• Luca Osteria in Coral Gables has earned Wine Spectator's 2026 Award of Excellence, its first recognition from the publication's Restaurant Awards program.

• The award follows a six-month wine program overhaul led personally by chef Giorgio Rapicavoli, growing the list from 75 selections to nearly 285 bottles.

• The expanded list emphasizes European and Argentine producers alongside classic Italian offerings, built around value and accessibility rather than trophy bottles.

• Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence recognizes restaurants whose wine lists offer a well-chosen assortment of quality producers that complement the menu in price and style.

Luca Osteria, chef Giorgio Rapicavoli's Coral Gables restaurant, has earned Wine Spectator's 2026 Award of Excellence, the first time the restaurant has received recognition from the publication's Restaurant Awards program.

Rapicavoli personally curated the expanded program over the past six months, growing the wine list from 75 selections to nearly 285 bottles. The new list leans into a focused but diverse mix of European and Argentine producers alongside classic Italian offerings, structured around value, fair pricing, and accessibility rather than depth for its own sake.

Rapicavoli, a Chopped champion who built his career folding Argentine and Italian heritage into Miami's food scene, opened Luca Osteria in Coral Gables in 2021 and quickly turned it into one of the anchors of Giralda Avenue's restaurant row. A wine list overhaul of this scale signals the restaurant treating its beverage program as a parallel priority to the food rather than a supporting element.

Luca Osteria's inclusion on this year's list underscores the restaurant's continued evolution as one of South Florida's premier dining destinations, pairing Rapicavoli's Italian cooking with a wine program built to match it in ambition.