Coastal Wine Market in Nocatee, Florida

Full disclaimer: I came to Coastal Wine Market with the goal of featuring them in my upcoming Galentine’s Day recommendation blog post (mark your calendars for February 1!). However, the owners and clients touched my heart in so many ways that I needed to give this wine bar their own blog post.

If you do not make it through this entire blog post (TL;DR), just know that I highly recommend paying a visit to Coastal Wine Market. Nocatee is a bit of a drive for many Jax residents, but if you have a free day where you want to drive a bit, your experience will be worth the trip.

The Atmosphere

During this visit, I had the pleasure of speaking with Steve, one of the owners. He informed me that he and his wife (Shaun) decided to open Coastal Wine Market as a place for Nocatee to “come together, take a breath, and toast.” All of their plates are sharable because he wants to encourage others to enjoy the food and wine together, while also enjoying each other’s company.

I previously visited Coastal Wine Market, and the vibe of this wine and tapas bar stuck with me. There is an entire room full of couches and comfy chairs (along with a massive chandelier) that makes you feel like you are in a fancy living room. The interior is dimly lit, so this is a great place to catch up with friends or spend a romantic evening with your partner.

My husband and I both work a lot, so we try to go out once a week and just focus on each other and being present in conversations. Sometimes it’s hit or miss with restaurants we visit being noisy, and sometimes we have a difficult time hearing each other talk. Coastal Wine Market was quiet and gave us the opportunity to really just relax and chat, and it was something I did not forget. 

There is also patio seating, which I highly recommend if you are dining during sunset.

The Wine

If you like wine, there is certainly no shortage of it here. If you are more of a beer drinker, they have that too. 

There are “limited-time wines,” also known as the Sommelier Selection. The current offering is the 2020 Domaine du Cayron Grigondos. I had a glass of it, and wow, it was amazing! There are very bold notes of raspberry and lavender, both of which I love! If you are able to try a glass before the selection changes, I highly recommend it.

If you like red wine, definitely try the Villa Loren Pinot Grigio. If you prefer white, try the Echo Bay Sauvignon Blanc. These wines are difficult to find elsewhere and are crowd favorites.

If you are indecisive (like me), wine flights are offered. There is a bubbles, red, white, and first-class flights.

Coastal Wine Market is great for all budgets. Even their house wine is high quality. But if you are in the mood to splurge, fine wines are offered here as well.

If you really like wine, Coastal Wine Market offers several membership options. Depending on the tier you select, you can receive 1-2 bottles each month. There are additional perks such as priority reservations for ticketed events and 15% off wine retail purchases.

The Food

As I mentioned earlier, the food options here are tapas style. All tapas (except for flatbreads) are $5 off during happy hour. Happy Hour is from 4 pm-6 pm Wednesday through Saturday, and from 4 pm-9 pm on Tuesdays.

There are loads of options for tapas; the menu is organized by hot and cold plates.

If you are interested in their charcuterie offerings, you essentially build your board. All boards come with crackers, nuts, and dried fruit, and you decide how many meats and cheeses you would like to add.

I tried the sliders, coconut shrimp, and goat cheese with fig jam. You really can’t go wrong with any of these options, but the goat cheese and fig jam is a clear crowd-pleaser (several tables ordered this to share, and informed me it is their favorite item on the menu). I really enjoyed this dish, as the sweet fig jam complemented the goat cheese. Not to mention it came with a baguette (cheese, wine, and bread…is there really anything better than that combination?)

The Angus sliders come with firecracker sauce, which gives this menu item tons of flavor. The coconut shrimp were crispy and had a sweet Thai chili sauce to dip them in.

Coastal Wine Market has gluten-free options and is allergy-friendly. Make sure you let your server know about any allergies or dietary restrictions you may have.

Pictured: Fig and Goat Cheese (Front), Coconut Shrimp (Back Left), Angus Sliders (Back Right)

Support Your Local Small Business

During my photoshoot with Coastal Wine Market, I ended up chatting with a few of their regular clients. I met a husband and wife who had been supporting this business since they first opened. The wife went on to tell me how much Steve and Shaun appreciate their customers. Customer feedback is taken very seriously (that’s actually how happy hour here came to be)!

I observed how the staff interacted with the customers and recognized the repeat ones. Everyone working here genuinely enjoys their job and the relationships they build with those who walk in the door.

I am always for supporting local businesses, but this place is so extraordinary that it is a second home for some. It really warmed my heart to see the amount of happy faces enjoying the company of each other and the staff.

Thank you, Coastal Wine Market for having me. It wasn’t my first time here and it certainly will not be the last.

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