Miami

Hereford Grill earned its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence on the back of a respectable, if predictable, California-focused cellar that does exactly one thing well: getting a serious Cab on the table next to a serious steak. If you're hunting for discovery or value, look elsewhere — but if you want a classic steakhouse wine experience with Venezuelan flair on the plate, this delivers.

Sofia is a polished Italian-steakhouse with real ambition behind the wine list — the Italian producers are legit and the Wednesday half-price night is one of the better deals in Miami. Just go in knowing you're paying for the room as much as the wine, and order accordingly.

Michael's Genuine earned its Wine Spectator nod with a French-focused list that's more considered than most Miami restaurants bother to be. It's not a destination wine experience, but it's a genuinely reliable place to drink well while eating well — and in this city, that counts for a lot.

Lucky Cat earns its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence on the strength of solid French producers, even if the list plays it a bit safe for a restaurant this loud and bold. Send a friend here for Champagne and sashimi — just don't expect the wine program to keep up with the room's ambition.

Ferraro's Kitchen is a genuine find — a small, family-run Italian spot in Miami that takes its wine as seriously as its pasta, with a Piedmont-and-Tuscany-focused list anchored by real producers. Send a friend here if they love old-world Italian wine and want something that feels discovered rather than manufactured.

Claudie earned its Wine Spectator nod honestly — Fernando Araiza has built a focused, France-forward list that actually serves the food. Miami markups are real here, but the bones are strong enough that you'll drink well if you order smart.

Amal is doing something genuinely rare in Miami: building a wine program around a region most restaurants wouldn't even attempt. If you care about Lebanese wine at all — or want to discover why you should — this list is worth your attention.

Zuma is playing in a different league than most Miami restaurants — three named sommeliers, 400+ bottles, and a Wednesday half-price wine night that is frankly absurd on a list with Penfolds Grange on it. The markups are real and the list skews toward the usual suspects, but the depth, the staff, and the sheer ambition of pairing this wine program with a robata grill earn the Rager badge without much debate.

Zucca's Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence is earned — this is a serious Italian list in a city that doesn't always take wine seriously. The pricing runs steep and there's no sommelier to guide you through it, but if you know what you're doing, there's real drinking to be had here.

The Surf Club is unambiguously one of the best wine destinations in Miami — the cellar depth, the sommelier team, and the sheer seriousness of the list earn the Rager badge without hesitation. The markups are real and the room is expensive, but you came to the right place if wine is part of why you're here.

Sparrow Italia's Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence is earned, not decorative — Phil Fuentes runs a serious program in a room that clearly cares about what's in the glass. The markups sting on the high end, but this is one of the stronger Italian-focused wine lists in Miami, full stop.

MILA is a legit wine destination dressed up as a party — DRC, Leroy, Krug, and a certified sommelier in a MediterrAsian fever dream on Meridian Ave. Send your friends here, but tell them to let Fernando order.

Lido is one of the strongest Italian-focused wine programs in Miami — full stop. The markup will sting, but for a night when the list matters as much as the meal, this is exactly where you want to be.

Lafayette is a steakhouse wine list done right — deep in the regions that matter for big red meat meals, stocked with names that earn their reputations, and serious enough to land a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence in its first year. The markups are real and there's no sommelier to guide you through it, but if you know what you want, you'll find it here.

LPM Miami is one of the few restaurants in South Florida where the wine list is genuinely worth the trip on its own merits — a deep, serious French-focused collection run by a knowledgeable sommelier in a room that knows how to have a good time. Bring someone you want to impress, accept that the markup is steep, and order Burgundy.

Klaw is the real deal — a Miami seafood and steakhouse that treats its wine program with the same seriousness as the kitchen. If you've got the budget to explore, this list rewards it.

Kiki on the River is a genuinely surprising wine program tucked inside a party-forward waterfront scene — the kind of place where the list outperforms the expectation by a full tier. The markups sting and the Greek wine gap is a missed opportunity, but if you're eating grilled whole fish on the Miami River and drinking Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet, life is not going badly.

Dirty French Steakhouse is playing in the top tier of Miami wine programs — deep French cellar, knowledgeable staff, and a by-the-glass selection that actually tries. Pricing runs steep as expected in Brickell, but if you're dropping money on a Wagyu Tomahawk, this is exactly the list you want next to it.

Cote Miami is the rare place where an 800-bottle cellar feels completely at home next to tabletop Korean BBQ grills — the contrast shouldn't work, but it absolutely does. Send your most wine-obsessed friend here and tell them to bring their credit card and their patience for a long, indulgent night.

Avra Miami is the rare hotel-adjacent Greek restaurant where the wine list actually reflects the kitchen's ambitions — Greek-first, globally deep, fairly priced, and backed by a sommelier who clearly gives a damn. Yes, send a friend. Send yourself first.

Amara at Paraiso is the rare restaurant where the wine list is as much a reason to show up as the bay views — Amanda Garcia has built a serious, well-sourced program that rewards curious drinkers. Markups can sting, but the depth and the setting make it worth every pour.

Limited intel, but everything we know points to a wine bar that gets the assignment: pair adventurous natural wines with bold Asian flavors. If you're looking for classic Bordeaux or Napa prestige, wrong door. If you want to try something funky with your dumplings, you're home.

This isn't a wine destination—it's barely a wine stop. If you're here, stick to cocktails or beer and save your wine budget for a restaurant that actually cares.

LPM delivers exactly what you'd expect from a French Mediterranean restaurant in Miami's financial district: a safe, well-curated list with markup that reflects the zip code more than the liquid. Come for the scene and the reliable pours, not the wine discoveries.

Yes, it's expensive. Yes, you're paying for the scene. But the wine program is legitimately elite — deep list, knowledgeable staff, proper storage, and enough variety to keep serious drinkers happy while the nightclub crowd orders bottle service. We'd send wine-loving friends here with confidence.

Klaw isn't trying to win any wine awards, and that's fine—they're a seafood spot that keeps safe bottles on hand for tourists and locals alike. Come for the fish, order something white and cold, and keep expectations modest.

Until KK Hospitality Group shows us they actually care about wine, stick to cocktails or beer. No transparency, no expertise, no reason to trust the bottle markup.

The Surf Club delivers what you'd expect from a Four Seasons Italian restaurant: safe choices, proper service, and prices that reflect the zip code. Come for the scene, stay for the Barolo, but maybe expense it.

Itamae's wine list does the job without trying to be a hero. If you're here for the omakase, order sake or a safe white and let the fish do the talking.

Stubborn Seed nails the service and the sommelier knows their stuff, but the wine list plays it safer than the kitchen does. If you're here for the food and want a solid bottle that won't derail the experience, you're covered—just don't expect the wine program to steal the show.