This summer we vacationed in Key West for a few days and we had three Chardonnays in three different places on the island. One was at our resort, Casa Marina, a premier place to escape. This hotel is listed in the National Register for Historic Places and has hosted many tycoons, dignitaries, artists, and tourists like us since the 1920's! It's simply beautiful in an elegant way- a nice "house by the sea"!
In the lobby of this resort, there is a small bar (not the only one though), to relax and grab a coffee, beer, or wine. One evening before we left to go to a restaurant, we tried a 2010 Francis Ford Coppola Votre Sante', a California Chardonnay ($14). If you look at the label, you will see it says a "Burgundian-style wine" from a California grape. To the winemaker, this means a wine that has a little higher acidity which helps with the aging process, and also a little lower alcohol-a wine that pairs extremely well with food. This wine was named in honor of Francis Ford Coppola's grandmother who would always say before toasting "A' votre sante' meaning to your health!" The winemaker's notes are so poetic, I didn't even try to describe it myself!
One night we ate dinner at the Sun-Sun, an outside restaurant on the beach. It was the middle of July and the weather was beautiful. Casa Marina has over 1,000 feet of beach front property with a restaurant, a beach side massage tent, places to play outdoor sports, have weddings, relax in hammocks, and two swimming pools with an open bar in between the two! With dinner I ordered a 2010 Cakebread Chardonnay ($40) from Napa Valley, a wine with a light straw color, lightly buttery (I don't like a lot of buttery taste), creamy and citrusy, and a spicy taste. A fabulous wine that I will definitely have again.
Our last night in Key West we rode the ferry to Sunset Key, a Westin property on a secluded 27-acre island across from Key West. It's quite the tropical paradise for the sophisticated traveler. We ate at Latitudes, the only restaurant on the island.
Of course, I think we all had seafood and one of the wines I tried was a Simply Naked Chardonnay. I never saw the bottle, but found one on the website along with tasting notes. This wine is crisp, fresh, and fruit forward. Citrusy and pear notes, with flavors of melon, fig and a touch of honey according to the winemaker. I would drink it again for sure!
Key West is a fun place to visit! I think one day I'd like to try out that secluded island for sure! The water is a gorgeous turquoise blue anywhere you look in the keys. A true paradise right in our own backyard!
Enjoy!
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