Connect with us

Miami, FL

Miami: Discover eight of the best wine shops – Decanter

Published

on

Miami: Discover eight of the best wine shops – Decanter


Say Miami, and most people will think of pool parties, salsa dancing and supercars. They wouldn’t be wrong. Anyone who has walked along lively Ocean Drive in South Beach or danced the night away in one of Calle Ocho’s Cuban bars will agree that this city has energy. It has not, however, always been famed for its wine offerings. Yet today, an eclectic mix of independent retailers is determined to change that.

The very best of these translate the city’s unique energy into their wine offerings and atmosphere – through modern luxury, shop floors that turn into dance floors, and much more. With this in mind, we’ve rounded up the eight best places to shop for wine in Miami. They each offer exciting selections and a little Miami fun.


Downtown Miami

Maison Mura (Downtown)

French duo Matthieu Yamoum and Philippe Vasilescu opened Maison Mura in December 2022. Its small driveway is almost always occupied by a different brightly coloured supercar. The store quickly became a magnet for celebrities and the city’s most enthusiastic collectors who visit to pop open fine and rare wines.

Maison Mura has a healthy supply of global icons, but its range is particularly strong in Burgundy and Champagne – Yamoum is from Reims. The selection includes both established household names and emerging young growers, and its knowledgeable team is always on hand to guide you through the shelves.

Advertisement

It has also become a favourite stop for visiting producers. Some weeks, it hosts events on several nights, ranging from informal drop-in tastings to wine dinners in its private board room. It also has a broad selection of luxury spirits.

South of Downtown

Vinoteca (Coconut Grove)

Vinoteca in Coconut Grove. Credit: Vinoteca

Coconut Grove local Alex McDonnell studied viticulture and enology in Italy. She was so inspired by the country’s wine bars and shops that she decided to open an Italian-style wine boutique back in Miami. Vinoteca, which she runs with her mother, Sandra, is the newest (and most Instagrammable) addition to Miami’s independent wine retail scene.

It has already gained a reputation as a great place to source wine from small producers around the world and often runs tutored in-store tastings led by visiting winemakers or local experts. Although it has an Italian focus, its shelves also house bottles from more unusual origins: Bosnia, Macedonia, and Armenia, to name a few.

Allocation Room (Coconut Grove)

The retail arm of Michelin-star Ariete gives shoppers access to a selection from the same wine director. Adrian Lopez describes his offering as ‘a little bit of everything’, but he’s particularly fond of thin-skinned reds. This is reflected in his range of Pinot Noir and Grenache from small producers around the world. He also offers several Sakes. Shoppers are welcome to enjoy bottles at its modern bar with no extra fee.

Advertisement

Vinya Wine & Market (Key Biscayne)

Vinya Wine & Market, or ‘Wine Island’, as sommelier and partner Allegra Angelo prefers to call it, opened its doors in May 2020. It serves the local community on Key Biscayne – an affluent Miami island – but has also become a destination for mainlanders who will pick up a few bottles or enjoy a glass at the bar after a day at the beach.

Angelo is unafraid to champion under-the-radar countries and regions, and the store’s design, selections and events encourage customers to explore. Every bottle is tagged with a shelf talker explaining its personality – from ‘Patio Pounder’ to ‘Mineral Bomb’. Above a selection from Adelaide Hills, Barossa, and Margaret River reads a sign: ‘Don’t forget Australia!’

For buyers looking for something more familiar, there is also a healthy range of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne. Its sister store and restaurant, Vinya Table in Coral Gables, has a similarly exciting range of wines.

Happy Wine Calle Ocho (West Miami)

Happy Wine owner JC Restrepo is very serious about the wine. Credit: Happy Wine Calle Ocho

JC and Joanna Restrepo purchased Happy Wine on Eighth Street in 2009. Since then, they’ve turned it into a fun, lively, and unpretentious Miami wine institution. Its enormous range of wines – everything from inexpensive Malbecs to Bordeaux first growths – lines shelves that cover every wall. Boxes are piled high, prices are handwritten on florescent yellow tags and fairy lights hang from the ceiling.

Advertisement

Happy Wine has a particularly strong focus on wines from Spain and South America. For $10 per bottle, you can enjoy your purchase in-store and dine from its growing menu. Think steak, pastas, patatas bravas. Live musicians take to the stage every night (except for Monday). Often, the shop floor transforms into a dance floor. Salsa surrounded by hundreds of wine bottles is one of the city’s most unique – and joyful – Miami wine experiences.

