One day in 2014, Steve and Shaun Lourie were driving down Crosswater Parkway in Nocatee and examining the land that had been cleared when a light went off in their respective minds.
“We said, ‘We should do something,’” Steve Lourie remembers. “‘We should go for it.’”
The couple at that moment decided to act on their entrepreneurial spirit and embark on opening a new business in the burgeoning community. Wheels spinning, they came down to wine, which they both shared a passion for, and thought many in the community enjoyed too. They were right.
Opening in 2016, Coastal Wine Market & Tasting Room at the Nocatee Town Center has become a favorite hangout spot for many in the community. A “blended experience,” as described by Steve, Coastal Wine offers retail wine for sale, wine by the glass, gourmet cheeses and meats and a diverse small plates and tapas menu. The Nocatee business also holds various tastings and events with winemakers, private events and off-site events, too.
“It’s been an absolute blessing, and we are endlessly grateful for the support of the community,” says Steve, who moved to Nocatee with Shaun in 2013. “We see new faces every day. It’s just a testament to how much this community has grown. It’s just a wonderful gathering place that has seemed to catch on. So, we’re very lucky.”
Encompassing 1,200 square feet and featuring exposed brick walls and wood flooring, Coastal Wine exudes an intimate yet comfortable style with a rustic flair.
Several wooden high-top tables and chairs are scattered throughout the market for guests to sit and enjoy their drinks and snacks. One side of the business is lined with bottles of wine from all over the world, while the other features a bar and spread of craft beers.
While previously only offering cheeses and meats, Coastal Wine now offers a small plates and tapas menu that has taken off within the last six months thanks to the addition of Chef Jody Petronella, who joined the market in September 2018.
“We wanted to enhance our wines by the glass and craft beer selection, and we wanted to compliment that with a really elevated tapas menu,” Steve says. “We wanted to offer just a little more than simply cheese boards.”
Previously working in the food industry as a chef in several restaurants himself, Steve wanted to ensure the business was continually changing and evolving. Thanks to Petronella’s influx of new ideas, that has become a reality for Coastal Wine.
The market now offers snacks such as olive tapenade and crab dip nachos, as well as larger dishes such as the crispy Cantonese pork quesadilla and coastal comfort cheese steak.
“We find a lot of times people come and whereas they would have left and gone somewhere to eat and come back or not,” Petronella says, “now they have an option of having something close to a full meal so they can sit here and continue their conversation, continue their good time having wine.”
The market is proud to offer food and wine pairings. Just recently, the business hosted an event at which Petronella created a six-course menu to pair with six wines.
“Food-wise, we’re on the same page,” Petronella says. “Steve’s a serious foodie. … It’s always good to have him to bounce ideas off of or for him to not be apprehensive about my ideas because he knows what I’m going for.”
With 20 years in culinary arts working at several restaurants and businesses across the country, some of which he owned and ran, Petronella has seen it all in the industry, and he says what they’re doing at Coastal Wine is different.
“It’s the vibe here,” Petronella says. “That’s something that’s kind of hard to put a finger on what it is and what it isn’t. … He’s (Steve) got a really unique thing here. People love it.”
