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Dining experiences with exceptional women, food and wine. Join us for unforgettable moments in taste and refinement. 🍷🍽️ #WineAndDineDames

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I am often asked why I love visiting vineyards when I travel, and the answer is simple: I love stories.
To me, every vineyard is a novel — a new story waiting to be discovered. Of course, there is the wine, and in the case of Benjamín Romeo and Bodega Contador, extraordinary wine. But what stays with me is the story of the land, the people, their risks, and their passion.
In late 2024, we visited Rioja and fell in love with the “Rioja rebels” — winemakers who challenged convention and helped revolutionize Spanish wine by bringing the focus back to the vineyard and terroir.
Benjamín Romeo was one of those rebels. After 15 years at Artadi, he followed his own vision and created Bodega Contador and the magnificent Contador, now one of Spain’s iconic wines.
But what I remember most is learning about the human side of Benjamín himself — his warmth, quirky humor, and wonderful fascination with Clint Eastwood and Pale Rider, which inspired his wine Predicador. As Americans visiting his corner of Rioja, it made us laugh and feel immediately at home.
I was so saddened to learn of his passing. I feel incredibly fortunate that our travels allowed us to learn of his genius and experience a small part of his story.
Now, when I open the bottles of his wine resting in my cellar, I’ll remember much more than a great Rioja. I’ll remember the rebel, the storyteller, the lover of American culture , and that wonderful afternoon in Rioja.
May Benjamín Romeo rest in peace. Our condolences to the entire @bodega_contador family🍷🇪🇸

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The American Wine Story: Entrepreneurs Who Built Napa

The more time we spent in Napa, the more I realized that America’s wine story is really an entrepreneurship story. It is the story of visionaries who saw opportunity where others saw risk, entrepreneurs who built iconic brands, and pioneers who bet on a patch of dirt long before the world understood its value.

Robert Mondavi helped convince the world that Napa belonged alongside the great wine regions of France. His vision and partnership with Baron Philippe de Rothschild—gave rise to Opus One, one of America’s most prestigious wines.

Andy Beckstoffer built his legacy differently. Rather than creating a winery, he assembled some of Napa Valley’s most coveted vineyard sites, proving that great wines begin with great land.

We were fortunate to experience this firsthand hand as we visited the newly reimagined Robert Mondavi Winery, explored Opus One, tasted at Realm, and spent time with FIU alumnus Duffy Keys at B Cellars. Since 2003, B Cellars has sourced fruit from all six of Beckstoffer’s Heritage Vineyards. Realm which is one of Napa’s most exciting wineries sources heavily from Beckstoffer and Realm’s Beckstoffer To Kalon is one of Ian’s all time favorite wines.

As a wine lover and Panther, I am so proud to see an FIU Alumnus and visionary making such great contributions to the American wine story. Duffy’s journey reminds us that the entrepreneurial spirit that built America’s wine industry continues to thrive in those carrying it forward today.

🍷🇺🇸 #America250 #AmericanWineStory #NapaValley #FIUAlumni

Lovely tasting at Opus One

The Opus Nursery 2025 in all new French Oak

A view of the Tokalan vineyards from Opus.

2013 was a great year! Exploring variations in Opus One vintages.

Robert Mondavi’s remodeled winery sitting with his history.

Mondavi winery with natural blooms fertilizing the surrounding landscape.

Truly beautiful space at the renovated Mondavi winery

Realm’s Calistoga winery last day of visits as all now will be done from their Prichard Hill location. Admiring the beautiful landscape.

This art piece greets you at Realm it is from Shakespeare’s Richard II, Act II, Scene I,

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In Search of the Future of Napa’s Cult Wines

Our visit to Promontory began with a glass of Dom Pérignon and a walk into what felt like a sanctuary. Looking out across Harlan’s vineyards from a serene, almost Zen-like space, it quickly became clear that Promontory is something entirely different.

Led by Will Harlan, who left the tech world to help shape the next chapter of his family’s wine legacy, Promontory is built around a remarkable piece of land perched on the elevated, forested southwestern edge of Oakville. Here, ancient fault lines and tectonic upheaval have created a landscape unlike anywhere else in Napa. The vineyards sit high above the valley floor, surrounded by dense woodland and cooled by mountain influences that allow for a later harvest, an advantage that may prove increasingly important as Napa’s climate continues to warm.

