The “World” According to Jack

Last year I wrote a blog about the Morse Museum which features one of the largest collections of Tiffany glass in the country. Today I’m going to write about another local, non-Disney attraction. As before, I’m aiming this information to those of you who have visited Disney so often that you mouth the words along with Ben Franklin and Mark Twain in the American Adventure. You could skipper a Jungle Cruise boat because you know all of the jokes by heart. And you know the difference between an okapi and a bongo you’ve ridden Kilimanjaro Safari so many times. In other words, to those of you who could use a break from the Mouse.

The Lakeridge Winery is located about 35 minutes northwest of Disney World in the community of Clermont. As the name implies, the vineyard is perched on a ridge overlooking a lake. A total of 127 acres of gently rolling countryside make up the estate. The setting is tranquil and is exactly what you would expect from such a facility.

When you enter the visitor’s center, you find yourself in a welcoming gift shop filled to the brim with merchandise and wine. You can easily spend twenty minutes checking out all of their wares. In one corner you’ll find a number of gourmet items to accompany your next wine party. These are the type of food supplies that you won’t find in your local grocery store like exotic salsas, flavored oils, and fancy crackers just to mention a few. A number of cookbooks are also available.

In other sections of the shop you’ll discover wine paraphernalia. Every kind of cork screw you can imagine, and some you can’t, are on display. Wine racks, decanters, and glasses of every description are available. Cheese slicers, mortar and pestles, and of course, Lakeridge Winery T-shirts can be had.

In the back corner of the store is a case displaying the many awards the winery has won. Also in this section of the room is a window that looks into the laboratory where samples are tested for sugar, acid, and pH balance, among other things.

The rest of the shop is devoted to wine. A number of racks display their offerings with a price list and description overhead. You can either pick up individual bottles or if you’re really thirsty, cases can be found underneath the shelves. You can also mix and match cases with several varieties. The more you buy, the bigger the discount.

For those of you who decide to buy a case or more, red wagons are available so you can pull you purchases out to the car.

Tours are given every thirty minutes – on busy days, sometimes every twenty. Since there is enough merchandise in the shop to keep you busy until the tour begins, you don’t need to worry about timing your arrival at the winery.

My friend Donald and I were there on a Monday and things were rather slow. As it ended up, we were the only two people on the tour. Our guide was informal and made us feel welcome. We headed upstairs and the tour began in a small theater. Here we saw a fifteen minute video chronicling the history of the winery and we learned a little bit about grape harvesting and processing. I know the benches look hard, but don’t worry, they are padded on the seat and back.

When the video finished, we were escorted into the “barrel” room where fermenting takes place in stainless steel tanks. Our guide then provided us with a detailed explanation of what goes on during this portion of the wine making process.

The next stop was on a balcony that overlooks the vineyard. If you think the lake looks rather pitiful, you’re right. It does. The drought in Florida has taken its toll. We were told that in an effort to conserve water, all of the vines are irrigated with either a drip or mist system. This uses 1/10 the amount of water of that of conventional irrigation.

Also from this vantage point we could see the grape harvester, crusher-stemmer, and presser. The presser uses a large balloon that inflates and deflates numerous times to gently squeeze the juice from the fruit.

Back inside we find the bottling, corking, and labeling machine. All of the wine produced here is bottled here as well. Also in view is the warehouse.

The walking tour takes 20-30 minutes. Since there were only the two of us, and we’ve been to many wineries in the past, we didn’t have many questions. But questions were certainly encouraged on this casual tour.

When we returned to the shop, it was time for wine tasting. Our guide spent the next fifteen minutes pouring us seven different samples and explaining their differences. Keep in mind, these are “samples.” You’re only getting a small taste of each. I suppose in total we were given one full glass if you combined them all.

The primary grape grown at the Lakeridge Winery is the Muscadine. This is a sweet variety that is well suited for the hot Florida climate. Several hybrid grapes have also been developed that do well in this region and are used in several of their selections.

A banquet room is available for special occasions and you can choose from several local caterers for food service.

The winery offers a number of festivals and events during the year. Everything from jazz and blues concerts to wine-stomping contests takes place in a grassy picnic area adjacent to the main building.

I purposely did not go into detail about the wine making process or the varietals produced here. I wanted to leave something for you to discover on your own when you visit.

Lakeridge Winery is open Monday through Saturday 10am-5pm and Sundays 11am-5pm.

From most locations at Walt Disney World, travel south to US-192 and head west toward Tampa. At US-27, go north toward Clermont. In approximately 21 miles, make a U-turn at Libby No 3 Road – you are now traveling south on US-27. The winery will be on the right side of the road. You can’t miss it.

