Like birds watching their prey, Neapolitans have been waiting for Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant to open from its perch north of Immokalee Road. The standalone structure, whose construction someone should have documented with a time-lapse video, now looks as though it could have been plucked from a West Coast vineyard. It will welcome guests beginning Monday, March 14.
Founder and CEO Tim McEnery, under 45 and a level two sommelier with a long history in the hospitality industry, says the buzz for this—his 22nd location in 11 years—has been the most enthusiastic ever. It's no doubt due to Southwest Florida's wine-obsessed nature, and the concept is cool. Buy grapes from California and elsewhere in the U.S. (using appropriate technology to preserve their freshness), make a line of proprietary wines out of an Illinois headquarters (regulars like pinots plus novelties like peaches), and sell them (and them only) in your restaurants.
Aside from a full bar, there's a Napa-style tasting counter at the entrance, which is also filled with knickknacks for sale. A $55 wire wine holder that could double as an oversized banana hanger caught our eye, along with disposable cocktail party plates that balance stemware. While you wait for a table, which hopefully shouldn't be for long because the dramatic mixed-wood space seats more than 200 people, you can choose from one of three eight-pour tasting flights. For anyone who doesn’t need the printed phonetics (“shar-doh-nay”), go for the slightly more expensive Lux list ($12) that features wines that have sat in French rather than American oak.
The wine theme continues through the menu as well with suggested pairings written by each item, a paint-by-the-numbers approach for newbies (or helpful if your brain is fried after a long week). Want the creamy burrata and prosciutto bruschetta with a hint of smokiness from the charred bread? That goes with Bin 37, the sparkling blanc de blanc. Or a pretzel-crusted pork chop? Pair it with Bin 97, the merlot. The offerings stay the same throughout the country and change about once a year. They have that modern American something-for-everyone M.O., so you could theoretically eat chicken piccata, pistachio-crusted grouper and ahi tuna sashimi all at once, and, like any winery, there’s a club that gives members one or two bottles each month and lets you rack up rewards points every time you dine.
Says McEnery of Naples, "It's a very competitive restaurant market. We want to put our best foot forward."
To plan a visit:
Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant
11905 Tamiami Trail N., Naples
(239) 449-1700
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