There’s something special about boutique wine shops — it’s always interesting to hear the story of how they came to be.
While these five entrepreneurs’ wine journeys and business focuses are different, they all share a passion for wine. As a bonus, they also deliver and ship to the rest of us.
Virginia Philip Wine Spirits & Academy
340 Royal Poinciana Plaza, No. 320, Palm Beach; 561-557-4202
75 SE Fourth Ave., Delray Beach; 561-721-6000
virginiaphilipwineandspirits.com
“The wine shop was an epiphany I had from previously working at a wine shop in Aspen,” says Virginia Philip, master sommelier. “I really loved it and promised myself one day I would have a retail location of my own.”
Philip says it was important to her to create a welcoming environment where wine was fun for patrons with all levels of wine and spirits knowledge — and where education was a primary focus, offering classes with top wine makers from around the world.
“I wanted my clients to experience classes that were enjoyable, approachable and educational without having to travel to New York City, Napa or Europe to find them,” she says.
Established in 2011, Philip’s shop carries an array of global wine and spirits, with deep Bordeaux, Burgundy and California selections. In addition to regular education programs, she also does cellar management for those looking to expand, manage or sell their collections.
Wines to try: Honoro Vera Monastrell 2021, Jumilla, Spain, $10 (one of her best sellers); Samsara “Zotovich Vineyards” Chardonnay 2021, Santa Rita Hills, Calif., $45.99; Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé “Bonnes-Mares,” Grand Cru, 2009, Burgundy, $1,300.
West Palm Wine Co.
3131 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach; 561-247-7908; westpalmwine.com
Michael Drapkin became interested in wine in his early 20s when he was studying political science at Loyola College in Maryland.
“My professor also happened to be the wine critic for The Washington Post,” he says. “I found his travels around wine to be a little more fascinating than studying Socrates. He shared some introductory books about wine with me and I was hooked.”
After graduating, Drapkin was accepted to law school, but he decided to take a job working in the wine department at a Whole Foods instead and has continued working in the wine industry for over 20 years. He and his partner and wife, Theresa, saw an opportunity to create a special kind of retail wine shop in South Florida, and West Palm Wine Co. opened its doors in June.
The goal of West Palm Wine Co. is to support indie farms and wineries that work on an intimate scale, with small productions of 10,000 cases or less. This includes micro-batch wines making fewer than 100 cases per season. Their emphasis is on European wine from France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic and Georgia, with a particularly large selection of German wines.
West Palm Wine Co. offers free in-store tastings with two to three wines every Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m., informal after-hours tastings throughout the month and a monthly wine club.
Wines to try: Stein Riesling Weihwasser Feinherb 2022, Germany, $23; Arianna Occhipinti Sp68 Rosso 2022, Sicily, $37.99; Chavost Blanc De Noirs Brut Nature NV, Champagne, $53.99.
The Wine Wave
900 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; 561-276-2076; TheWineWave.com
“Wine became a critical social component when my fiancée, Lindsey, and I started a long-distance relationship from Southern California to Palm Beach,” Jeremiah Flores says. “We shared many bottles of the regional/local offerings wherever we traveled together. Whether those moments were in Sicily, Santa Barbara, Rhône or Paris, the wine bottle itself was the proverbial ‘third wheel,’ and became part of building another memory together.”
When the couple decided to marry, they looked at it as an opportunity to try something different. They found a little wine shop for sale in Delray Beach in 2013, when the couple agreed this was their chance to experiment with a new venture they called The Wine Wave.
The store carries wine and liquor, and its offerings are a combination of market demand and suggestions from the store’s team members, importers and clients traveling in wine country. They also believe there’s a need for more European wines, so they feature regional wines from Italy and France.
The Flores’ first love by far is Champagne. “Diversity of Champagne is what gets us the most excited, and it should be consumed weekly.”
The Wine Wave hosts intimate classes and events for up to 10 people.
Wines to try: Massican Annia White Blend 2022, Napa Valley, Calif., $29.99; Granja Nuestra Señora de Remelluri Reserva 2015, Rioja, Spain, $53.99; Frederic Savart L’Ouverture NV, Blanc de Noirs, Premier Cru Brut, Champagne, $69.99.
Forum Wine Shop, Fort Lauderdale
503 SW Second Ave., Suite 7, Fort Lauderdale; forumwineshop.com
Michael and Holly Winter had been studying and collecting wine for over 20 years, and their love for travel and visiting wine regions always came back to conversations about opening a wine shop. When they moved to Fort Lauderdale a decade ago, they struggled to find a shop that emphasized smaller, high-quality growers and producers.
“We missed our favorite neighborhood bottle shops from Chicago,” Michael Winter says.
“We wanted to create a place for the community to come together to learn, explore, share and make new memories with new friends,” Holly Winter adds.
Fast forward to the pandemic, when the couple say they felt they had exhausted their wine source options, so they took the leap to move ahead with their dream. The Forum Wine Shop, named after one of their favorite places in Rome, opened last year.
At Forum, each wine is hand selected with an emphasis on hard-to-find, high-quality, lesser-known producers. The Winters also believe covering a wide variety of styles, including options from unique places, appeals to a broad wine-drinking audience. Estate-grown and bottled wines are also a priority.
The Winters plan to host a number of events this year as a way to connect their clients with wine and each other, and view Forum as a first step in bringing a new lifestyle element to the Tarpon River area.
Wines to try: Vinos del Panoramico Tinto 2019, Rioja, Spain, $34.99; Azienda Agricola Noah Bramaterra 2018, Piedmont, Italy, $49.99; Domaine de la Cote “Bloom’s Field” Pinot Noir 2021, Santa Barbara, Calif., $119.99.
305 Wines
15904 SW 92nd Ave., Miami; 305-842-6769; 305wines.com
Originally from Brazil, Alessandra Esteves lived in Germany and Switzerland for six years working as a corporate lawyer. While she was there, Esteves dedicated her weekends and holidays traveling to taste wine throughout numerous European regions. Those experiences were life changing and she decided to transition from her law career to the wine industry.
In 2016, she and her partner moved to Miami and founded Florida Wine Academy. Needing a variety of wines for the courses, they decided it made sense to open their own shop. Named for Miami’s area code, 305 Wines opened in 2021.
The store specializes in wines from Bordeaux and Japanese sake. They have the largest offering of sake in all of Florida thanks to Esteves’ partner, Guilherme de Macedo, a Master Sake Sommelier. 305 Wines also has a considerable collection of Riesling and fortified wines, such as Port, Madeira and Beaumes de Venise.
If you’re interested in classes, they host a variety of wine and sake events throughout the year. The store currently offers four different wine clubs.
Wines to try: Kettmeir Pinot Bianco 2022, Italy, $20.99; Rare Wine Co. Historic Series New York Malmsey Madeira, Portugal, $57.99; Appassionata Allegro Pinot Noir 2019, Willamette Valley, Ore., $84.97.
Originally Posted On: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2024/01/23/small-and-boutique-south-florida-wine-shops-worth-getting-to-know/