The Grape Stomp at Lakeridge Winery

Jump in the squishiness is fine.   If you've seen the Lucy episode where she's in an Italian Vineyard stomping and you have always wanted to try it, than this weekend is your lucky opportunity.  Florida is not known as the World's foremost spot for Wine.   Lake Placid has a  small but quaint Winery known as Henscratch and I think there might have  been a Hen there in the mix of that Agriculture area.  An Italian fellow looking out of place was wine tasting and sort of wondering when will they finish with dessert (fruity wines) and bring out the actual wine.  He was not a fan but others who like fruity wines were lining up for samples and buying some bottles as well.  Let's fast forward to this weekend's annual grape stomp at the Lakeridge Winery which also markets itself as San Sebastian in the St. Augustine area.   Lakeridge looks like a Winery with Large Vats,  Grape Vineyards and many choices of blends such as Southern Red or Proprietor's Reserve and sparkling wines that resemble Champagne except that they're from Clermont and not from the Champagne region so they must take on another title.

We started the day in Renninger's Antique Center, Flea and Farmer's Market in Mount Dora.  If you walk in the door of the indoor flea market near the office you can inhale the aroma of freshly made powdered doughnuts.  I'm not such a fan but the aroma is intoxicating and some tour participants have hailed this value added stop (freebie) as the highlight of the day. Our girls put a twist on the affair by not settling for the samples but buying a crate or barrel full (substantial amount) of the chocolate covered ones at about a cost of $2.   For about the same price or less you can have a choice of three different types of tomatoes in a basket or squash, corn and numerous other items that make you think that a two hour drive is worth it compared to today's grocery prices and these are unadulterated.  Let's go to the movies or at least the movie section and these can be adulterated.  I'm told they're not bootleg although they come on a computer disk in a plain white cover put into a brown paper bag.  First run movies at 2 for $5 and if one has a scratch (one in about 5 or 10) they'll replace them at your next visit.   They've been there in the same spot for the past five years that I know of so I'm guessing they must be legal?
Next it's off to Mount Dora's Historic area.   The bad new is it's the middle of the summer and some shops are closed up.  The Worst news is that my favorite shop, Uncle Al's Time Capsule is closed for good and now only online.  I loved strolling through the four area's of the shop enjoying the Nostalgia of Betty Boop, John Wayne, Gone with the Wind, the Wizard of Oz and my personal favorite, the Honeymooners.  On Saturdays they would have former Stars sign autographs such as Radar from Mash or an original Bond Girl 20 years later and still looking very fetching.    The good news is they replace the shops that close with great new places such as the In A Nutshell Miniatures shop or a new modern museum.

They got excited about buying the Boat and the Pina Colada or Key Lime Ice!

 The zoning laws must be very specific because chain stores are nowhere to be found in the Historic section of Mount Dora.  However what can be found is about 20 different choices of Restaurants ranging from British Tea Time to French Crepes outdoors or in with a musical serenade.    Seafoods, Steaks, Mexican, Italian, Icelandic, Floribian, German, Thai and authentic Cuban complete with original photos from Havana make up some of the choices.  I have an old friend who also writes about Food and even though I know him since Elementary school and the most recent I think I have seen him was High School he wrote of a restaurant online in Mount Dora known as Pisces Rising and I was able through his writing to go order the same dish he described so tastefully and was even served by the same waiter (coincidentally).  Based on my description of the dish, my old friend, his line of work (PR) and that he's from Tallahassee, the waiter said, "I remember that guy" and proceeded to pull out his card.    That!, my old and new friends is the power of online endorsements, Viva la Ristorante' and Bon Apetit.  The choice for lunch on Wine stomp day is the Goblin Marketplace Restaurant on an alley way off of the main drag and decorated with faux and real books throughout the hidden but well worth finding dining establishment.

 After a stroll through the town it is time to visit another unique eatery reminiscent of Hansel and Gretel in the Black Forrest but with better food than the Witches brewed, in the way of the Yalaha Bakery.

The Scenic drive from Mount Dora to Yalaha includes a riverfront road along Lake Dora until reaching Tavares and crossing over the Dora Canal, once described by a famous Sports writer in the 1930's named Grantland Rice, who called it the "most beautiful mile in the World."  We'll talk more about that in another blog about the spectacular boat rides offered in the area but for now suffice it to say that most of the boat ride is canopy covered and loaded with Wildlife.    The ride also crosses Little Lake Harris which is big and part of a chain of lakes. The Marina from the nearby Howey in the Hills Resort overlooks the tranquil lake.   Next, we get a glimpse of the dining overlook from the Resort which looks like you're in a Spanish mission and has about seven stations of food but again another chapter another time.

OK, after playing Red Red Wine on the way it's time to jump in the line and stomp.  Today's contestants are sizing up the competition and showing some team camaraderie during the warm up before the main event.

Link to video of Wine Stomp-http://youtu.be/fF7diCvGLG0

They didn't win but we were proud of them for competing with such vigor.    Bonus-  We got to do an East Coast Swing in the field to a good tune by a good band at the Festival which occurred spontaneously by request and therefore was not captured on film.