Frank Family Pinot Noir Carneros 2016 ($38) at The Carriage & Wine Market in Florence, AL

I recently visited the quaint town of Florence, AL to play golf with a buddy. But I loved this little town so much, that I took my wife there last weekend. Together we found an amazing little spot called the Carriage & Wine Market, located at 121 E. Mobile St. in Florence. The experience was amazing and unexpected. This is the story of our weekend.

Concert goers mingled across the street from the the Carriage & Wine Market as the echoes of the sultry sound of a sold out blues show filled the early fall air which was just as steamy as the music.

On a long-weekend-getaway spent kayaking on clean, clear Alabama creeks and challenging the treacherous Fighting Joe at The Shoals Golf Club (Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail), the Carriage & Wine Market was just what we needed to unwind.

Inside the Carriage & Wine Market, an institution every hometown needs, a varied collection of domestic and international wines lined the store’s wooden shelves. A little sunburned and fatigued from the trip’s events and in need of a quiet place to unwind, the comfy blue sofa chairs and inviting wood bar felt like a warm hug. A cheese, fruit, nut and charcuterie platter with healthy portions sated our hunger, and even better were the Frank Family wines being poured by the glass.

Cheese board at The Carriage Wine and Market in Florence, Alabama, USA.

Rich Frank, owner of Frank Family wines, is a former entertainment mogul whose resume features work experience such as president of Paramount Television group, Chris Craft Television, chairman of Walt Disney Television and Telecommunications and head of Disney’s syndication arm (Buena Vista).

If you are trying Frank Family wines for the first time, I recommend the Pinot Noir. This wine shows tobacco on the nose, and tasty cranberry and cherry flavors on the front of your tongue. The mouthfeel is charming, and the experience is overall amazing.

The Carriage Wine and Market provided a pleasant surprise by pouring a higher priced wine by the glass and furthered my opinion of Florence, Alabama. Near Florence, there are plenty of outdoor adventures to be had, a collection of restaurants that span from casual to avant-garde, and a wine bar for a quiet night to relax with friends or rest your aching muscles!

Cheers!

Rich Frank and family at Frank Family Vineyards in California, USA.