We all remember 2020, right? It was the year mom and dad learned how to use Zoom. It was also the year that gifted us a plethora of pandemic-turned-permanent spots like Apocalypse BBQ, Old Greg’s, and Chèvre, a specialty market on Coral Way selling on fine cheeses and meats, globally sourced wines, exquisite caviar and some of the most artisanal sandwiches in town. Now, Miami’s favorite cheese shop has launched both a membership program and Bibliothèque by Chèvre, a private tasting room that will expand your world when it comes to wine.
Bibliothèque is not intuitive to find. Though in the same building as Chèvre, you access it through a nondescript door that leads you to a hallway of seemingly professional suites. Open one, maybe you’ll find a dentist. Open another and the private tasting room of your dreams appears. 14 camel-colored leather stools line a U-shaped marble bar. The walls are a deep royal blue with wine bottles and books lining the shelves. And behind the counter, you’ll probably find Nevin Kumar, certified sommelier and cicerone, and also the wine and beer director at Chèvre.
Miami is usually a few paces behind other major food cities, but we catch up in due time. Despacito is still a speed after all. Nevin comes to us by way of LA, and is dead set on building up the city’s wine savvy and sommelier community. “Soms weren’t really competitive with each other [in LA],” says Nevin. “We’d get together on Wednesday mornings and brown paper bag our wines from all different restaurants. I got out here and there are all these islands and bubbles and no one’s talking to each other.”
Bibliothèque has set out to change this for both industry folks and enthusiasts alike. Its monthly schedule is posted on Stories and you’ll find it dotted with a number of educational classes dedicated to specific regions like Italy or Spain, classes that help you determine what kinds of wines you like by pitting different them against each other (say, Pinot vs. Chardonnay), and master classes for those who want to take their wine and cheese knowledge to the next level. There are also non-educational events like ladies nights and social Fridays, plus happenings tied to occasions like Mother’s Day or PGA tournaments. Oh, and Monday is industry night, so bring your restaurant staff and learn a few new things.
Can you score a seat without a membership? Sure! You just have to cover the class cost. From there, you just pay for full pours once you’ve sampled a few and found some you like.
But becoming a member does have its perks. $100 a month covers the entry fee to weekend classes and events, and the $250-a-month VIP membership grants you access to Bibliothèque whenever you want it, plus exclusive events on Tuesdays through Thursdays. Members get their very own library card to access the space, which is also available for private events like intimate birthdays or team tastings, no membership required.
And the classes won’t just be wine focused. Chevré head chef Nicole Voltano is excited to launch food-themed courses, too, whether it’s an exploration of olive oils or a full deep dive into cheese. She’s also developing a Michelin level tapas menu to complement the wine program.
Nicole has made her way around some highly lauded kitchens. After studying at the French Culinary Institute in New York, she worked in San Francisco. 18 years ago, she moved to Miami to work at the Four Seasons and later, The Biltmore. After having kids, she needed a gig that was more forgiving with time, and so she landed a job at Crumb and Parchment, a breakfast and lunch favorite in the Design District in its pre-luxury shopping days. She caught the attention of Michelle Bernstein, who was surprised to find Nicole, with all her experience, making sandwiches. So, she hired her as her corporate chef. Eventually, she took her newfound passion for making hyper gourmet sandwiches to Chèvre, where she is now a partner.
And good Lord, does Nicole and her team know how to make a good stack of bread, meat and cheese. We went around the world in six sandwiches (and a creamy grilled cheese), quite literally because every ingredient used in each is sourced from either the best local or international vendors. The Frenchman uses only French ingredients, like bread from Bettant Bakery in Miami Beach. The Italian features bread from Sullivan Street Bakery, shaved mortadella, whipped sheep’s milk ricotta and these Sicilian Pistachios that give it a nice nutty crunch. And The Spaniard is made up of imported Pan de Cristal, jamón Iberico, cantimpalo and a 6-month semi-cured manchego cheese that’s won championships.
The weekend is where the sandwich game gets real good, though. They develop a different specialty sub and release only 12 over the two days. We’re talking ingredients like actual truffle mushrooms, Kaluga caviar, world champion brie, award-winning Iberico ham and so much more. It’s the only place where people are willing, actually begging, to spend $50 a pop on a sandwich, and by weekend’s end, every one is sold out.
Having the best meats, wines, cheeses, and ingredients in the world is honestly the best, but even better is the community and authentic fanfare that Chèvre has built. And it’s been like that since day one, when it was just a pandemic experiment for owner and Miami native Mario Narr.
“We’d do online cheese classes through Zoom. I’d send a box to your house with cheese and wine, and what we realized was that everyone wanted to socialize!” says Mario. “We started off with five people, then ten, and then eventually 60. The class would end in an hour and people wanted to stay three or four more hours on Zoom, opening up their Scotch and wine bottles! That gave me the confidence to open the store.”
That buzz hasn’t faded. If you haven’t yet visited Chèvre, make a stop this weekend if not just for a sandwich, a glass of wine and maybe a tin of caviar.