A walk through the tranquil gardens led us into a cellar that perfectly mirrors the estate’s philosophy: modern, understated, and breathtaking. Massive Austrian oak casks appear to float above the floor as the wines rest for nearly four years before release. The extended aging is not by choice but by necessity. These soils produce wines of such structure, minerality, and tannic depth that time becomes an essential ingredient.

Then came the tasting.

If most Napa Cabernet speaks in bold fruit, high alcohol, Promontory whispers in another language altogether. Here’s a Cabernet expressing freshness, acidity, crushed wet stone, moss, slate with violets, lead pencil. A hint of Graves somehow transported to America. Powerful, yet weightless. Elegant, yet commanding. It was one of the most distinctive unique and fascinating expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon we encountered on our journey. Definitely something I had never tasted before and immediately wanted more of. Complex. Mesmerizing. Unforgettable.

WOW. WOW. WOW.

#Promontory #NapaValley #CultWine #CabernetSauvignon #HarlanEstate

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In Search of California Cult Wines: Colgin Cellars

A visit to Colgin begins with one of the most beautiful drives in Napa. Colgin is perched high above the valley in Pritchard Hill. The estate is just majestic, a tribute to its founder’s impecable taste. Founded by Ann Colgin in 1992, the winery emerged during a period when very few women occupied such visible leadership roles in fine wine. Ann brought with her a background in the art world, and her appreciation for beauty, craftsmanship, and culture can be felt throughout the property. The estate feels less like a winery and more like an elegantly curated chateaux- a true expression of Napa’s progression visible in Ann’s art collection.

Colgin wines are a testament to remarkable winemaking and land stewardship. My favorite the IX Estate is so powerful yet elegant and well balanced with such aromatic violet notes feeling like a fine Parisian perfume. It truly reflects the talent of women in wine making and the brilliance of Allison Tauziet, who has led their winemaking program since 2007. The visit and tasting with a view of Lake Hennessey helped us appreciate how all comes together in that glass you hold. The careful toil of those grapes, the necessity of that geography, the effects of the altitude, the right amount of fog pulling in the mornings, the craftsmanship of those wine makers and the vision of a wise perfectionist founder. Cult wines is term used since the 1990s, to describe rare, limited-production wines that inspire near-legendary devotion among collectors. It’s easy to see why Colgin has earned so many of those coveted 100 points that secure such cult status.

And in the midst of that wonder an unexpected reminder of home. Among the sports memorabilia displayed in the estate sat a signed Miami Heat basketball from Pat Riley. Thousands of miles from Miami, in the hills above Napa Valley, we found a small piece of our city on display.

Cheers to home!

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Napa Trip – Part I: The Original Story

As America begins celebrating its 250th anniversary, Ian and I set out on a journey to better understand a distinctly American story: the rise of fine wine in California.

Like many wine lovers, much of our wine education had been deeply Eurocentric. We knew Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rioja, and Champagne long before we knew Napa. What little we did know about California’s great wines came from a dear friend who passed away earlier this year. He was a passionate collector of Napa cult wines and, through his generosity, helped start our own collection with a few treasured bottles. In many ways, portions of this trip became a quiet homage to him. No story about American wine can begin anywhere other than the 1976 Judgment of Paris.

At a blind tasting organized in Paris by Steven Spurrier, some of France’s most respected wine experts unknowingly ranked California wines above many of France’s most celebrated estates. The results shocked the wine world and forever changed perceptions of what American wine could achieve.

Two wines became legends that day.

The 1973 Chardonnay from Chateau Montelena won the white wine competition, proving Napa could stand alongside the great white Burgundies of France.

The 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon from Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars captured first place among the red wines, triumphing over some of Bordeaux’s most revered names.

The photos in this post capture visits to both historic wineries. Among the highlights were standing before the original letter sent from Paris notifying Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars of its victory and walking the grounds of Chateau Montelena, whose iconic stone château became a symbol of Napa’s emergence on the world stage.

Today, Napa Valley is synonymous with world-class wine. But fifty years ago, these two wineries helped write a new chapter in American history—one that demonstrated that excellence, innovation, and a willingness to challenge convention are not limited by geography.

Sometimes the most fascinating journeys begin not with what we know, but with what we realize we still have to learn.

