Sarah rhapsodizes about her favorite South Beach Pizza spot, Pizzette, which happens to have a very nice wine list.
Many places claim to be a restaurant and wine bar. The and-wine-bar genre is everywhere.
Unfortunately, many of them don’t deliver. Anyone who has used Google search to discover wine bars in new cities will know how disappointing many of these and-wine-bars are. Yes, they serve wine. But carefully selected wine? A list with personality and a point of view? An extensive by-the-glass list? Rarely.
Wine lovers would be forgiven, therefore, for overlooking one South Beach gem. Unlike many of its contemporaries, Pizzette Pizzaria and wine bar takes its wine list rather seriously. The offering, which evolves over time, has previously featured well-known favorites like the delicious Nero d’Avola by COS in Sicily. The lesser-known Sandro Fay Valtellina, a WGM favorite that was previously listed as Wine of the Week, has also been on the list.
More recently, the list has expanded to include classic Bordeaux (yum). But the Italian obscurities are alive and well: Verdeca, an unusual variety from Salento in Puglia (the heel of the boot), was also recently on offer.
The pizza, which is thin and crispy, is delicious and well priced: $16 or $22 for a medium or large (sharing size), respectively. Do not sleep on the Burrata Pizza, topped with an entire creamy burrata. Appetizers, at a flat $14, are also worth your attention. Consider the flavorsome baked artichokes.
New discoveries
With quality food, competitive prices, and a fun location at the top of Lincoln Road, it would likely be possible for Pizzette to exist with far less attention given to the wine list.
“We wanted help people to discover interesting wines”, says owner Mehdi Schmit, who, along with his business partner Jean Blachère, is originally from France. This explains the partial French influence on an otherwise Italian-dominant list. To make the selections – mostly from small estates, produced organically – they work with a consultant sommelier.
The philosophy of discovery also explains the simple food pricing. “It means that people choose what they want to eat, rather than looking at the prices”, says Schmit.
Happy Hour also delivers: $8 for a pizza, $7 antipasti, $6 wine and cocktails and $4 beers.
So while we can’t always trust the words and wine bar, sometimes they are truthful. This is one of those happy scenarios.
Pizzette Pizzeria and Wine Bar is located at 1223 Lincoln Rd: https://pizzette-miami.com/
Sarah is a freelance wine educator, writer and events host, based in South Beach. She holds the WSET Diploma in Wine & Spirits and is a current Master of Wine student.
