Pensacola has a uniquely fun culture. That culture manifests itself in many ways. One of the more unexpected yet tangible ways is in our local wine culture. In the first wine article for this magazine, I argued that we do, in fact, live in Wine Country. If you missed that article, you might be saying “we don’t live anywhere near Wine Country.” If your definition of Wine Country is only of a place where wine grapes grow then you would be correct, but your definition is woefully lacking. As a refresher; Wine Country is so much more than a place where grapes grow. It is a place where you can enjoy wine and enjoy the fellow and friendship that comes with sharing wine. Countries have identifiable, unique, and ubiquitous culture. Since we have established that we have this unique culture I argue that we do live in Wine Country. Wine culture = Wine Country. So where are the best places to take part in this culture, and buy a nice bottle of wine?
To be considered as one of the best local wine shops you must have these things: sell mostly wine (75% or more of total sales), be locally owned, and have wine knowledgeable staff. There are a few honorable mentions to start. So Gourmet, Wine World, ABC, and Four Winds. All sell good wine. Four Winds and So Gourmet are locally owned but are not true wine shops (they both have great food!). ABC and Wine World are not locally owned (FL owned), and wine knowledge is ephemeral. That leaves us with the following locations. Let’s take a look in chronological order, and to be clear, I am not paid by any of these shops. This is pure unbiased good stuff.
The first dedicated wine shop that is still running is Aragon Wine Market. Opening its doors in October of 2008 and located at the far southern end of 9th Ave, Aragon has been a benchmark of what a wine shop should be. Owner Charlotte and Wine Education Trust Certified Level 2 manager Pepper, along with the rest of the staff, can always get you a wine to match whatever you have going on. They also have a wine tasting every Thursday.
The Bottle Shops, both the original on Baylen St. and the more recent addition on 12th Ave in East Hill represent the traditional wine shopping experience. The founder and owner of the Wine Bar on Palafox, Ian, needed more room to store the wine. The result was the Bottle Shop on Baylen which opened in November of 2015. With continued success he opened up the second Bottle Shop in East Hill in Oct of 2021. Their staff is very knowledgeable, (esp. Todd, Richard, and Gary) and both have their own weekly wine tastings; East Hill every Wednesday and Baylen every Friday.
Next, opening in the summer of 2018 is Anna’s Fine Wine. Attached to Joe’s Patti’s Seafood and managed by Paula, Anna’s specializes in harder to find wines and wines with a certain flare. She hosts one of the biggest wine tastings once a month on the last Thursday. Not something to miss!
Our newest wine shop is one of our most unique. A Curious Wine Shop opened in January 2024 and is located on the 1st floor of the old Sacred Heart Hospital building on 12th Ave. Owner Hilary is a Level 1 Sommelier and a Certified Specialist of Wine. She is passionate about wine education and curates three different wines every week for anyone to taste during store hours. Those three bottles of wine represent a different weekly theme and can be purchased together in her signature Curious Wine Tasting Boxes that also come with a wine geek's dream of wine information. If you aren’t that curious, then you can just go in and buy a good bottle.
If you care about buying a wine that you will probably like, then buy from one of these shops. To immerse yourself in some of our local culture, check out one of the wine tastings and find out how truly special our local wine culture really is. Maybe I’ll see you there. Cheers to that!
“It is a place where you can enjoy wine and enjoy the fellow and friendship that comes with sharing wine.”
“This is pure unbiased good stuff.”