Reflections on two Miami tastings
This week I traveled to Miami for two trade tastings, something I have not done since 2019. There are always trade events in South Florida because the market is so large, but I usually do not have time to go down for a single event. The stars aligned for this week with two events on consecutive days in the Wynwood area of Miami and my calendar was unusually clear. The two tastings were very different for reasons I will explain, but both offered in incredible selection of wines that I look forward to bringing to you.
The first tasting was at the Arlo Hotel in Wynwood featuring wines from Brazos, Portovino and Vinum importers. We sell a lot of the the wines from Brazos Wine, a cutting edge importer of South American wines. Wines from the Bonifant family, Gonzalez Bastias, Montescano and the Passionate wine project of Matias Michelini are just some of the staples in the Orlando store and all very popular. These are not the same old valley floor Chilean Cabernets of the past 30 years, but lively, intense wines that are changing the category for the good. Do not pass up a chance to taste them, fans of freshness (and often low alcohol) will find a lot to enjoy here.
Portovino is a relatively new supplier for us, but already some of their Italian selections have become our top sellers. Again, it is a portfolio primarily of young winemakers who are challenging conventional wisdom with the the grapes they grow, their farming and winemaking practices. Portovino imports wines from Austria, Germany and Italy, but for now the majority of what is available to us is Italian. Check out wines already in stock from Cardedu, Sfera, Colombia & Garella and Ezio Poggio and watch for more, the portfolio is a knockout.
Finally, the last importer of the first day was Vinum Imports, who focus on wines from the Balkan side of the Adriatic. I have tasted a few wines from this book in the past and found plenty to like, but this tasting of 8 producers was eye opening. Many farm the indigenous varieties of the area to craft some of the most exciting new wines I have tasted in a long time. We already stock Pullus Pinot Noir and Heaps Good from eastern Slovenia, Kobal Bajta from Styria, Bura-Mrgudić Plavac Mali from Croatia and a few others. Look for many new things in the weeks to come and do give these wines a try. As the owner of the distributor sponsoring the event said to me, “I originally tasted them because I wanted to see something new, I bought them because they are f-ing good!” And this from someone who is French!
On the second day I attended a tasting hosted by The Sorting Table, who joined with Classical Wines of Spain in 2021. Classical is a long time partner of ours and we carry many wines from the Sorting Table, so for us the marriage is convenient. The Classical portfolio is a list of old favorites, including 11 Pinos Bobal, Morgadio Albarino, Montana Rioja and Bodegas Yuste Sherries, just to name a few. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with 10 of the wineries and taste their new offerings, which are as brilliant as ever. This summer I look forward to buying and featuring several old favorites as well as some new discoveries.
If you have questions about any of these wines, or products within the portfolios that you would like to see, please reach out to us and we will do everything we can to help.