305 Wines (Palmetto Bay)

305 Wines is owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Alessandra Esteves and Guilherme de Macedo, who also run Miami’s wine school, Florida Wine Academy. Esteves manages the wine selection, which focuses on traditional styles from premium regions around the world – exactly the wines needed by students. It also offers over 80 different sakes, which might be one of the largest ranges in the southeastern United States. These are selected by Macedo, who is a Master Sake Sommelier.

The store has been so successful that it upsized to a new location in South Miami, a shorter drive to Downtown and Miami Beach, at the beginning of July 024. As part of this move, Esteves plans to increase her range of wines from Spain and South America and has a separate space for offering in-store events.

North of Downtown

Wine by the Bay (MiMo District)

Stefano Campanini of Wine by the Bay. Credit: Campanini

An industrial park isn’t the first place you’d think to look for one of Miami’s best wine shops – especially one called Wine by The Bay – but this is a city full of surprises. It was opened in 2011 by art dealer Stefano Campanini, who wanted to offer his clients something good to drink. Today, the store doubles as an art gallery, making it a unique space to enjoy tastings led by the Italian owner. It has a wide range of mostly Old World classics, with a very good depth of older vintages and a particular focus on Italy.

Advertisement

Vinonueva (Morningside)

Owners of Vinonueva, Ana Corina Baptista and Bernardo Villanueva. Credit: For the Future You Photo Co

Former New York banker Bernardo Villanueva opened Vinonueva in July 2021 with his wife Ana Corina Baptista. Located in peaceful Morningside, it sells mostly European wines, including many of the world’s great classics. The couple also has an eye for spotting rising star producers, making it a destination for curious collectors and many of the city’s wine-loving sommeliers.

More Miami wine shops worth visiting:

Vinya Table (Coral Gables)
Azul Spirits & Wine (South Beach)
Sobremesa (Little River)
Wolfe’s Wine Shoppe (Coral Gables)
Happy Wine in the Grove (Coconut Grove)
Sunset Corners (South Miami)
El Carajo (Coral Way)
Graziano’s (Multiple locations)


Related articles

Best wine shops in Atlanta

Rioja’s best wine bars

Best wine shops in New York City



Source link

Advertisement

Miami, FL

3 hurt in fire on Lincoln Road that started underground

Published

on

3 hurt in fire on Lincoln Road that started underground


Three people were hurt after a building caught fire on Lincoln Road on Sunday, according to authorities.

The Miami Beach Fire Department said it was working a fire near 230 Lincoln Road.

The flames had spread from a fire in a manhole that “ignited an FPL vault of an adjacent building,” officials said.

Three people were taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center with minor injuries.

Advertisement

The building was evacuated, and FPL has shut off power to the surrounding area, the fire department said.

Drivers were asked to avoid the area of Collins Avenue between 16th and 17th streets while crews worked the scene.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Miami, FL

“Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” star Tommie Lee among 6 arrested during World Cup match in Miami, sheriff says

Published

on

“Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” star Tommie Lee among 6 arrested during World Cup match in Miami, sheriff says


Reality television personality Tommie Lee — whose real name is Atasha Jefferson — best known for her appearances on “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta,” was among six people arrested during the England vs. Norway FIFA World Cup match in Miami on Saturday, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.  

The sheriff’s office said 60,024 fans attended the match. Deputies also reported 19 ejections from the stadium, adding that all incidents were isolated and handled quickly.  

Authorities have not yet released the circumstances surrounding Jefferson’s arrest or any charges she may face.

A social media account that regularly reports celebrity news claimed Sunday that Jefferson was arrested July 11 and released July 12 after posting a $1,000 bond. The post also alleged she is facing a felony charge of interference with a sporting or entertainment event and said she later shared a video on Snapchat appearing to be in good spirits after her release.

Advertisement

What we don’t know

CBS News has not independently verified those claims, including the reported charge, bond amount or release information, and Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office has not publicly confirmed those details.

CBS News has also not independently verified what led to the encounter, and the sheriff’s office has not said what prompted deputies to take Jefferson into custody.

