Henscratch Farms Vineyard and Winery

When you think of wine country, the first place that comes to mind is probably California.  After all, two of the country’s famous wine destinations are there: Napa Valley and Sonoma County.  Have you ever thought of Florida and wine in the same sentence?  Probably not, but maybe you should.

Florida is now home to 30 certified farm wineries.  One of them, Henscratch Farms Vineyard and Winery, is located off the beaten path near Lake Placid on Henscratch Road.  It’s one of those places that tends to say “welcome” the moment you drive onto the property.

Our visit came during a time when there were no grapes on the vines – they are dormant during the winter and won’t actually have fruit until July.  When it’s up and running, the winery produces seven types of country-style wines, all of them said to celebrate the “taste of the south.”  The actual winery can be found in a converted agricultural grain bin complete with vats, old wooden kegs and historical photos.  There is no action inside the bin on this visit, but during the second week of August, there’s a Grape Stomp Festival.  Yes, they still stomp grapes and you can join in the fun.  It takes eight weeks for the wine to be ready for bottling, but you can pre-order it during the stomp and have your photograph put on a custom label.  Of course, if you can’t wait until the wine is ready, you can always get a taste of Henscratch wine inside the country store.

Besides the wine tasting, the old country store (built in the old cracker style) is filled with everything from the wines produced on site to homemade jams and jellies, sauces and syrups, and a variety of other country store items.

There is more to Henscratch than just the wine and the country store.  There are u-pick strawberries from December to March.

Blueberries are ready for picking in May and June, and grapes from July to September.   There is also live music January to March on Wednesdays and Fridays.

And with a name like Henscratch, what else could you expect to find?  Hens!  More than 200 of them roam around the property and feeding them is one of those things you just have to do while you are there.

Henscratch is another one of those gems found on a Florida backroad.  The winery is closed on Mondays and wine can’t be served until after 1:00 on Sunday.  If you’re looking for something to do, this is a great way to spend an hour or two of your day.