Duplin Winery at 50: Celebrating Panama City Beach
If 50 years of winemaking has taught us anything, it’s that the best celebrations happen where the sun meets the shore. As Duplin Winery’s golden anniversary year comes to a close, this half-century journey leads us straight to the coast: Panama City Beach, Florida, and an unforgettable sunshine state of wine tribute.
When we opened the doors here, just minutes from gorgeous sugar-sand shores, we wanted to build something timeless. At 38,000 square feet, Duplin-Panama City Beach is our largest winery ever, wrapped in the warm, easygoing Southern charm that has always defined what still feels like that friendly, little family winery our forefathers started so long ago.
A journey woven into the coast
Walking through the doors opens a world of celebration. Visitors can tour the immersive winemaker’s center, try their hand at bottling, and relax on the breezy lakefront pavilion where the best local musicians play. A pier over the lake leads straight to a delightful gazebo, which just happens to be one of Duplin co-owner Jonathan Fussell’s favorite spots.
“We had never taken on such a huge project so far from our base in the Carolinas when we started work on Duplin-Panama City Beach. During final construction in 2023, each night, after dinner, I would drive my golf cart around the winery to inspect progress and end up walking on the pier,” Jonathan recalls.
“During those quiet, sunset moments, the gazebo was the best place to admire what God had built and recall how much Duplin had grown since my grandfather, father, and uncle founded the company in 1976.”
Every detail, from the flowers we planted to the lovingly refurbished '60s-era Chevy pickup truck parked outside for the ultimate vacation selfie, was designed to make everyone who visits feel right at home.
2023 Reserve: A toast to Florida sunshine
To mark this milestone chapter in Duplin’s history, our final 50th Anniversary Series release is 2023 Reserve, an elevated red crafted in the spirit of our Panama City Beach grand opening.
When we opened PCB back in 2023, our winemakers created Sunshine State of Wine to celebrate Florida joining the Duplin family. With its bright flavor and vintage travel-poster label, it instantly became a favorite only available at Duplin-Panama City Beach. Now, 2023 Reserve takes that coastal inspiration even further and is available while it lasts at all Duplin locations and online. Made from late-season muscadines left on the vine to concentrate their candied sweetness, it opens with sweet strawberry and cherry notes before rounding out with a crisp, refreshing finish.
Enjoy 2023 Reserve ice-cold or poured over crushed ice. The crisp finish welcomes each new bite of a classic pressed Cuban sandwich or savory smoked fish dip. The wine’s fruity notes love tropical heat, making it a match for sweet-and-spicy coconut shrimp or jerk chicken skewers, either served with Duplin Gourmet Muscadine Pineapple Habanero Salsa.
For a tropical twist on the classic brunch mimosa, mix equal parts of chilled 2023 Reserve with fresh pineapple-mango juice in a champagne flute. Skip the traditional orange slice and instead garnish the rim with a fresh mint sprig and squeeze of fresh lime juice. The exotic fruit flavors heighten the wine's layers of flavor, creating an effortlessly refreshing, resort-style mimosa.
Looking back, looking forward
From slices of Chef Tabatha’s famous cheesecake in our sweets shop to spinning frosty Sweetzers at the bar, an ever-changing roster of exciting events, new tasting experiences, and the annual Grape Stomp fall festival, Panama City Beach represents the joyful evolution of everything we love about hosting you.
Explore: Duplin Winery-Panama City Beach
“I am awed each day by our team, cherished customers, and the generous Panama City Beach community. They are why this Florida dream that my father, uncle, and grandfather could hardly imagine 50 years ago has finally come true,” Jonathan reflects. “Cheers to the next 50!”
Every chapter of the 50 Years of Duplin story
2023 Reserve is the final chapter of the stories we've shared in 2026 about Duplin Winery's 50 years of history. Here's a list of all the stories.
Chapter 1: The Celebration Begins
Chapter 2: Myrtle Beach Days
Chapter 3: 50 Years of Yum | Favorite Duplin Family Recipes
Chapter 4: The First Ever Grape Stomp harvest fest
Winemaking Tradition: The Art of Muscadine Winemaking
