Life tastes sweeter at Duplin Winery
Winemaker adds Panama City Beach location to its roster
By Michelle Farnham
Aug. 26, 2023
PANAMA CITY BEACH – If you’ve been cruising down Highway 98 in Panama City Beach lately, you’ve likely noticed the soaring wooden structure to the south that is the new Duplin Winery. As the oldest and largest muscadine winery in the South, Duplin focuses on this specialty wine, known for its distinctively sweet flavor.
At 38,000 square feet, the new spot is Duplin’s largest, with sister locations in Rose Hill, North Carolina, and North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Duplin General Manager Morgan Jackson said the complex’s five tasting rooms are the highlight of your visit, offered to guests without a reservation.
“You’ll have a guided tasting experience of 10 to 12 different wines with one of our knowledgeable staff,” Jackson explained. “While there, you have our gourmet cheese dip that we make here at the winery along with homemade crackers and a complimentary glass of wine of your choosing from the tasting.”
Rooms are limited to 20 to 25 guests to give you a private wine experience, while also allowing you to make new friends as you sip.
Migrate to the gourmet kitchen where you can sample Duplin’s homemade fudge and cheesecake, taste Sweetzers (frozen wine drinks) and nosh on charcuterie boards. Over in the large retail shop you can hand-bottle your own wine to take home, as Duplin has been doing since the 1970s.
New to muscadine wine? Native to the South, muscadines thrive in our hot climate and sandy soil, giving the resulting wines a sweet and fruit-forward flavor. Over its 50 years, Duplin has perfected its recipes to be able to control the sweetness levels of each of its labels.
“We have two wines we produced just for our Panama City Beach location,” Jackson said. “Our Orange Blossom is ‘fantabulous,’ as I call it. It’s got a little carbonation to it, so it gives you a little bit of sparkle. That is a blend of orange with our native muscadine, so it’s a very unique and refreshing flavor.”
The other Florida exclusive being hand-bottled locally is the Sunshine State of Mind, made from a traditional red muscadine, best served chilled, slightly sweet and fruity, she advised.
For those who prefer a drier vintage, Jackson points to their Carlos, a soft, dry white wine.
“We have two alcohol-free wines, too: scupernog and muscadine,” she added. “We have a muscadine cider and two frozen alcohol-free wine drinks, like our Berry Bliss or our Piña Colada.”
Duplin prides itself on being a family-friendly venue, as well.
“We love to have families come. Outside there’s cornhole and lots of fun things for the children to take advantage of out on the patio,” Jackson said, mentioning plans to further expand the outdoor event space by the lake. Live entertainment is offered every day from noon until 6:30.
The winery’s August grand opening celebration sold out very quickly, but plans are in place to roll out more special events throughout the calendar year.
“We’re so incredibly honored and blessed to be here and the community has welcomed us with open arms and we appreciate it so much,” she said.
Duplin Winery at Panama City Beach is located at 10101 Panama City Beach Parkway. Open Monday to Saturday, retail store hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and tastings are offered from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (tours run until 4:30 p.m.) For more information, visit the website at www.duplinwinery.com or call 910-289-3888.
