Eat & Drink: Purely Wonderful

By Rick Dakan

Boutique Organic Wine at Le Cave de Sylvie
2105 Reynolds St., Sarasota, FL 34231
Hours:
Wednesday – Friday: 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Wine can be intimidating. Walk into a big-box liquor store or even the wine aisle in your favorite supermarket, and the options befuddle all but the most dedicated wine aficionados. We go with the pretty label, or the funny name, or the one we’ve had before and thought was fine. We settle. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We can go to Sylvie, who offers something else entirely in her boutique wine shop, Le Cave de Sylvie, something wonderful.

“Don’t be swayed by the ads. Don’t buy just because it’s very expensive or very cheap,” says Sylvie. “Love is love, authenticity is authenticity, quality is quality. I don’t say it’s wonderful, I say it’s true and I present it.” Sylvie has been a vital part of the Sarasota culinary community for almost forty years. Locals and old timers like me have great memories of her restaurant, Chez Sylvie (1979 to 2010) which served fresh, organic French cuisine. “That’s my life, organic for years,” she says. “Honoring the produce, genuine in all things. These are the wines I served in my restaurant.”

Le Cave de Sylvie is a very modest boutique, tucked away in a row of businesses on Reynolds Street just off US 41, south of Gulf Gate Drive. As you enter, you’ll pass through a beautiful gate made from wine bottles and enter a small patio area. From there you’ll enter the store itself, which offers a small, precisely curated selection of wines and a large area for tasting them. This is the Sylvie experience: you’re here to taste and talk and learn and love wine, not pick a bottle at random and hope for the best. 

Sylvie offers only small estate wines from makers who’ve been organic for centuries, often with the same family on the same farm for the entire time. “In France there are a lot of passionate, honest people who make wine as a passion and won’t compromise on quality,” she explains. “Wine is alive. The wine is made in the field, from the ground, in partnership with the climate. These farmers don’t cheat. They make what they make. 150 cases one year if the weather is good, 50 the next if it’s bad. It’s a privilege and honor to be dealing with these wines. I don’t want to convince, I want to give people choices with authenticity, honor, intensity.”

Talking to Sylvie about wine is a delight, and almost as big an attraction as the wines she sells. Every wine has a story, like the wonderfully crisp Domaine Rosier Blanquette de Limoux sparkling wine. One of her (and now my) favorites, this dry, crisp bubbly from Limoux is made primarily from the Mausac grape, grown only in Limoux, France and was probably the first sparkling wine ever made, dating back to 1531. This mix of a delicious wine with stories about its fascinating origins exemplifies the Cave de Sylvie experience, an experience I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys wine.

Every month there is a big wine tasting hosted by Sylvie and the importer who brings these great wines into the US, held on a Friday evening. Every Wednesday, Sylvie hosts a smaller “Aperitif Pic-Nic” from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. where you can try a half-dozen or so wines and enjoy organic cheeses, fruits, and breads.
Go to lacavedesylvie.com for details and dates for each month.

Jessica’s Organic Farm
4180 47th St., Sarasota, FL 34235 | (941) 358-3895
Hours:
Friday: 2:00 p.m. ­– 7:30 p.m.
Saturday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sadly, we can’t live on wine and cheese alone, even if it is the wonderful organic, small-estate wine Sylvie specializes in. For healthier food that’s just as authentic and high-quality as the wines, Sylvie recommends Jessica’s Organic Farm, located right here in Sarasota, and she is not alone. This five-acre organic farm has been serving healthy, fresh produce just about as long as Sylvie has been serving food and wine.

Bill and Pam Pischer started Jessica’s as a pick-your-own strawberry farm in 1978 and have expanded to offer a wide range of produce. The farm sells fresh eggs and dairy, dried goods, and local fruits and vegetables. The availability, of course, changes with the seasons, so be sure to check out the Crop Schedule on the farm’s website at jessicasorganicfarm.com to see what’s available.

Catch up on Rick’s foodie escapades: