Beer, Wine & Spirits in Miami Beach

It's hard to imagine that there's a libation out there that Crown doesn't carry. With a selection that spans vineyards, distilleries, and breweries from around the world, the bottles lining each location come from both small, artisan makers and those universally famed for their grapes or techniques. Home mixologists can cull inspiration for cocktails from a selection of top-shelf-brand mixers or pair their tipple of choice with gourmet snacks, from bush-pepper macadamia nuts to dirty martini party dip. But tastings may be the most distinctive thing about Crown Wine & Spirits. Whether customers stop in to try each location's daily offerings of wine or spirits—or for special tastings that cover dozens of wines, bourbons or beers—Crown's staff makes it easy to find a new favorite or to make up to your tongue for forgetting so many of its birthdays.

Vineyards in 22 countries throughout Europe, South America, and Australia bottle some of their boutique wines exclusively for PRP Wine International—but the company specializes in more than wine. It also lets customers personalize wine bottle labels, and proffers skincare products infused with vitamin-rich leftovers from grape mashings. At the warehouse and during tastings, wine consultants pour familiar wines as well as unusual ones: late-harvest cabernet sauvignons, German wines made from regent grapes, and sangiovese. They also educate customers about unique blends such as true rose wines made in the Old-World tradition—by which red and white wines are fermented separately, then immediately blended together without staging any ice-breaking games.

Wine consultants hold open houses and public wine tastings for their member clients, and also travel to homes for private tastings. Each tasting is custom, sometimes including popular wines such as the medium-red Chevralier de Bayard and medium-white Duca d'Amalfi. As the oenophiles pour and dispense anecdotes, they field questions about how to differentiate between wines, pronounce names of varietals, or tell when you’ve spilled wine on your shirt. Most events are open only to PRP Wine International's members, but staffers also host food-and-wine pairings at local restaurants, special warehouse sales, and other public tastings.

Seventh Street Wine Company's shop and lounge puts 2,500 varietals at the fingertips of eager enophiles, thanks to Italian-made machines that dispense pours by the ounce. Guests simply swipe a drink card to gain access to pours from 20 global regions including California, Slovenia, and Uruguay. The shop's events supply more tasting opportunities, and its stock of bottled wines—ranging from reds and whites to dessert and rice—can be enjoyed at home with friends or adrift at sea with a thirsty whale.

Though they had long been interested in starting an agro-tourism business on their 96-acre farm, Peter and Denisse Schnebly might never have considered a winery were it not for a fortuitous visit from Bill Wagner of Wagner Winery in Lodi, New York. During his stay, Wagner took a look around at the farm's exotic fruits and vegetables and planted an idea in the couples' imaginations: why not draw upon their harvest to create exotic wines? The idea took root, and the couple soon began to experiment in their garage, crafting wines with the help of their friends while sticking to their shared belief in sustainable practices. Five years later, these eccentric wines—infused with mangoes, avocados, and other nongrape fruits—helped their newly opened winery garner a 2008 Best Winery award from the Miami New Times.

Many of the winery's varietals have gone on to win accolades since then, and tours and tastings allow visitors to join in the celebration and gain insights to the process of winemaking in a tropical environment complete with a coral water fountain, tiki huts, and lush plants. Table wines include Guava, a rose wine, balanced with integrated aromas of plum, black berry, blue berry and exotic herbs. Wines pour freely during weekend events that feature live concerts and karaoke. Past entertainment included Bryan Gonzalez, TreeHause Band, La Linea, and bluegrass groups distinguished by their danceable songs and innovatively landscaped lawns.

It took the owners of Vino DeSantis six months to find the right setting to host their vino emporium. Their diligence paid off. Today, their Coral Springs location houses more than 1,200 different varieties in a combination shop and tasting room lit by a warm, incandescent glow. The shop is also home to an Enomatic wine system, a space-age wine-delivery device that can hold 72 bottles of wine and automatically dispense 1-, 2-, or 4-ounce servings of that day’s offerings. With no more machines to install or fixtures to set up, the staff is now free to build the community’s knowledge of wine during tastings augmented by complimentary cheeses, breads, and compliments.