Wine Down Wednesday at Matanzas on the Bay

Photo Courtesy: Matanzas on the Bay

Summer in Southwest Florida is hot! But there are so many refreshing wining and dining deals that make these months more tolerable. Wine Down Wednesday at Matanzas on the Bay on Fort Myers Beach, FL is one of them.

Every Wednesday every bottle under $70 is half off, and don't be fooled into thinking that a beach restaurant doesn't have good bottles. The new wine list is out and it has gems from Van Duzer, Swanson, Frog's Leap and more. 

Photo: Gina Birch

I particularly like all of the selections from California's Central Coast and Paso Robles. There are some fantastic early dining specials here too. Between  4:30 and 7:30 Sunday through Thursday enjoy a four-course dinner for $60 a couple and that includes a bottle of wine. 

Bay Bread, loaded with cheese, artichoke and crab

Fish is the specialty here. Its local and some of the freshest on the beach. The sauces are made in-house and even the breading for the delicious coconut shrimp is made from scratch.

The upstairs deck is famous for it's pizza and live music. But regardless of where you sit, you can't beat the view; sun up or sun down.

Photo: Gina Birch

The staff is hospitable and the outside deck is dog friendly. Check out this inviting local spot at the base of the Matanzas bridge before the winter tourists come back, and take advantage of these spectacular summer deals. 

Wine Wednesday, Castoro Cellars

It's Wine Wednesday!!! Since it's a little chilly in Southwest Florida today I picked a juicy, spicy, comforting Zinfandel from Castoro Cellars. I'm thinking about a pot of red sauce, or a pizza delivery tonight with this one. It's a great find for under $15 retail. You can also find it on the menu at Yano's in downtown Fort Myers. Thanks Heather from Opici and Chris Riley, from Castoro! Chris talks about the winery, it's organic practices and the yummy wine here: