Coastal Wine Market & Tasting Room

by Lori Allen

So our little area of the world is beginning to boom! More and more restaurants and bars are heading down this way.  Every time you take a ride down Nocatee I am sure you will see something new. But for the past year or so Coastal Wine Market & Tasting Room has planted their roots and begun to bloom. A few friends and I decided to check out the wine tasting and small plate selection right before Christmas. We got lucky and they were holding one of their local benefits so if you brought in a toy for needy children you got a free wine tasting! This warm and friendly establishment is always helping out in the community. I had attended a run sponsored by Chemo Noir a few months before and that’s where I heard about Coastal Wine Market, they were there offering free tastings to help the benefit.  They really embrace the local spirit!
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  So when you open the door to this ornate yet not pretentious, quaint Tasting Room you are greeted right away with warm friendly smiles and hellos. You can see all the wonderful wines displayed and a chalkboard listing all the specials. Because it was the holidays my friends and I decided to go with a little sparkling Rose seeing how it was the special of the evening.  It was light and somewhat fruity with lots of bubbles, a perfect pairing for some cheese and crackers. We went with just one cheese, a nice sharp Manchego that was served with toasted bread and herbed Pecans.  This set the tone right away with every bite complimenting the sparkling wine.  Our next wine was a Pinot Noir and we choose some Coastal Wine Potato Wedges or as others would refer to them as loaded potato skins. They were filled with wild boar, Karst Cave Aged Cheddar and were served with a side of Lemon Chive Aioli for dipping.  They were not huge, hence the name “small plates” but they were packed with flavor! You could taste the meatiness of the boar and sharpness of the cheese cooled down with the Aioli. Really good. We also tried the Rustic Stuffed Mushrooms and had to fight over who got the last one! These are filled with Italian cheese and crispy prosciutto and of course a nice tangy cabernet reduction. Swipe those thru the reduction and pop them in your mouth for a bite of rich creamy mushroom flavor with just a tad bit of “zing” from the wine.   YUM!  Our last bite of flavor was their market meatballs. You can order as many as you want because they are priced per piece.  They come with what they call “Homemade Jersey Gravy” which is essentially a wonderful garlicky red sauce that the meatballs are simmered in and then they top it off with some fresh Basil Ricotta Cheese.  You can’t stop dipping your meatball in that soft creamy cheese!

​​There are so many wines and some craft beers to choose from and the staff is so helpful, knowledgeable and super friendly so don’t hesitate to ask. They encourage you to tell them what you are looking for or want to try. I am sure that they will be able to find a great wine for any palate. They also have this incredible charcuterie (Cheese/meat boards) to pair with those wines. There are so many different varieties to choose from…goat cheese, soft blue, aged cheddar, spicy Edam to name a few. Then you can add ham, pepperoni, dry salami, even Texas wild boar, along with some seasoned nuts and unusual crackers and maybe even a spread of jam. You won’t be disappointed. And the coolest thing is that they offer these boards TO-GO which comes in a handy portable box so you can take that short drive down to the ocean plop yourself down on a towel with your box of treasures and enjoy a beautiful sunset!  Ahhhhh the Florida life!