Offer on house accepted, and just like Frank Constanza, we’re moving in lock stock and barrel to Inlet Beach, FL (not quite Del Boca Vista, but what is?). What do I need to know from WBers who may live in the area … any offline tasting groups, restaurants with good wine service and corkage policies, wine shops, storage facilities, etc? What do I need to know before moving in March?
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What you need to know:
Never turn on the AC.
Get on the condo board.
Don’t trust Jack.
Bring a space pen that can write upside down.
Leave the raincoats in New York.
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Isn’t that Alabama?
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Chan’s Wine World several locations have a decent selection of wines for that area. Have found some good stuff on my yearly trips to 30A. Good beer selection, too.
Looking forward to seeing you at the clubhouse and on the shuffleboard court! 
seriously, congratulations, good luck, and enjoy your new home
Keep your shoes on in the club house.
Kidding aside, it’s a gorgeous area. I’d take a beach house were it closer to Orlando. My wife and I stay at Rosemary Beach once per year. Wild Olives Wine Bistro is nice, more California-focused with some big named Cabs, but I grabbed some Rayas and Clape there this past March. The Wine Bar is always popular and the owner is really cool. If he knows you are a wine fan, things start pouring.
Following - we’re down that way once or twice a year - strategy is always to bring wine from home, buy beer locally : )
Honestly, that remains the better approach. While you can find some things here and there, stuff ain’t cheap, mark-ups are generally big at all restaurants and retail stores. And if your palate is Old World, selections are limited. Wild Olives does have unique finds, though, every time I’m there. I picked up Rayas well below market price, even flat out told the owner that, and he stuck to his price.
There is a liquor store right smack in the middle of PBC, oceanside right between the hotels. Cant recall the name, but it’s obvious when you see it. I popped in for beer, got all excited because of the limited but mature Bordeaux selection. Bought a few, not good, storage is bad. Total pass.
My best friend, who lives in Panama City, confirms so.
Restaurants have dress codes. Men cannot wear sleeved shirts. Also, their belt buckles must be hidden from sight.
I am new, less than a year, to NE Florida-Jacksonville-relocated from NJ - NY area, and not too impressed by wine retail here. There is 1 wine specialty shop that I have found, and it gets some name stuff, but it is small. If I want to browse selection, it is Total wine. Or online and ship. The pricing here is not as good as up north, as far as I can determine. The local Costco claims they are the biggest mover of wine in the SE, but neither prices nor selections compare well with what I see on the official WB Costco thread. Maybe I just have not figured it out yet.
wine world isnt a bad bet…
Publix are great there. We stay in Watercolor, and the publix there has a decent enough selection to get us through the trip.
30A songwriter’s festival in January (not 2021) is a blast.
I have purchased Trapet, de Montille, Pavelot, etc. from Beyond The Grape in Pensacola.
That’s Georgia.
Nice beach.
No cold storage and crazy Bourbon pricing. My brother-in-law has a house about a mile from that place. I bit on the wines once has he had some great older Cabs. Ran into the same issue, duds and DOA. Great for beer and vodka.
We normally spend 2-3 weeks every summer next door in Rosemary beach. Love the place. Carousel supermarket in laguna beach has a pretty decent selection and always worth looking in their “cave” for stuff. In terms of restaurants, 30A and George’s would be tops for us. For kids, we really enjoy La Crema tapas and the chocolate fondue in RB. Perfect Pig in Seagrove is good too.
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In Rosemary Beach - Cuvee 30a, Edwards, & Havana are all worth a look.
cafe 30a, cuvee 30a, pescado for view, shades for sports bar, Terraces (thurs, Fri and Sat only), paradis, Big Bad Breakfast, Back Beach BBQ are some decent food spots. Wine is another story. If it’s decent, it’s very expensive. Most everywhere will allow corkage. no Known storage facilities. We are 1.5 mi east in Carillon Beach. Carousel and Destin Ice market have the best wine selection so far. you will love the area. Great late August to May. Summers are crowded and hot.