If your idea of cardio is sprinting to the last pour of d’Yquem, clear your calendar. The Golden Vines—the event the industry casually calls the “Oscars of Fine Wine”—is coming to the U.S. for the first time, landing in Miami November 7–9, 2025. As Robb Report (Original author: Liquid Icons in Partnership With Robb Report) puts it, “The Golden Vines is no ordinary fine wine event.” (Robb Report)
Quick refresher for the uninitiated: Golden Vines is a three-day, high-gloss celebration of the world’s top wine and spirits estates, staged with Michelin-starred chefs, A-list performances, and a charity auction that’s raised $5 million for the Gérard Basset Foundation so far. Or, to borrow the source’s own shorthand, it’s the “Oscars of Fine Wine” (Robb Report) for a reason.
Why this matters: beyond the flex-worthy guest list and magnum-heavy pours, Golden Vines funds real access and education in wine, spirits, and hospitality via the Gérard Basset Foundation. So you’re not just sipping Krug—you’re helping open doors for the next generation of sommeliers, winemakers, and hospitality pros. That’s a pairing we can all toast.
What’s on the Miami menu
Friday (Nov 7) kicks off with at least ten masterclasses spanning Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Australia, South America, and California. Translation: you can go from Egon Müller Riesling philosophy to Napa mountain tannins before lunch. That night, two-Michelin-starred Ryan Ratino (Jônt) handles the gala dinner—expect precision plates riding shotgun with blue-chip bottles.
Saturday (Nov 8) brings ten fine-wine lunches around the city and the black-tie Awards Gala at Faena Forum, with three-Michelin-starred Kyle Connaughton (SingleThread) orchestrating a “dinner for the ages.” If you’ve ever wanted to see what happens when Japanese-Californian finesse meets first-growth swagger, this is the room.
Sunday (Nov 9) is pure choose-your-own-adventure: a private jet hop to the Exumas for beachside Burgundy with chef Masayuki Komatsu, a gourmet lunch inside one of the world’s largest private Ferrari and Porsche collections, or a caviar-and-fine-wine blowout courtesy of Aaron Paul’s The Only Caviar. Miami, but make it magnums.
Bottles worth lacing up for
The pour list reads like a collector’s screensaver: large formats from Krug, Dom Pérignon, Rare Champagne, Château d’Yquem, Colgin Estate, Ridge Monte Bello, Il Marroneto Madonna delle Grazie, Marqués de Murrieta Ygay Gran Reserva, Château Lafite Rothschild, and Egon Müller, among others. The organizers emphasize generosity of spirit, so don’t expect thimble pours—this is a weekend where scarcity takes a back seat to hospitality.
How to play it (and not get FOMO)
- Prioritize producers you’ll rarely experience side by side. For Champagne, chase Krug vs. Dom Pérignon large formats; for Bordeaux, look for Lafite flights across decades.
- Masterclass strategy: pick one region you know intimately (to calibrate) and one outside your comfort zone (to grow). Burgundy nerd? Add German Riesling or Australian classics to your mix.
- Gala game plan: eat early bites, pace the pours, and take notes. Not because you’re a nerd (welcome to the club), but because great wines evolve in the glass.
- Auctions with conscience: set a bid ceiling, then add 10% for adrenaline. The lots come with “money-can’t-buy” experiences, and the proceeds fund the Gérard Basset Foundation—worthy splurge territory.
The vibe
Golden Vines has a track record of pairing elite wines with legit entertainment and serious kitchens. From London’s Mirazur-driven launch to Paris at the Opéra Garnier and Madrid’s Palacio de Cibeles, the venues and lineups have been outrageous—in the best way. Miami now gets the torch, with just 275 tickets in play. Translation: if you’re angling for an invite, polish your credentials and your shoes.
Who should go
If you collect, this is a rare chance to benchmark legends in large formats with top chefs shaping the pairing context. If you’re trade or hospitality, it’s a networking cheat code and a masterclass marathon rolled into one. If you’re new to fine wine but curious, bring humility and an open palate—this isn’t a 101 seminar, but it’ll move your palate forward by years in one weekend.
Final swirl
Miami’s first Golden Vines is a statement pour for the U.S. market—serious wine, serious cuisine, serious philanthropy, zero stuffiness. Just remember: great events are like great vintages—blink and they’re gone. If you want in, move fast and bring your A-game palate.
As the source notes, attendance isn’t automatic: “This is not an easy ticket to get.” (Robb Report)
Source: https://robbreport.com/partners/golden-vines-2025-oscars-fine-wine-event-america-1237015172/
