Cheers! A Guide to Wines Around The Palm Beaches

While the craft beer scene has been getting a lot of attention around The Palm Beaches, the area has plenty to offer a discerning oenophile. Whether you’re a wine connoisseur seeking a hard-to-find vintage bottle or a casual enthusiast who simply wants an affordable, tasty glass during happy hour, many restaurants boast impressive wine lists.

“The entire world of wine is represented in restaurants around The Palm Beaches,” explained Stephanie Miskew, a Delray Beach-based Certified Sommelier, Wine Educator, Fox News Contributor, and author of The Glamorous Gourmet. “We are on the national map for being a culinary hot spot, and the wine scene is truly exploding. There’s something for everyone, no matter the price point.”

“Consumers are becoming more wine-savvy, so restaurants need to constantly introduce them to new regions, new producers, new styles of wine,” she explained. “The restaurants are really raising the bar to fulfill that need.” “I encourage visitors to be wine tourists,” Miskew continued. “Just like we do with food, you can embrace wine with a sense of adventure. Instead of relying on the same old glass of Chardonnay, have an adventurous palate!” To celebrate National Wine Tourism Day, here are six restaurants with spectacular wine offerings:

1. 50 Ocean – Delray Beach

With a panoramic view of the white sands of Delray Beach and the crystal-clear waters of the Atlantic Ocean, 50 Ocean restaurant at Boston’s on the Beach offers a feast for your eyes as well as 100 carefully-curated wine options for your tastebuds. This restaurant has consistently been awarded the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. It has a Weekday Happy Hour, featuring a select list of popular wines at half price from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the bar and Hemingway Lounge. “We created a diverse wine list that offers an array of selections from the finest wine-growing regions in the world. Our wines reflect the highest standards of production and consistency, and are well suited to complement our menu,” said Mark DeAtley, general manager.

2. Christopher’s Kitchen – Palm Beach Gardens

Lovers of raw food find a haven in Christopher’s Kitchen, owned by critically-acclaimed chef Christopher Slawson. Those who enjoy a plant-based lifestyle will find a variety of organic, sustainable, and bio-dynamic wines harvested without pesticides and naturally fermented without additives. “We enjoy introducing guests to ‘clean’ wines with pure tastes,” said Kelly Cunov of Christopher’s Kitchen. “Guests really enjoy trying different kinds with our wine enomatic machine, where they can fund a card and use it to get samples by the ounce or half-ounce.”

3. La Sirena – West Palm Beach

Located in the heart of West Palm Beach, La Sirena bills itself as “a world-class restaurant that just happens to be Italian.” More than 1200 selections, mainly from Italy, make this cozy eatery a destination for wine-lovers. A special section in the list, “50 wines under $50,” gives guests more affordable options of both whites and reds. “This year was our first time to receive the prestigious Wine Spectator Grand Award,” said Aaron Smith, sommelier for La Sirena. “There were eight new winners this year, for a total of 81 restaurants worldwide. It’s a huge honor for us, and we are humbled to be ranked with some of the greatest restaurants on earth.” “We are a small, family-owned place, so we serve wines that reflect that philosophy. We like unique producers,” he continued. “Since we don’t serve liquor, we are very passionate about wines.”

4. The Breakers – Palm Beach

A spectacular beachfront destination, The Breakers Palm Beach is one of the world’s few resorts with two Master Sommeliers, Wine Director Virginia Philip, and Juan Gomez, who — with support from five additional sommeliers — lead its renowned wine program that extends to its eight restaurants and eight bars.  They have helped the resort retain the Wine Spectator Grand Award every year since its inception in 1981, a distinction now borne by the popular, retro-glam lounge HMF.    

Its wine list’s 1,800 carefully curated selections showcase numerous classifications from 17 different countries, drawing on The Breakers’ 32,000-bottle collection. The Flagler Steakhouse also features an extensive, highly acclaimed wine list of 700 selections, earning the magazine’s “Best of” accolade. “Ultimately, the goal of the sommelier is to meet and exceed guests’ preferences and to have a hand in enhancing their overall dining experience,” said Philip. “Reading the guest and anticipating their needs is the most rewarding part of the job.”

5. Café Boulud – Palm Beach

Situated at the heart of the historic Brazilian Court Hotel, steps from famed Worth Avenue, and the white sandy Palm Beach shores, Café Boulud has earned Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence every year since 2004. The restaurant offers 650 wine selections, with a philosophy of offering guests a broad selection of styles, regions, and price ranges while concentrating on versatile wines. “We search for wines that best represent the true flavors of the grapes that they are made from and regions where they are grown,” said Mariya Kovacheva, sommeliere for Café Boulud. “While we focus on French and American wines, our selection list spans the globe with representation from all major wine-growing regions.”

6. Angle – Manalapan

Angle at the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa is a contemporary, American fine-dining restaurant featuring an award-winning wine selection. The list, featuring more than 700 varietals, has been recognized annually by Wine Spectator. The unique selection is designed to cater to every palate, providing a diverse selection from around the globe. With vintages dating back to 1906, and at prices ranging from $32 to $3,600, it also caters to every wallet. “The wine list we offer to our guests who dine with us provides an eclectic mixture of wines – some that are one of a kind,” said Tim White, resort sommelier at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa and manager of Angle. “We offer our guests wines that they are already familiar with, as well as something to expand their horizons.”

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