Wine o’clock
ALLEGRA ANGELO • Vinya
WORK • Thursday Routine
ALLEGRA ANGELO • partner • Vinya
Neighborhood you work & live in: Key Biscayne
It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I typically work out of our Key Biscayne store, but on Thursdays, I work out of the Vinya warehouse in Allapattah. Our Vinya Wine & Market and Vinya Table have locations in Key Biscayne and Coral Gables. I look forward to Thursdays because I get serious alone time with my computer and mind. I write my daily to-do list, which usually includes: fulfilling special last-minute client delivery requests, adjusting real-time inventory, designing graphics and writing copy for our special events. One of my favorite times of the week is 5-7p on Thursdays. I usually pop a bottle from the warehouse, sit with a glass, type away on my computer, and enjoy the wonderful silence.
What’s on your agenda today?
Today, I’m excited about writing an online offer for Château Palmer’s rare white wine made from Muscadelle, Sauvignon Gris, and Lauzet. Only 250 bottles come to the U.S. We have a kosher wine collection online, and I’m scrambling to send my purchase orders before the 3p cutoff, so our nationwide customers can get their wine before the Shabbat holiday. The wine business is forever dynamic, a true 24/7 industry.
Any bar or restaurant plans today, tonight, or this weekend?
I’m kind of embarrassed to say, but I finally went to Pinch Kitchen for the first time and loved it. They have a killer happy hour with decent wine. They’re celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, which is a massive accomplishment.
How about a little leisure or culture?
I love ice skating at the IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale. I’m terrible at ice skating, but it gives me this rush of joy. It’s especially rewarding in the summer, when it’s so darn hot. I’m a sports fan girl, more than an athlete, and my car radio is always tuned into 940 AM. Dan Patrick and the Danettes are my idols. My team is the NY Giants, but I love going to watch The Heat, Panthers, or Dolphins play.
Any weekend getaways?
My boyfriend and I are Keys people, which doesn’t match our fast-walking, fast-talking metro-life personalities. We try to go every three months. The worst part? Leaving is so hard. In the car, I feel like I’m in sixth grade, hating to go back to school after the best summer of my life. We have a giant blue Igloo cooler that we pack with snacks, Chablis, mezcal, and Filthy Margarita Mix.
We wake up at 5a and head out at 6a, to drive down to Marathon with a coffee break at Midway Café and a pit stop at Robbies to feed the tarpon. I love running the old seven-mile bridge two miles to Pigeon Key and taking a moment to stare into the never-ending sea, looking at all the sharks and stingrays just passing by below. The quiet milky sands of Bahia Honda, the tuna poke and skinny fries at Burdine’s, and those melty blood-orange sunsets — you can’t beat it. I dream of having my own place in Marathon.
What was your last great vacation?
My last non-work-related vacation was a family trip to Lake Como. I also went to Friuli, Italy to make my own rosé, which ended up turning into a sparkling fruit-flavored brand. That was a great moment for me, being part of the creative and branding process. It’s currently sold in Italy and Switzerland, and will launch in Florida this summer.