New Business Commingles Real Estate With Wine And Charcuterie

ST. PETE BEACH, FL — In an unusual commingling, a new St. Pete Beach business allows residents to search for their dream home while enjoying fine wines and upscale charcuterie.

A ribbon-cutting was held last week for Barkett Realty’s, which shares space with Sea Grapes Wine Lounge & Light Fare, a venue offering an extensive wine list and upscale charcuterie, at 6390 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach.

The new Barkett Realty office celebrates the real estate firm’s expansion from its headquarters in downtown St. Petersburg.

John Barkett, broker and owner of the boutique real estate firm, said he developed the hybrid concept in which an upscale wine bar and eatery coexist with a luxury residential real estate office "to meet the elevated needs of the clientele along the Gulf Beaches."

He and Julie Featherston, his partner in life and now in Sea Grapes, have put together a blend of retail offerings where both locals and tourists can enjoy a relaxing glass of wine and sample authentic charcuterie prepared by charcutier and chef, Ryan Watkins, while shopping for a new home on one of the top beaches in the U.S.

Watkins offers charcuterie boards featuring meats such as loma, duck prosciutto, mortadella, bresaola, coppa dolce, spicy finnochiona and sopressata; cheeses including robiola bosina, aged gouda, moliterno al vino, piccola cheese with truffle, le gruyere, Cabot clothbound cheddar and blue stilton; along with spiced nuts, spicy beer-pickled vegetables and marinated olives.

Other chef creations are burrata with blood orange and fennel salad with lomo, hazelnuts and lemon-thyme vinaigrette; citrus-cured salmon with cucumber, creme fraiche, pink pickled radish and chives; and rabbit and pork terrine with house-made mustard, red wine and rosemary fig jam, spicy pickled vegetables and grill sourdough bread.

Dessert boards feature the chef's signature chocolate, coffee bon bons, spiced cashews and madeleines, and dessert cheeses.

Sea Grapes' wine list features selections from Friuli, Piedmont and Trentino, Italy; Marlborough, New Zealand; Southern Rhone, Burgundy and Provence, France; Sonoma and Monterey, California; Menoza, Argentina and Wachau, Austria, including Diora Belle Fete, Benvolio Pinot Grigio, Crossings Savignon Blanc, La Crema Chardonnay, Carmel Road Pinot Noir and Henry Fessy Gamay.

Additionally, Sea Grapes Lounge offers custom picnic baskets that include everything needed for a romantic beach picnic including charcuterie and dessert boards for two, a bottle of wine, two Sea Grapes corkcicles and canteen, a sand cloud blanket, insulated picnic basket with a table top and wickless LED candles.

Sea Grapes also offers catering boards for business lunches and small gatherings. Charcuterie fans are invited to visit Sea Grapes Lounge for lunch as well.

The official ribbon-cutting was conducted by the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce and attended by St. Pete Beach Mayor Al Johnson, St. Pete Beach City Commissioners Mark Grill, St. Pete Beach City Manager Alex Rey, Jennifer McMahon of St. Pete Beach Parks and Rec and Robin Miller, CEO and president of the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber.

“This whole city is built on small business, and we love having unique places like this," Johnson said.

Hours for the Sea Grapes Lounge are Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

Barkett Realty is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.