The Golden Vines 2025 Awards Gala Brings Fine Wine’s Finest to Miami

Miami welcomed the world’s leading wine and spirits luminaries on November 8 as the Golden Vines 2025 Awards Gala touched down at the striking Faena Forum. The headline event of the three-day Golden Vines Weekend Celebration gathered celebrities, epicureans and industry icons for an evening of precision pours, Michelin-starred cuisine and artistic performance.

Hosted by British actor David Ajala, the gala crowned standout producers and personalities across the global wine and rare-spirit landscape. Guests entered via a Champagne reception featuring Dom Pérignon P2 Vintage 2008, poured publicly for the first time ahead of its international release next year, accompanied by a striking breakdance performance that set an exuberant tone.

Among those in attendance were Raúl De Molina, Charlotte Carroll and Diego Bivaro-Volpe, who joined an audience of cultural and culinary tastemakers to toast the year’s award winners.

Three-Michelin-starred chef Kyle Connaughton of SingleThread Farm shaped the evening’s dining experience, offering an elevated progression of seafood, refined vegetables and wagyu thoughtfully paired with landmark wines. The menu featured Kanpachi Zushi with citrus rice and kohlrabi; flounder with Habanada Sanbaizu and myoga; duck liver parfait with apple and pistachio; lightly smoked black cod with cabbage cream and grilled bone glaze; and wagyu ribeye with caramelized mugi and bone marrow custard.

Pourings reflected the heights of global viticulture: Château d’Yquem, Château Lafite Rothschild 1989 in Imperial, Colgin IX Estate in magnum, II Marroneto Madonna delle Grazie Riserva 2013 in magnum and Egon Müller Auslese.

A performance by rising British-American vocalist Aiyana-Lee added a lyrical punctuation to the evening.

Major recognitions included The Golden Vines Grant Macdonald Best Fine Wine Producer in Europe Award given to Weingut Egon Müller of Germany; the Akerman Best Fine Wine Producer in the Americas Award to Harlan Estate of California; and the Maison Mura Best Fine Wine Producer in the Rest of the World Award to Henschke of Australia.

Vega Sicilia of Spain received the Robb Report Golden Vines World’s Best Fine Wine Producer honor, while Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines of South Africa earned the Slate Aviation World’s Best Rising Star recognition. Rosa Kruger of The Old Vine Project received the Amorim Cork Innovation Award, and Jean Trimbach of France was inducted into the Gérard Basset Foundation Hall of Fame.

The Macallan, Scotland, was celebrated as the Golden Vines Bacchus World’s Best Rare Spirit Brand, underscoring the institution’s broad global scope across categories.

Each honoree received a bespoke trophy created by American artist Jen Stark, guided by Trophy Creative Director Shantell Martin. The pieces were presented in custom-designed trunks, reflecting the marriage of art and craftsmanship that characterizes the Golden Vines platform.

The Golden Vines Weekend extends beyond celebration. On November 7, a charity gala at the Alfred I. DuPont Building, hosted by Emmy Award-winning journalist Lisa Petrillo, spotlighted this year’s Barca-Velha Scholarship winners: Sera Svitlana Karamshuk of London and Leila Tehrani-Killoran of France. Former basketball champion and VII(N) The Seventh Estate co-founder Carmelo Anthony received The Golden Vines Entrepreneur Award.

Profits from Golden Vines initiatives support the Gérard Basset Foundation, committed to equity and opportunity in the wine and spirits industry. Through education, mentorship and training, the foundation champions talent from underrepresented backgrounds across the globe.

The evening concluded with a symbolic handover. Vince Lago, Mayor of Coral Gables, officially passed the Golden Vines Baton to Lewis Chester, Co-Founder of The Golden Vines, announcing London as host of the 2026 Golden Vines Celebration.