Viva Hospitality Wins Three Wine Spectator Awards

Viva Hospitality’s trio of restaurants, comprised of Michael’s St. Augustine, La Nouvelle and Pesca Vilano, have been recognized by Wine Spectator in their annual awards naming the best wine restaurants in the world, according to a media release. Michael’s and La Nouvelle received the Best of Award of Excellence, while Pesca Vilano received the Award of Excellence. The awards acknowledge restaurants that invest in their wine program, providing superb lists and knowledgeable service.

“We’ve invested 18 years building a global wine list at Michael’s,” said Michael Lugo, owner and executive chef at Viva Hospitality, in the release. “When my team started working on the concept for La Nouvelle, we committed to developing a wine program that was unlike any in this area.”

Launched in 1981, the Restaurant Awards represent the world’s only program focused exclusively on restaurant wine service, the release states. They are assigned on three levels: the Award of Excellence, the Best of Award of Excellence, and the Grand Award.

“I stepped into an absolute gem at Michael’s,” saids Lyndsay Burnett, wine director at Viva Hospitality, in the release. “With La Nouvelle, Michael had a really clear vision and we had fun with it, stepping outside of the lines and taking chances. It normally takes years and a globally diverse wine list to earn this type of recognition, but because we invested in quality vintages, worked to showcase the depth of French wine production, and learned from our past experiences, in less than a year, we’ve built a wine program we are proud of and are truly honored to receive these awards.”