CBS News has requested Jefferson’s arrest report, booking information and any charging documents from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. A request for comment has also been sent to Jefferson’s representatives.

Reality TV star’s legal troubles in South Florida amid World Cup festivities

Jefferson rose to national prominence as one of the breakout personalities on “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” before later appearing on several Zeus Network reality series, where she has remained a frequent cast member.

This is not Jefferson’s first legal issue in South Florida. In 2024, she was arrested in Miami Beach on a battery charge following an incident outside LIV Nightclub. Court records from that case alleged she physically confronted another person before officers took her into custody.  

Advertisement

Saturday’s arrest comes as Miami continues hosting FIFA World Cup matches that have drawn tens of thousands of fans from around the world. Despite the arrests and ejections, the sheriff’s office said the event proceeded safely and described the incidents as isolated.  

This is a developing story. CBS News will update this article as additional information, including the exact circumstances surrounding Jefferson’s arrest and any charges, becomes available.



Source link

Continue Reading

Miami, FL

Why I’m Not Worried About Giannis in Miami

Published

on

Why I’m Not Worried About Giannis in Miami


The reaction to the trade was predictable. The moment Pat Riley landed his whale and the Heat sent most of their young talent and a war chest of draft picks to Milwaukee for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the conversation turned away from how Miami finally landed the star they had been seeking, to calf strains and Giannis not being the superstar player that he once was.

Advertisement

“He only played 36 games last year.” ”The calf injuries keep coming back.” “He’s 31, turning 32.” “They bet the franchise on a body that’s breaking down.”

Various voices on Giannis Antetokounmpo

I’ve spent Over 15 years working with youth, collegiate and pro athletes on exactly this question, not “is he hurt,” but “what does this injury actually mean for what comes next.” And I’ll say it plainly: I’M NOT WORRIED ABOUT GIANNIS. Not in the way the panic merchants want you to be.

Let me be clear about what I’m NOT claiming. I’m not his trainer. I don’t have his imaging, his force-plate data, or his medical file. And I’m not going to insult you by telling you calf strains are nothing, because in a 31-year-old NBA forward with 13 years in the NBA, they are decidedly something. The fear has a real basis.

The soleus and the gastrocnemius, which are the two muscles of your calf, both funnel down into the Achilles tendon. When a calf is compromised and an athlete returns before it has its full capacity back, the load it can’t absorb has to go somewhere, and the Achilles is next in line. We’ve watched it happen on the biggest stages. Those are the facts and I take it seriously. I just don’t think it’s the story here.

Advertisement

Here’s why…

He’s one of the most durable superstars of his era

Before we talk about what’s fragile, look at what’s been bulletproof. Strip away the two COVID-compressed seasons that the entire league played short, and strip away last year (where he wa shut down by the team), and across his other ten campaigns Giannis averaged roughly 73 games a season and never once dipped below 63. He cleared 72 games in 7 different seasons. For more than a decade, the single most physically violent player in basketball, a 6’11”, 250+ pound freight train who initiates more contact per possession than almost anyone alive — was, by availability, an iron man.

Tissue tolerance, connective-tissue quality, recovery capacity, and movement efficiency are stable characteristics of an athlete, and Giannis has eleven years of evidence that his are elite. One brutal season doesn’t erase that baseline. When a historically available athlete has one wrecked year, the honest question should be “what was different about that year.” And a lot was.

Advertisement

The injuries are soft tissue, not structural

Here’s the piece that many are missing, and it’s the heart of my optimism. Call me a fan if you want, but I hate seeing ANYONE get injured. I’m rooting for Giannis to bounce back.

There are two broad categories of injury, and they age completely differently. The first is structural: torn ligaments, ruptured tendons, cartilage and joint degeneration, stress fractures. These leave a permanent mark. A reconstructed ACL is never the original. Cartilage doesn’t grow back. These are the injuries that genuinely shorten careers, because the tissue itself is changed forever and the clock only runs one direction.

The second category is soft-tissue strains or muscle. A calf strain, a groin strain, a hamstring pull. And muscle is the one tissue in the lower body that, when managed properly, heals back to full structural integrity. It is not a cumulative wound. A calf you strained in December and rehabbed correctly is not a weaker calf in March; it’s a healed calf. There’s no scar that compounds the way an arthritic joint compounds. Strains are frustrating, they’re disruptive to a season, and they recur when you rush them, but they are not a countdown timer ticking toward catastrophe.

