Vero Beach Magazine – October 2023

Summary

Windsor’s 2,000-square-foot wine cellar takes centre stage as Chris Fasolino maps a global cellar in Indian River County. Vero Beach Magazine October 2023 serves seasonal coastal living — from skydiving over Sebastian to poet Billy Collins reading in Vero Beach — with a heavy local-business directory and community calendar.

Three features anchor the issue: Fasolino’s “Varietal Vault” tour of the Windsor wine collection, Amy Robinson’s “Blue Skies” profile of Skydive Sebastian, and Ann Taylor’s “Known By Their Fruits” look at Joel Bray’s volunteer-run fruit-grove charity. The departments section adds practical mid-autumn value — Nickie Munroe’s October garden tips, Renáe Tesauro’s Pilates primer for core strength, and Valerie Cruice’s ceiling-renovation advice in “Spaces.”

Regular columns cover local philanthropy (Indian River Insights), classic cars of the 1950s, and a gallery guide to fall art openings across the county. Riley Sager’s novel The Only One Left gets a book review in “By the Book,” while the “Off the Vine” column follows Meerlust Estate’s Rubicon from South Africa to a Sherlock Holmes-themed London restaurant.

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Content Guide

▸ Features

p.76 · Varietal Vault — Windsor’s Wine Cellar
Chris Fasolino opens the doors to a 2,000-square-foot cellar stocked with bottles from every major wine region. The architecture of the vault — climate zones, tasting counters, and private storage — gets as much attention as the labels. Walk away with at least three producer names you have never seen in a local shop.

p.82 · Blue Skies — Skydive Sebastian
Amy Robinson rides along with Skydive Sebastian, a drop zone that trains first-timers and hosts seasoned jumpers alike. The piece covers safety briefings, tandem requirements, and the view of the Indian River Lagoon from 13,500 feet. If you have been considering a first jump, the article lists the weight and medical clearances you need before you book.

p.90 · Known By Their Fruits — Joel Bray’s Grove
Ann Taylor profiles Joel Bray and the volunteer network that picks and distributes free fruit from private trees. The operation turns backyards into food banks. Readers in Indian River County can find the volunteer sign-up link and donation drop points listed in the sidebar.

▸ Food & Drink

p.118 · The Dish — Chef Rico Hosena
Chef Rico Hosena plates European classics with a creative twist at a Vero Beach restaurant. Fasolino details three dishes on the current menu — including a preparation technique you can replicate at home with a good sous-vide circulator.

p.122 · Off the Vine — Meerlust Estate’s Rubicon
The Rubicon blend travels from Stellenbosch to London’s Simpson’s Tavern, a restaurant Sherlock Holmes once frequented. The label’s history and the tasting notes for the current vintage give you a conversation starter for your next wine-trade dinner.

▸ Home & Garden

p.54 · Homegrown — October Gardening
Nickie Munroe keeps it simple: what to prune, what to plant, and which pests to watch for in Florida’s mild autumn. Follow her soil-prep checklist now and your winter vegetable beds will thank you in December.

p.56 · Living Well — Pilates
Renáe Tesauro explains why Pilates is gaining traction among Vero Beach adults seeking balance, flexibility, and core strength. She names three mat exercises that target the transverse abdominis — do them twice a week and track your posture changes within a month.

▸ Arts & Culture

p.36 · Faces — Billy Collins in Vero Beach
Former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins heads to town for “Adventures in Poetry.” Ann Taylor previews the reading and the Q-and-A format. Arrive early: Collins signings routinely draw a line that snakes past the bookstore entrance.

p.66 · By the Book — The Only One Left by Riley Sager
Elizabeth Leonard reviews Sager’s latest thriller, set in a crumbling Maine mansion with a twist she calls “the year’s most audacious.” If you read one suspense novel this season, Leonard argues this is the one.

p.68 · True Tails — Ducks of Florida
Amy Robinson surveys the duck species that dabble, dive, and roost in Indian River County waters. A quick-reference ID table helps you distinguish a mottled duck from a black-bellied whistling duck on your next marsh walk.

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Editor’s Take

This issue delivers its three main features with solid reporting and local colour, especially Fasolino’s wine-cellar piece and Taylor’s fruit-grove profile. The problem: the department pages between the features are thin editorial wrapped around advertising — “Spaces” and “Classic Cars” each carry more ad weight than content. Perfect for Vero Beach residents and second-home owners in Indian River County; tourists and non-residents will find the hyper-local directory irrelevant.

Strengths
• Windsor wine-cellar feature with 2,000-square-foot architectural and tasting detail
• Joel Bray volunteer fruit-grove charity — specific action steps for local readers
• Billy Collins event preview with practical advice on arrival timing

Weaknesses
• Heavy advertising density in the departments section between features
• “Spaces” ceiling-renovation column reads as a sponsored content filler

Verdict: Recommended — Buy for the three feature stories and the event calendar; skip if you do not live in or visit Indian River County.