Formaggio & Friends — Restaurant in Edgewood

Add me to the other 5-star reviews of this quaint wine bar in the Fort Gatlin Shopping Center on Orange Avenue in the town of Edgewood! We decided to stop in here on a lazy Saturday afternoon to check it out as I heard a number of great comments about this place from friends and neighbors. Formaggio did not disappoint; it was an exceptional experience!

This small little wine shop is very warm and welcoming with sections of cool furniture and artwork along the walls. You can find a little niche, or a nice group setting to relax and enjoy your wine selections. It's located between The Porch and Runabout Brewing. The owners are Christopher and Gwen, and their wine shop opened in January 2023. Christopher greeted us at the door and welcomed us to his establishment. He served as our personal and amazing wine host, asking questions on what wines we preferred and made suggestions based on our input.

We started off with a Hinman Vineyards Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, which was light and flavorful, with an aroma of fresh red fruit. As we discussed other wines, my friend wanted to get a certain Pinot Gris, which was not available here, but Christopher made several recommendations based on the discussion of her palate preferences. He provided a few tastings, and she ended up selecting a Sonoma Bench Russian River Valley Chardonnay which she found perfect for her taste. I purchased a bottle for her and then decided I needed to take a bottle home for me. I asked about Shiraz wines and Christopher had me try an organic Paxton Shiraz McLaren Vale from South Australia. He stated the wine is 100 percent Shiraz, which is in French Oak barrels for 12 months. It had a subtle smokey oak and dark berries aroma, and I purchased the bottle after one tasting.

Chistopher also mentioned that on Saturdays from 1-3pm, Formaggio and Friends hosts a complimentary cheese and wine sampling that is open free to the public. He stated he doesn't need to advertise it as work-of-mouth does the advertising for him! (I decided to be the latest work-of-mouth satisfied customer!) I'm looking forward to my next adventure here, including a fun Saturday afternoon of tasting some new and exciting wines.

REVIEW FOR "SATURDAY SIPS": This is an update related solely to their "Saturday Sips" experience. Christopher, the owner told me about it at my initial visit, so I decided to come back to try out this weekly event.

Every Saturday, between 1-3pm, you can experience a free wine tasting. Christopher usually serves up the wine, but on certain Saturdays, a wine distributor stops in to introduce you to their selections. This past Saturday, Melissa provided the tasting experience consisting of 5 wines (2 white and 3 reds). You can attempt to guess what region the wine came from (Old World vs. New World, then country or state), the type of wine (Chardonnay, Cabernet, etc.) and the flavor and characteristics of the wine sampled (earthy; forest floor; fruit-forward; sweetness; dryness; etc.) Or, you can have Melissa (or the server on that Saturday) help you assess the wine based on your tasting experience. Melissa had an outstanding knowledge of the 5 wines served and I learned a lot about wine, while having a fun and highly enjoyable afternoon.

I highly recommend trying "Saturday Sips" at Formaggio & Friends (and bring a friend or two with you for a fun and enlightening exposure to...

Christopher and Gwen offer fine dining and fine wine in a relaxed atmosphere. "Take Flight Thursdays" offer insights into wines from different regions for a modest fee. "Saturday Sips" are a great way to get introduced to Formaggio & Friends, while enjoying free, small samples of the wines they offer. Periodic "Wine Maker Table" dinners are an outstanding value, and are extraordinary events. Seating is limited, and the cuisine and wines are on par with any high-end restaurant in Central Florida, including Celebrity Chefs -- yes! That good!

Christopher is a consummate host who wants everyone to feel welcome and comfortable. We've met so many great folks at Formaggio & Friends, we really feel the emphasis is on the friends! The quarterly "World Traveler" Wine membership is a hidden value - with 5 wines each quarter, for a set price, including 1 meat and 1 cheese for pairing. The selections are well thought out and very informational.

We had Spanish wines the 1st quarter this year and gained a new appreciation for the wines of Spain. These were followed by the wines of war in the 2nd quarter, which featured wineries and wines impacted by international conflicts... amazing! This quarter, it's the rare grapes of Italy, which we are very much looking forward to trying. For greater appeal, Christopher chose wines of light-to-medium body. Gwen's cheese selection was an incredible cow's milk cheese that we couldn't wait to dig into. It was...

We've been wanting to try this wine shop based on the stellar reviews, but our experience fell short and it seemed as though the friends and regulars of the owners got the attention. We came on a Sunday a few weeks ago. First impression was a very strong musty smell, which is what it is I guess. But we were impressed with the wine selection and quality of the cheese/charcuterie selection. We ordered wine and mine came out and then my husband's didn't come out until about 12 mins later, no exaggeration, except we saw the table next to us (only one of 3 tables including us) getting their wine and they were clearly regulars. So I sat there with mine until my husband's came. Odd. Wine was good. Charcuterie board was good but worth $60? Maybe, but the service was so off-putting that it didn't feel worth the $115 we spent with tip for 2 glasses of wine and one cheese/meat board. We seek out small places like this and had we had a different experience would have made this a regular stop despite it being 25 mins away. Just a weird experience over...