Advertisement

Now go down Giannis’s list from last season: a low-grade groin strain. A calf strain. A re-aggravated calf. An ankle sprain. A knee hyperextension with a bone bruise. Look at that honestly. The ankle sprain is acute meaning it’s a one-off mechanical event as opposed to a sign of decay. The knee hyperextension and bone bruise are traumatic. That could be somebody’s leg, a bad landing, a freak gather (no pun intended). A bone bruise heals. None of those four are degenerative. None of them are the kind of injury that feeds the next one.

Advertisement

Which leaves the calf. The one real recurrence. So let’s talk about the calf specifically, because that’s where the argument is actually won or lost.

What a soleus strain is

Advertisement

Cleveland Clinic

Your calf is two muscles doing two different jobs. The gastrocnemius is the showy one that crosses both the knee and the ankle, it’s fast-twitch, it’s what fires when you sprint and explode off the floor. The soleus sits underneath it, crosses only the ankle, and it’s the endurance muscle. It’s considered the postural workhorse that absorbs force every time you decelerate, land, and push off, thousands of times a night in the case of many athletes. Giannis’s recurring problem has been the soleus.

Soleus strains are classic high-mileage, fatigue-and-load injuries. They show up in athletes who run an enormous volume on a heavy frame which is the literal job description of a player who logged the third-highest workload on a bad team.

And here’s the critical part: soleus strains are notoriously slow to heal and notoriously easy to re-tweak. The calf is one of hardest lower-leg structures to truly load-test before return. It can pass every clinical check, feel 100 percent walking and even jogging, and still not have the deep capacity to handle a full-speed game’s worth of repeated max-effort decelerations. Return a week early and you’re injuring healed tissue that hadn’t been rebuilt to game-level capacity yet.

Advertisement

Feb 6, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers talks to forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Last season was the worst possible environment for getting that management right. Consider the context Giannis was actually operating in. Milwaukee went 32-50 and missed the playoffs. The franchise eventually fired its coach.

Giannis spent the entire year as the center of a trade saga that, by every report, had him wanting out for over a year. A declining team with a disgruntled superstar and a front office weighing his trade value against his health is the textbook setup for muddled, hurried, incentive-conflicted return decisions which are exactly the conditions under which a soleus strain becomes two soleus strains.

Advertisement

Now change the environment as he lands in Miami. Known for being an organization with a near-mythological reputation for conditioning and body management, a culture that has rehabilitated and extended careers other teams gave up on.

Advertisement

He pairs with Bam Adebayo, which means for the first time in years Giannis doesn’t have to be the entire offensive and defensive engine every single night. As of now the roster isn’t fully complete but they will add to that so that there’s lower usage and a shared load. Real return-to-play standards instead of playoff-desperation math. You take the most fixable injury pattern on his chart and drop it into the best possible setting to fix it.

Feb 13, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) drives against Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
Advertisement

His game is built to age

There’s a movement argument too. Giannis isn’t a stop-start, pull-up, hard-cut guard whose game is one violent deceleration after another. He’s a downhill, long-stride force athlete. His value comes from length, gather, straight-line pressure, rim protection, and playmaking. Those are skills that lean on size and feel, and they degrade gracefully with age in a way that twitchy, change-of-direction games don’t. The same frame that makes him an injury talking point is the frame that lets him dominate without living on the edge of his physical limits every possession.

What would actually change my mind? If the recurring issue were structural, like a partial Achilles tear, chronic patellar tendon breakdown that imaging showed was degenerating, cartilage loss in the knee, I’d be writing a very different column.

If he came back this season and strained the same calf a third and fourth time despite a clean environment and proper protocols, that would tell me something about the tissue I can’t see. And the Achilles risk that follows calf injuries in some athletes is real enough that it should govern how Miami brings him back: slowly, on capacity-based criteria.

Advertisement

EVERY great athlete in his thirties requires careful management. That’s just the truth.

Advertisement

I’m not telling you he’s invincible. But I’m not willing to bet against eleven years of durability and the most fixable problem on the chart if you want. I’ll take the Greek Freak, the new setting, and the science that we’ll all be watching a productive age-32 season with a lot less fear than the headlines are selling you.

Add us as a preferred source on Google



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending