Exploring The Wine Room

This walkthrough is based on The Wine Room in Winter Park, FL on 270 S Park Ave.

The Wine Room remains one of my favorite first date locations in the Central Florida area. The Wine Room is a place of business that allows you to sample over 100 different types of wines via dispensers (similarly to when you grab a soda at a self-serving station in a restaurant). There's a large variety of wines available for sampling. From Malbecs to Moscatos and from Riojas to Pinot Grigios.

Navigating through downtown Winter Park remains one of the most difficult challenges for any Floridian. Parking is even more ridiculous. I don't even attempt to parallel park on the side streets due to past troublesome experiences. Therefore, I recommend you park in one of the various parking garages located in downtown Winter Park. My go-to garage is the Sun Trust parking garage located on 131 E Comstock Ave. A walk to The Wine Room will take about 5 minutes from here. If you choose not to park here, there are other free and pay garages and parking lots available to choose from.

As soon as you enter The Wine Room, you'll have to obtain their version of a prepaid card in order to sample the wines. Here, you can add any monetary amount you want. Each sample varies in price due to factors such as type and sample ounces ( sip, half-glass, etc). Samples can range anywhere from $2-$19 an ounce.

(Tip) Gentlemen, if you're taking your date here for the first time, I recommend obtaining the card and loading it before you come. That way she won't be off-put by how much, or little, you decide to load onto the card. You can always reload if you run out of funds during the night. Just ask for assistance from one of the staff members.

As you walk through the establishment, you'll see stations of different wine types, such as Sweet Reds, Cabernet Sauvignons, desserts, etc. Some wines are even separated by regions. Including Argentina, Spain, France and Italy.

Each wine that is available for sampling will be on display, and will also include a brief description of the wine, price per oz, and even price per bottle if you decide to purchase your favorite samplings. Once you find one that you'd like to try, simply tap the amount of wine that you'd like, insert your prepaid card directly into a slot above the the row of bottles, place your glass directly below the dispenser, and out will come your selection. Drinking wine can increase your appetite, which is why there is a menu of flatbreads, cold cuts, and cheeses to eat why you indulge on your wines. For one-on-one time, or to sit and relax, there are various rooms, tables, bar tops, booths, and benches where you can converse and drink.

The Wine Room is a fun activity for couples, friends, and family members. Therefore, it's often packed with customers and staff. Please keep this in mind if you're claustrophobic or don't like being surrounded by large amounts of people. However, the customers are super friendly and gracious while the staff are very knowledgable and accommodating. Also, keep in mind that The Wine Room can become very expensive, very quickly. It's not uncommon to spend over $100 dollars in one evening. But that's also not to say that a little ($20-$50) can go a long way depending on your tastes.

As a wine fan, when I discovered The Wine Room it immediately became one of my go to locations in all of central Florida. I've been going for a few years and will continue to do so! I encourage you to as well, however please drink responsibly and NEVER drive while intoxicated.