The tour, parking, and tasting are all free. Shipping is available.

Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards
19239 U.S. 27 North
Clermont, Florida 34715
1-800-768-WINE

For more information about the winery and the special events held here, check out their extensive website.

http://www.lakeridgewinery.com/index.php

I’ll leave you with two pictures I took from the parking lot.

Just in case you’re not getting your complete Disney fix while vacationing at Walt Disney World or Disneyland, the company has come out with something else to keep us happy -- Disney Eggs.

I don’t know if they’re available nationwide, but they’re for sale in Orlando and cost me $2.69 at my local supermarket.

Each egg is stamped with one of six characters – so you get two of each. But different cartons contain different characters so if you’re little one really loves Buzz Lightyear, you might need to open several packages before finding our Toy Story friend.

The TV commercial shows someone frying an egg in the shape of our favorite Mouse using a Mickey mold. But this MM mold was not for sale at my market. I know at one time they were sold at Walt Disney World, but I haven’t checked lately so I can’t guide you in that direction with any certainty.

I have to assume that the intended market for these eggs is children. But if I remember my own childhood correctly, I never saw the egg until after my mother had cooked it and served it to me on a plate. So I’m not quite sure what the appeal will be for the little ones. But hey, I guess we adults can enjoy these cute little eggs too.

This blog is primarily for those of you who vacation at Disney World at least once a year and have seen everything that the Mouse has to offer a dozen times or more. I know this suggestion might seem outrageous to some of you, but I’m going to propose leaving “property” and trying something new. No, it’s not Universal or Sea World. I have something far more unique in mind -- the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum.

My sister, an antique dealer, visited me a couple of years ago. Since she’s not into Disney (I think she must be adopted), she wanted to do something more to her taste while here in Orlando. After a little research, she discovered that the most comprehensive collection of art created by Louis Comfort Tiffany was located just north of downtown Orlando in Winter Park. The collection includes lamps, pottery, jewelry, paintings, art glass, leaded-glass windows, and the chapel interior Tiffany designed for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

The museum was founded in 1942 by Jeannette Genius McKean. In 1957, the museum rescued architectural elements, windows, and furniture from Tiffany’s Long Island estate which was severely damaged in a fire. Over the next fifty years, the collection continued to grow and is now considered the most comprehensive collection of the designer’s work.

The tour of the museum begins with a short film. Here you will learn about the people who created the museum and how their love of the arts helped them assemble this wonderful collection. You will also learn about the artist, Louis Comfort Tiffany.

After the movie, there is a suggested path in which to experience the museum. Toward the end of your journey, you will be treated to the Tiffany Chapel, which is the highlight of the collection. Displayed at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, this Byzantine-inspired chapel contains sixteen mosaic columns, six elaborately carved plaster arches, a white glass and marble mosaic alter, a baptismal font, and a 1,000-pound 10x8 foot electric chandelier in the shape of a cross. It’s truly breathtaking!

Like all museums, (and Disney attractions) you exit the Morse through a gift shop. Along with the traditional gift items usually found in a museum shop are pieces of jewelry and art inspired by Tiffany.

Since photographs are not allowed inside the museum, I have no pictures to share with you. Sorry. See the web-links below.

The museum’s hours are as follows:
9:30am – 4:00pm Tuesday through Saturday
4:00pm – 8:00pm Fridays, November through April – free admission on these nights
1:00pm – 4:00pm Sunday
Closed Monday

The price of admission is $3 for adults, $1 for students, and children under 12 are free. But to be honest, I doubt that many children under 12 would find this museum of interest.

The museum is located at 445 North Park Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789 (407) 645-5311

From Disney World, get onto Interstate 4 traveling east. Shortly after passing downtown Orlando, take the Fairbanks Avenue exit (Exit 87). Turn right and proceed toward Winter Park 1.8 miles. Turn left onto South Park Avenue. Proceed 1/2 mile to the Museum. Parking is available at the rear entrance of the Museum. The trip should take between 25-35 minutes once you get onto I-4.

The museum is also within easy walking distance of a pleasant shopping district. Several blocks of Park Avenue are filled with boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants. Here, brick sidewalks and old oak trees create a gracious atmosphere, making this the perfect spot to have lunch at a sidewalk café before or after you enjoy the museum. Paralleling much of this shopping district is a lovely park. More oak trees and a beautiful fountain help transport you back in time to a simpler, more amiable era.

There are a number of free parking lots in the Park Avenue area.

For more information regarding the museum and Park Ave, click here:

Morse Museum: http://www.morsemuseum.org/home.html

Park Avenue: http://www.parkave-winterpark.com/