Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was a wine blogger coming down along the road…

Last week found me in Miami at one of my happiest of places.

Vinya in Coral Gables (there is another location in Key Biscayne) is a wine bar, restaurant, and retailer. And imho, it is also the apotheosis of what wine-focused hospitality should be.

Not only does owner and founder Allegra Angelo offer a roadmap to enogastronomic pleasure (and the Latin spice in her menus takes that delight over the top). But she also serves up a model for how to run a successful food and wine business.

She does that in part by using every avenue available to her: she’s a triple-threat when it comes to on-premise, off-premise, and in-house events and education.

But even more impactful is the fun vibe she creates. She takes wine seriously (and her wine knowledge is crazy good) but she keeps it approachable and accessible through user-friendly wine education and pricing.

Every time we connect I tell her the same thing: she should tour the country teaching people how to move boxes in the ever-changing dialectic of wine in the U.S.

And every time I visit one of her locations, it seems that my Miami friends group continues to grow. If you ask me, that’s the ultimate sign of a great food and wine destination: when you walk out with more friends than you had when you walked in.

I highly recommend it.