South Florida’s Gold Coast – the sun-splashed, resort-laced stretch from Miami to the Palm Beaches – has long drawn domestic and foreign visitors as one of the US’s leading leisure destinations. Foreign financial influence is on the rise, and Miami alone is expecting $16bn of this year’s whopping $23bn tourism-related dollars to come from outside the country — influence that can be seen on area wine lists.
Miami wine professionals see it as a natural reflection of their worldwide clientele. Sébastien Verrier, head sommelier at the five-star St Regis Bal Harbour Resort, has seen the shift first-hand over his 15 years in Miami, remarking how wine lists that were once 65% American are now 65% foreign, with European wine representing the bulk of this.
It’s no surprise that weather is another major factor in a wine’s popularity. South Florida’s tropical climate and resort-like atmosphere offers a lot of time in chaise lounges and open-air restaurants. So what exactly is the result of these influences? Scott Saunders asked three professionals to give their account of what’s happening at some of the area’s most renowned resorts.