Star Wine List launched here in March, and I’m honored to share that I’ve been selected to be the organization’s Miami ambassador. This means I’m building a guide of our best wine restaurants and bars, and representing the Magic City on a global wine industry scale alongside ambassadors from other cities and countries.
Star Wine List is an award-winning guide that’s now in 40 countries and counting. With new cities launching frequently, it seems like this growing organization is quickly catching up to other great restaurant guides that recognize establishments globally.
(Daniele Fherm)
Krister Bengtsson, Star Wine List Founder & Publisher
Founded in Stockholm in 2017 by Krister Bengtsson, the list’s excellent restaurant and bar selections are curated by local ambassadors, who include sommeliers, journalists and top wine professionals, including many respected leaders in the industry.
When traveling, wine lovers can use StarWineList.com or the Star Wine List app for iPhone or other smart devices to find restaurants and bars offering the best wine collections in that area. As someone who travels frequently, I find it easy to use the app to discover restaurants where I am assured to get a great glass of wine as I explore new destinations.
Guidelines
(Vinya Wine & Market)
Vinya Wine & Market in Key Biscayne is a wine bar and shop that’s a casual oasis for local wine lovers and visitors to the island.
Within the guide, restaurants can be listed with red or white stars. Red stars indicate that a local ambassador recommends the restaurant or bar as part of the guide. The personalized description of each location is tailored to the ambassador’s experience.
White stars indicate that a restaurant submitted its wine list, which was approved remotely by the Star Wine List team but has not yet been recommended by an ambassador. A restaurant cannot simply sign up to be on the site, and listed restaurants do not have to pay to be included. Currently, wine shops and private clubs are not part of the network.
Star Wine List Awards
At the end of March, I had the opportunity to travel to New York City to co-host the Star Wine List Gold Star Awards. These are given to restaurant wine teams that excel in certain categories, such as best by the glass wine list; best long, medium, or short list; best sparkling list; and best California wine list, to name a few. Restaurants may apply for award categories and finalists are selected among the entries.
Jacqueline Coleman (R) with Star Wine List founder Krister Bengtsson (center) and Erica Nonni at the Star Wine List Gold Star Awards in New York City.
Winners are chosen by a jury of wine professionals at the highest level of accreditation. The four-person jury in New York consisted of Heidi Mäkinen, Master of Wine, Paz Levinson, named Best Sommelier of Americas, author Rajat Parr and Christy Canterbury, Master of Wine. Gold Star establishments get a framed certificate they can display in their restaurant in recognition of their superb wine list.
Hopefully, we can bring the awards to Miami in the future.
Miami Restaurants on the List
Our initial Miami guide lists 25 restaurants and wine bars around the city that I recommend for wine lovers. Following are a few of them.
Vinya Table and Vinya Wine & Market
Coral Gables & Key Biscayne
Both Vinya locations offer something for every level of wine lover, including fun tasting events and education. With happy hour and no corkage specials, Vinya makes wine accessible and keeps it casual.
Miami Design District
L’Atelier is not only a two-star Michelin restaurant, it’s home to an excellent French wine program. With a strong list from start to finish, including Champagne and sauternes by the glass, wine lovers are guaranteed to be in great hands throughout their meal with the experienced wine team.
Edgewater
(Ken Hayden)
Sexy Fish in Brickell has one of the largest collections of premium wines in the city.
Bayside views and fresh seafood are the best parts of dining in Miami and Klaw offers both, along with a thorough bottle list and plenty of options for by-the-glass drinkers.
Brickell
This popular Miami restaurant has one of the largest collections of Dom Perignon and Opus One worldwide. But that isn’t the only impressive part of the wine list. From Grand Cru burgundy and the best bordeaux to bottles from Portugal, Greece, Mexico and China, Sexy Fish offers a selection from around the world for palates just as diverse as these bottles.
Little Haiti
Don’t be fooled by its unassuming exterior: Walrus Rodeo offers wine lovers interested in eclectic offerings a chance to explore a world of choices. Perfect for a casual dining experience with good friends who have open minds about where wine can take them.
Coral Gables
Appreciated for its comprehensive list, exquisite wine dinners and Italian fine dining, Fiola is always a favorite for serious wine enthusiasts across Miami.
Jacqueline Coleman is a wine and travel writer and Star Wine List‘s Miami ambassador. She is also a contributor to Luxury Guide USA magazine, a co-editor of WineGuideMiami.com and a regular guest host on Linda Gassenheimer’s “Food, News, and Views” podcast.
Jacqueline Coleman
(Star Wine List)
Star Wine List’s website offers an interactive map to help you find the best wine lists in cities worldwide.