The Gold Stars making Florida “a shining star in the wine world”

INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES:

Best Long List

For wine lists with more than 600 references

Gold Star:
COTE Miami, Miami

What the winners said:
“It’s been five years in the making so we are extremely proud, and we have a team back at home, back in the restaurant, that just gives their whole heart, their whole soul to everything that we do. And we have something for everyone at every price point, and that’s the goal – to make wine approachable and attainable to all. We’re very honoured. Thank you.”
– Macarena Carrillo

What the judges said:
“A thoughtfully curated and well balanced wine list – concise yet complete, delivering all the essentials with precision. It stands out for its sense of adventure, offering an engaging and playful approach to wine with a breadth of choice that invites discovery and enjoyment.”
– Kathrine Larsen-Robert MS

Silver Stars:
Casa D'Angelo Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale
Daniel's Miami, Miami
Hakkasan Miami, Miami Beach
Harry's West Palm Beach, West Palm Beach
Sexy Fish, Miami
Stirrups, Ocala
The Surf Club Restaurant by Thomas Keller, Surfside

Best Medium-Sized List

Recognises the best wine list with 200-600 references

A category presented by Château Tours des Termes

Gold Star:
The Joyce, Miami Beach

What the winners said:
“I just want to say for Andrew [Herron], who’s not here: this is his passion. It breaks my heart that he’s not here to accept this because he really is tireless on finding those small gems and finding things that make our customers happy and that give us a little bit more differentiation. So again, to him, I appreciate it, but really, this means the world to us and it’s all your hard work, so thank you.”
– Eric Salzer

What the judges said:
“An impressive and confident selection, with particular strength in Burgundy, and a clear focus on France, Italy, and the US. Both breadth and depth are evident throughout, yet the list remains breezy and highly navigable.”
– Kathrine Larsen-Robert MS

Silver Stars:
Amara at Paraiso, Miami
Bacán, Orlando
Bourbon Steak Miami, Aventura
Calusso, Fort Lauderdale
Daniel's, A Florida Steakhouse, Fort Lauderdale
Fooq's, Miami
Genievieve's, Ocala

Best Short List

Recognises the best wine list with fewer than 200 listings

Gold Star:
Boia De, Miami

What the winners said:
“Honestly, I came from a bar background, and getting into wine, that was really intimidating for me. So I wanted to demystify it a little bit. I think any kind of accessibility in wine is really important – it just makes it a little bit more democratic, a little bit more accessible for the layman; but even for some of us professionals – it’s just about exploration, discovery, adventure. Keep it interesting, keep it exciting. Why not try something weird or cool?”
– Gabriela Ospina

What the judges said:
“So much passion and energy in this programme! It looks like it is designed to make people fall in love with wine, and is smart, fun, well priced and engaging. It makes you want to pop a cork.”
– Pascaline Lepeltier

Silver Stars:
Ariete, Miami
Boulon Brasserie & Bakery, Tampa
Ezio’s Miami, Miami Beach
Krüs Kitchen, Miami
Laurel, Miami Beach
Mandolin Aegean Bistro, Miami
Michael's Genuine, Miami
Otto & Pepe, Miami
Takato, Fort Lauderdale
The Lobby Bar, Naples
Walrus Rodeo, Miami

Best By-the-Glass List

Recognises the best ‘by-the-glass’ list

A category presented by Lugana Wines

Gold Star:
Bourbon Steak Miami, Aventura

What the winners said:
“We have to remind ourselves that we chose to work in hospitality because we love it. And because we love it, we need to pass on not just the flavours of the wine but also the educational part of it. So, when we serve the wine, take a few minutes to explain – whether it’s a $10,000 bottle of wine or a $24 glass of wine, that could make a difference to somebody. So that’s what we do at Bourbon Steak – we make a difference, not just in bottles, but just in every single wine by the glass we put out, either at the bar or any single table; whether it’s a large party or it’s a single diner. So I’ll say thank you because I think Miami is going through a transformation, not just in real estate, but also in wine as well. We are still growing and I hope that, in the next few years, we could be, you know, maybe side by side with New York or San Francisco, right? Why not?”
– Mauricio Quirola

