Small and boutique South Florida wine shops worth getting to know

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, Palm Beach

“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. Philip is expanding with a second location in Delray Beach early this year.

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.

Virginia Philip Wine Spirits & Academy, 340 Royal Poinciana Plaza, #320, Palm Beach, 561-557-4202, virginiaphilipwineandspirits.com.

West Palm Wine Co., West Palm Beach

Michael Drapkin first 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 from college 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 who 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 2-4 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.

West Palm Wine Co., 3131 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, 561-247-7908, westpalmwine.com.

The Wine Wave, Delray Beach

“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 the market demand and suggestions from the store’s team members, various 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.

The Wine Wave, 900 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561-276-2076, TheWineWave.com.

Forum Wine Shop, Fort Lauderdale

Michael and Holly Winter had been enjoying, 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 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 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 in June.

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 that include options from unique places appeal to a broad wine drinking audience.

Forum has indigenous varietals from Sicily, sauvignon blanc from Menetou-Salon, and pinot noir from Patagonia among the shop’s choices. 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. The couple is already planning to expand their footprint in the area, and adding new concepts under the Forum brand with a focus on wine, food and experiences.

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.

Forum Wine Shop, 503 SW Second Ave,, STE 7, Fort Lauderdale, 954-900-4953, forumwineshop.com. 

305 Wines, Miami

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.

305 Wines, 15904 SW 92nd Ave., Miami, 305-842-6769, 305wines.com. 

One Thousand Bottles 17th Anniversary

Here’s an opportunity to taste terrific wines and help worthwhile charities at the same time.

The American Fine Wine Competition (AFWC) and the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University (FIU) will host its 17th annual fundraising event, One Thousand Bottles, Sipping Through America, Jan. 13-15.

The three-day AFWC event is the largest invitation-only judging in the United States. “At AFWC, we look for the very best wines the country has to offer. Most of the wines are from small, family-run wineries and are not easily found. Yet, some will be very familiar,” says Shari Gherman, AFWC’s co-founder and president. “We look forward to sharing these beautiful wines with the wine-loving public.”

Money raised at this year’s event will benefit End Childhood Hunger and the Dr. Joel Feigenheimer Endowment Fund. Since AFWC began in 2007, it has raised more than $1,100,000 for local charities.

What to expect: Wines from among the 700+ poured for judges in the competition; a variety of dishes prepared from over a dozen local restaurants; an auction that includes wines participating in competition, special trips to wineries and other wine and food related items; music and a Cork Pull for bottles of wine.

New this year: “Can You Be A Wine Judge?” contest, to see how close your scores come to the competition’s judges. You will receive a list of varietals, taste through an assortment of wines and score them. Complete the evaluation form and return it by the end of night. Four winners will be invited to be judges at the next The Invitational and win four tickets to THE Rose event “Fifty Shade of Pink” on April 21 at FIU. Cost to participate is $10 per person.

If you go: One Thousand Bottles, Sipping Through America, 6:30-9 p.m. Jan. 14 on the patio of the FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality, 3000 NE 151st St., North Miami; $65 per person, info@AFWCandGala.com, americanfinewinecompetition.org.