice because they make it such a great place to hang out.”
In order to help members of the community get back and forth from the Gasparilla Day Parade Jan. 30, WineHarvest will have a Gasparilla Party Bus. The fee will be $40 per person and will include a champagne toast, beads and other pirate bounty.
“This is one thing we can do for the community,” Bradley said. “It is nice for people who live in the area to have a person to drive them there and back. They will be able to get right in to the party and won’t have to worry about parking. Also the bus will give them some sort of home base.”
On the Web site, the store offers a social networking platform, wine vault auctions, a wine education series with videos and live news and more. For more information, visit wineharvest.com.
IF YOU GO
- WHAT WineHarvest
- WHEN Mon. thru Thurs. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Sat. 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- WHERE 1269 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Wesley Chapel
- For more information, call 813-388-6898
