Order 15! Check Out This New Natural Wine Shop in Little Haiti
From the team behind OFF SITE and Boxelder
Hi hungry friends! We left your inbox high and dry for a few months (hopefully we didn’t leave you too hangry) but there’s nothing like the pop of a cork to spring one back from a food coma. Little Haiti has scored itself a fantastic new natural wine store by the team behind OFF SITE and Boxelder, and like a fine sulfate-free wine, we just had to share.
We give Zero Zero a ten out of ten. Actually, maybe an eleven. It may have just opened a week ago, but its shelves are filled with a gallery-like display of jewel-toned bottles bearing enough creative labels to fill a design museum.
“We’re excited. It’s our first foray into full on retail,” says Adam Darnell, who co-owns Zero Zero with his wife, Nicole Schechter Darnell. “We did a little bit at Boxelder, but the pricing structure is all weird when you do on premise and off premise, so this is a little more straightforward. We’re also very excited to have a spot where we can do good programing and events, but also close by 9:00 at night and go to bed early.”
The name Zero Zero is a nod to natural wine in its purest form: zero is added to the winemaking process, zero is taken away. Now, this can yield some pretty funky varieties, so many natural wine producers will add just a little bit of sulfite dioxide for preservation and consistency. But if a wine is labeled zero-zero, that means no water, no sugar, no commercial yeast, and definitely no sulfur. It is pure, it is also wild.
Maybe as wild as the store’s selection. Zero Zero doesn’t just carry zero-zero wines. There are pet nats and biodynamic wines, oranges and low interventions. Right now, there are about 110 different wines to choose from, mostly from California and eastern Europe, but they plan to expand their selection as time goes by.
As one of the pioneer purveyors of Miami’s craft beer scene, we had to ask, “Will there be beer?” Don’t expect it, no, though Adam does promise to carry a few special cases from time to time. What you will find, though, is an impressive selection of non-alcoholic and functional beverages. About a quarter of the store is dedicated to this, which is good news for non-drinkers and the cult of Dry January.
Design is also a big focus of the shop, as Nicole is also VP of Production for Design Miami. Note the charismatically bubbly logo and hi-fi lifestyle Instagram feed, both by Louisville-based creative and branding studio Zimmer Design. It compliments the store’s interior: pistachio green walls, shelving slapped with Japanese subway tile and boutique-like display tables carrying fun merch like apparel, mugs and really cool food-shaped pipes by Ficus Ceramica. (Oysters, pomegranates, bell peppers – the whole pantry’s up for grabs.)
“The winemakers and producers put a lot of effort into that as well, so it’s almost our duty to do that on our end and present [their wines] in a way that gives them the forum that they deserve,” says Adam. “And I think we’ve done a good job in nailing that.”
It’s the perfect space for pop-up events like tastings with wine producers, which Zero Zero can’t wait to start inviting you to. And with OFFSITE just three doors down, who’s to say there won’t be some creative (and highly sippable) collabs in the works? In 2024, Adam and Nicole plan to launch a bottle club, which is awesome for naturally curious locals and aficionados alike.
So, wondering what to check out when you visit? We asked the team to send us a few recommendations. Here’s what they had to say:
🍷Zero Zero Recommends 🍷
For the Natural Wine Newbie: Wavy Wines Super Californian
“A blend of Merlot, Zinfandel, Barbera, Freisa, and Petit Sirah [grapes] are co-fermented to create the base, and another handful of varieties are added to create this super playful, juicy wine. It is fruity, bright, and perfect when served chilled.”
For the Top Shelf Scout: Champagne Laherte Freres Blanc De Blanc Brut Nature:
“Notes of pear, apple, a touch of almond, and a gently smoky top note. On the palate, the wine is bright, full-bodied, focused and beautifully balanced, with good acids, elegant mousse and impressive length on the finish. I chose this because I feel like people always look for some bubbly for special occasions and especially during the holidays.”
For the Risk Takers: Correcaminos
“Always a hit! This 100% Verdejo wine is cloudy in the glass with fresh acidity. Notes of citrus, orange peel, green fruit, some minerality. Low intervention, unfiltered, without any additives, sugars or sulphites. It's a little funky, a little acidic and invokes a lot of textures on the tongue.”
Story: Ashley Brozic
Photography: Natalia Pascual