Orlando winery first to serve wine on tap in Central Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. — Quantum Leap Winery, Orlando’s first and only winery, announced Thursday it will begin serving wine on tap this week after a recent state law was approved allowing wine to be served from reusable containers no larger than 5.16 gallons. Prior to the law being passed, Florida and Utah were the only two states that prohibited wine kegs, which are now distributed in 36 states.

Quantum Leap also announced a partnership with K Restaurant and Wine Bar, one of Orlando's first chef-owned and operated restaurants to become the first restaurant in Central Florida to serve wine on tap, starting on Friday, August 23.

Jill Ramsier, co-owner of Quantum Leap Winery, says that she is proud of the innovation that the winery is bringing to Florida by offering wine on tap. Quantum Leap will provide wine on tap at its location in the Mills 50 district, including Chardonnay, Riesling and Garda.

“I believe that we may be the first in the state of Florida to offer this to customers, and we are definitely the first in Central Florida,” Ramsier said. “The kegs go full circle from and to our winery and aren’t being shipped across the country to be refilled, providing significant carbon footprint savings.”

Wine on tap benefits consumers and the environment, in the following ways:

• Freshness – it's a perfect pour every time. The first glass is as fresh as the last. The tap system uses inert gas to preserve the wine as it is pushed through the system, eliminating oxidation and preventing spoilage.
• Environmentally Friendly – re-usable kegs hold the equivalent of 26 wine bottles. Wine on tap reduces the carbon footprint significantly through greater efficiency in the shipping as well as reducing waste by eliminating the need for glass, cork and capsules.
• Convenience – no corks, no bottles, no labels. Kegs are more compact and take up less inventory, trash and recycle space than 26 bottles.

Kevin Fonzo, owner of K, says the partnership makes perfect sense for his business, which is one of Orlando’s food forward restaurants that consistently showcases local food and partners.

“The wines from Quantum Leap are food-friendly wines that will make a great marriage with our menu at K that changes daily,” Fonzo said. “Wine on tap has so many benefits, from freshness of wine, reduced waste, it’s better for the environment and easy and fun for consumers.”

Fonzo said that K will start with serving white wines from the keg, including Riesling and Garda. He plans to evolve to other wines, including reds like Pinot Noir later in the fall.

WFTV