What the judges said:
“A generous and eclectic selection offering a genuine mix of styles and discoveries, with something for everyone in mind. The list is elevated by thoughtful, engaging descriptions that guide and entice.”
– Kathrine Larsen-Robert MS

Silver Stars:
Bacán, Orlando
Casa D'Angelo Aventura, Aventura
Casa D'Angelo Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale
COTE Miami, Miami
Daniel's, A Florida Steakhouse, Fort Lauderdale
Daniel's Miami, Miami
Hakkasan Miami, Miami Beach
Sexy Fish, Miami

Best Sparkling Wine List

Recognises the best list for sparkling wines

Gold Star:
Sexy Fish, Miami

What the winners said:
“We do have one of the largest selections of Dom Pérignon in the world; Champagne is over 50% of our sales, so very, very honoured to receive this award.”
– James Fenton

What the judges said:
“There are Florida wine lists with extensive arrays of Champagne bottles (including Dom Perignon and Cristal verticals, and many of the great and important names that mark an excellent Champagne selection). And so it is with this restaurant, along with very rare magnums and vintages. Many of the prices on this lofty list are very fair, meaning that our award winner has something for everyone.”
– Doug Frost MS MW

Silver Stars:
COTE Miami, Miami
Daniel's Miami, Miami
Fooq's, Miami
Harry's West Palm Beach, West Palm Beach
Mandolin Aegean Bistro, Miami
Stirrups, Ocala
The Lobby Bar, Naples

Best Newcomer List

Recognises a venue that has recently opened

A category presented by Stölzle Lausitz

Gold Star:
Ezio’s Miami, Miami Beach

What the winners said:
“Thank you, Miami, for welcoming us. We opened in January and we’ve been very, very happy to be here. Thank all of you for the support and I look forward to seeing you there soon.”
– Carlo Mirarchi

What the judges said:
“What an exciting, refreshing little list, bursting with focus and care! The selection shows true knowledge but, also, a spirit of exploration, while the friendly pricing makes everyone feel welcome. A great new addition.”
– Pascaline Lepeltier

Silver Stars:
Fooq's, Miami
Francesco Martucci Miami, Miami
Genievieve's, Ocala
Laurel, Miami Beach
Mimi Brasserie, Sarasota

Sustainability Prize

Assesses the sustainable commitment of both the wine list and broader venue via a supplementary questionnaire submitted during the application process

Gold Stars:
Krüs Kitchen, Miami

What the winners said:
“Well, we put some natural wines in a bucket out on the sidewalk during late 2020 and really built a community from there. So from the beginning, back in 2020, Miami was a very different place than it is right now, and the wines that were available in this category were very different than what is available today. There’s so much more beautiful wine in this category available today than there was then. And I would encourage all of our wine professional community here, if you can, to take advantage of the recycling, the composting practices – we can grind all of our bottles that are ground into sand and they do go to South Florida beaches, so it is meaningful. There are some big, big programmes here, and those bottles can go a really long way.”
– Josh Hackler

What the judges said:
“In an era of greenwashing, any competition that seeks out restaurants dedicated to sustainability had best look under the hood to see what daily practices mark out that restaurant. Our winner uses recycled cardstock for their menus and lists; all their empty bottles are ground into sand for nearby beaches; they serve filtered tap water and focus upon producers who are dedicated to sustainable practices as well. They are the real deal.”
– Doug Frost MS MW