🍷 To be continued…
#napa #america250 #americanwine #judgementofparis

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Mi Gente SIN CORCHO! Proclamo a hecho y derecho este ‼️RETO DE SIN ALCOHOL EL 29,30 y 31 DE FEBRERO🤪

ETIQUETA A TUS AMIGOS Y COMPARTE CON LOS QUE QUIERAS HACERLO🙃

#sincorcho #uncorked

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🍷✨ Wine, food & the best company ✨🍷

Such a special evening with the @wineanddinedames — an incredible group of women from our Miami community who share a love for great wine and beautiful food. What I love most is that this group intentionally supports local restaurants with talented chefs and sommeliers, celebrating the people behind the experience.

Thank you @breciomartinez for organizing such a thoughtful night and for inviting me — I’m truly grateful to be part of it. 🥂

Dinner @tin.tin.miami was pure magic. The menu celebrates the richness of Cuban cooking, beautifully woven with refined French and Italian influences — thoughtful, elevated, and full of flavor.

Here’s the stunning pairing lineup:

🥂 Wahoo Crudo
🍷 Can Sumoi Xarel·lo 2023 (Spain)

🍝 Malanga Cacio e Pepe
🍷 Rocco Pinot Noir 2022 (Willamette Valley)

🍗 Airline Chicken
🍷 Zismero “Locos por el Vino” Garnacha 2023 (Aragón)

🍮 Tinta’s Flan
🍷 Alma Negra Rosé Brut (Mendoza)

Every course, every pour, every conversation — unforgettable. 💫

So excited for many more evenings like this.

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#WineAndDineDames #MiamiWine #SupportLocalMiami #MiamiFoodies #WineLovers WinePairing WomenWhoWine MiamiDining TinTinMiami WineCommunity WineJourney FoodAndWine CubanCuisine WineExperience Grateful

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Dames who wine together, shine together ⭐️No other place is like a Miami night it truly is the Magic City 🤍

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Una noche #portuguesa con certeza 🇵🇹Uno de los eventos más lindos de comienzo del año 🥂Estar entre mujeres es terapia, conexión y muchas risas. Lo que el doctor ordena 🥰 Thank you, ladies 💃🏻🫶🏼🍷#portuguesewines #elvinocuratodo #winelover #entremujeres

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There’s something special about gathering with women who speak the same language—food, wine, and intention.

Wine & Dine Dames started 2026 at Old Lisbon, sharing plates, pouring glasses, and letting Portugal set the tone for the year ahead. 🇵🇹

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Wine & Dine Dames @wineanddinedames was born from a simple idea: to create a space where women could come together over great food and wine, learn something new, and build genuine connections around the table. 🍷✨
What I didn’t anticipate was just how meaningful those monthly gatherings would become, the amazing conversations, and the strong dining society we would create. As we close out 2025 and our third season, I’m feeling incredibly grateful.

This fall marked our third season and we gathered around the table for four unforgettable dinners:
• Arcano Restaurant @arcanomiami
• Bouchon Bistro @bouchon_bistro
• Taberna Giralda @latabernagiralda — featuring my first wine educator Patrick Alexander and Coral Gables legend Karen Pino
• And closing the season at Coral Gables’ newest steakhouse, Ro Steakhouse @rosteakhouse

Wine & Dine Dames has become a place where every month I get to meet remarkable women, deepen friendships, and introduce my friends (and friends-of-friends) to the very best of our City Beautiful @cityofcoralgables and surrounding area. It’s a joy to organize these evenings, to learn alongside such thoughtful wine educators and culinary professionals, and to experience firsthand the care, hospitality, and intention that define our local dining scene.

I’m constantly inspired by the women who show up — curious, open, and generous — ready to learn, connect, and expand their networks while sharing common values. These dinners remind me how powerful community can be when it’s built with intention.

I feel incredibly blessed to organize these evenings and the incredible support that all of the dames offer particularly @sofi_rromero who builds all of our technical wine sheets.

Thank you to every Dame, restaurateur, and educator who made this season unforgettable. 🥂 can’t wait to see everyone in 2026! Happy Holidays !

#WineAndDineDames #CoralGables #CityBeautiful #WomenInWine
#MiamiDining #CommunityOverCompetition #wineeducation

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