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It's 55 Degrees in Florida. Well not really, but there is this swanky new retail concept at Fort Myers, Fla.-based Gulf Coast Town Center that keeps its customers and its products cooled off and satisfied.

55 Degrees -- Cool Wine and Cheese opened nearly a year ago, showcasing specialty wines in its cylindrical glass wine vault and serving up glasses to guests who relax alongside the store's oval island displaying some of the best-quality cheeses you can find. These fixture-centerpieces set the tone for the unique and modern store design. Another clue to let customers know they're walking into an innovative retail shop is the Italian-designed Enomatic wine dispenser machine providing delicious pours of unique wines by the glass. Customers can also sample their own perfectly paired cheese-, meat- and mixed plates, or select something from the tapas menu. Yes, this is still a retail experience. Cheese and wines are sold at retail -- which, it turns out, is what makes this a great environment for retail success: sampling at its finest. Love that bite of cheese you had? Well, then, take a couple of ounces home!

So, it's not surprising to learn that one of the store's owners also happens to be a cheese importer -- in fact, one of the top artisanal cheesemongers in the United States. The store is the brainchild of cheese maven Caroline Hostettler, her husband, Daniel, and business partner Osmin Rodriguez, who have created this chic space in which to sample cheese and wines, an experience customers may never have encountered before.

Few people know cheese the way Hostettler does, most likely because the Swiss-born journalist-turned-cheesemonger apprenticed in Europe, learning from a top-notch cheese procurer and talking with hundreds of farmers about their ingredients and methods. Hostettler's perfectly delicious selections of cheeses can be discovered wholesale from Massachusetts-based Crystal Food Import Corporation, with whom she partnered a year ago. For more than a decade, Hostettler and her Quality Cheese team have been sourcing great selections for chefs across the country. She began with the very best of the wide selection of Swiss cheeses nine years ago and extended the selection to create her own line of handpicked cheeses, "The Caroline Hostettler Selection," receiving accolades from famous cheese sommelier Max McCalman who noted that "Caroline Hostettler raised the bar for artisanal cheeses in the United States."


Now, retail customers can also celebrate Hostettler's finds like the fluffy, cotton ball burrata, which she describes as refreshing as a snowball and as satisfying as a butterball; or, more technically put, a cheese from deep down in Puglia that looks like and has the stringy-moist texture of a buffalo mozzarella yet is made of less tangy cow's milk and surprises with a buttery-creamy center. It's these little words of wisdom and more that customers can learn during events planned by Hostettler on a regular basis, giving even the most novice foodies professional insights into the world of artisanal cheese and wines.

Upcoming classes include: 'Blind Date' which is 90 minutes of fun with a blind tasting of four wines. Customers get the chance to see how they stack up with a wine pro and, at the same time, learn the basics of tasting. The winner gets a bottle of the wine he liked best and makes the final. Another wine series provides customers the opportunity to taste five exceptional wines for only $15.

And, of course, there is the cheese course, such as 'Why you should love this fat' during which Hostettler clears up some misunderstandings and misconceptions, telling her customers why they actually should love the fat in cheese.

Store Profile:
• 300 wines; 250 cheeses; artisanal breads
• Bevy of accompaniments including: cured meats, olives, jellies and jams, dried fruit products, honeys, etc.
• Wines served by the glass or bottle (no corking fee); self serving tasting.
• Tapas (pure high end products), empanadas and panini’s, including the signature 55wich (foie gras mousse, the kiss, quinces in malbec, vincotto on a small baguette).
• Philosophy: we only sell high end products we can stand behind and know the story of (and most of the times the producers). We want to show people that there is more than cheddar and brie, chardonnay and cab. We target people with open minds and palates and we all -- including the customers -- taste a lot. We think that food and wine should be fun and therefore host events that are entertaining and educational at once (tastings, classes, pairings, both classic and out of the box, etc.)
• 3 full-time employees, 4 part-timers


Comments? mmoran@gourmetretailer.com