Mandolin Aegean Bistro, Miami

What the winners said:
“Big shout out to my family, to everybody at Mandolin who made this happen – so the dishwashers, polishers, every single person that is involved in service. This is for everybody that works very hard every single day – for the servers, for myself too: I change my wine list at least twice a week, represent a lot of small, independent wineries. Pascaline: amazing person – I feel very proud to now be judged by her, and hopefully we can continue with this, keep growing and keep killing it. We focus on safe and really organic, biodynamic, low-intervention wines. It doesn’t mean that these wines are packed with flaws or anything like that – it just means that these wines are made with love, made from people who care.”
– Freddy Vargas

What the judges said:
“The commitment to sustainability is at the heart of this project, and fuels it year after year. It is really inspiring to see that the mission does not stop, but grows. A model for all us – in Florida, in the US, and around the world!”
– Pascaline Lepeltier

Silver Stars:
Los Félix, Miami
Otto & Pepe, Miami

Best Italian Wine List

Recognises the best list for the wines of Italy

Gold Star:
Casa D’Angelo Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale

What the winners said:
“Everybody in this space knows we’re all professional box cutters, ok? That’s what it comes down to – I feel like all I do is open boxes and put wine away. We work countless hours. This guy’s my right hand – I can’t do it without him. There are three locations between the three of us but, with you guys, it’s a lot of fun … Miami gets all the credit, but Fort Lauderdale’s right behind you — remember that.”
– Michael O'Sullivan

What the judges said:
“I don’t care what anyone says: sometimes size really does matter. Our winner boasts a stupendous array of Italian beauties, from sparklers to Sicily and everything in between. Many wine lists in this competition offered the famed names of Tuscany and Piedmont, but the winning Best Italian Wine List had exciting white wines, great Etna bottles, beautiful Baroli and Barbareschi, vibrant Veneto offerings, Brunello verticals… it just goes on and on. Bravo!”
– Doug Frost MS MW

Silver Stars:
Casa D'Angelo Aventura, Aventura
Casa D'Angelo Boca Raton, Boca Raton
COTE Miami, Miami
Daniel's Miami, Miami
Genievieve's, Ocala
Harry's West Palm Beach, West Palm Beach
Trattoria Romana, Boca Raton

Special Jury Prize

Rewards a wine lovers’ place that does something out of the ordinary

Gold Star:
Laurel, Miami Beach

What the winners said:
“A little over a year ago, I decided to take a little leap in my career. Thank you so much to my best friend Camila, who is our Executive Chef and, honestly, one of the best chefs out there, and she makes such delicious food and she inspires me. It has been an exciting and an interesting opening this past year, but you know, I do care about the things that we do, and I’m very passionate about food and wine. And, you know, I wanted to really express that on my wine list.”
– Lisbet Lopez-Artiles

What the judges said:
“It’s simple: the shorter the wine list, the harder it is to write. This restaurant won our Special Jury Prize because we were blown away by the team’s ability to create genuine diversity and range within a selection of fewer than six dozen wines. Not only that, the list is fun!”
– Doug Frost MS MW

Silver Stars:
Ariete, Miami
Boia De, Miami
Hiden Miami, Miami
Otto & Pepe, Miami

LOCAL CATEGORY:

Best Rosé Wine List

A category presented by Château d’Esclans

Gold Star:
COTE Miami, Miami

What the winners said:
“It works really well – whether you’re looking for something to go with red meat, with light shellfish, with oysters, I think, rosés kind of check those boxes. So, especially in a city like Miami, thank you – we’re very honoured.”
– Macarena Carrillo

What the judges said:
“A versatile and impressively broad rosé selection, spanning a wide range of origins, styles, and approaches to suit diverse palates. There is a clear sense of thoughtfulness behind the curation, and a desire to showcase the category from multiple angles.”
– Kathrine Larsen-Robert MS

Silver Stars:
Daniel's Miami, Miami
Genievieve's, Ocala
Hakkasan Miami, Miami Beach
LPM Restaurant & Bar, Miami
Michael's Genuine, Miami
Sexy Fish, Miami
Takato, Fort Lauderdale