About Us
A Neighborhood Wine Shop that became a Miami Institution.
Twenty-two years on Calle Ocho — built one bottle, one plate, and one Thursday night at a time.
— Since 2004 · Little Havana, Miami
Our Story— Happy Wine Calle Ocho
The story of Happy Wine Calle Ocho began with Philippe Douriez, whose passion for wine and hospitality planted the seeds for something special in this neighborhood. More than a founder, Philippe was a mentor who helped shape the philosophy that still guides us today: wine should bring people together.
In 2008, Joanna and JC took over the business and, inspired by Philippe’s vision, created the Happy Wine brand that Miami knows today.
JC brought years of experience from New York, where he worked as a sommelier in some of the city’s top restaurants before bringing that knowledge, energy, and love of wine to Miami. Joanna became the rock behind the operation — the person who keeps everything moving, holds the team together, and turns ideas into reality day after day.
Together, they transformed Happy Wine into something uniquely its own: a place where wine is meant to be shared, music fills the room, and everyone feels welcome.
Happy Wine Calle Ocho isn’t a polished corporate restaurant. It’s graffiti on the walls, live music six nights a week, over 1,000 wines to discover, Spanish-inspired tapas, spontaneous dancing, loud laughter, and regulars who become family.
Over the years, we’ve been recognized by The New York Times, featured multiple times by Miami New Times, and embraced by generations of guests who return again and again.
We’ve celebrated incredible moments and survived difficult ones. Through it all, we’ve stayed true to what Philippe first believed and what Joanna and JC continue to carry forward: wine should be approachable, hospitality should be genuine, and life is meant to be enjoyed.
We’re not pretentious. We don’t take ourselves too seriously.
Come as you are. Stay for the music. Order another bottle. Celebrate something big—or nothing at all.
This is Happy Wine Calle Ocho.
Fun. Unpretentious. A little irreverent. Full of heart.
Welcome home.
22
YRSof Happy Wine on Calle Ocho — built by hardworking Colombian immigrants, raised by the neighborhood.
From a small wine shop tucked into Little Havana, Happy Wine has grown into one of Miami’s most beloved wine destinations — a place where wine lovers come for great bottles, Spanish flavors, live music, and a welcoming atmosphere they can’t find anywhere else.
Timeline
Two decades on Calle Ocho.
The wine shop opens
Joanna and JC open a small vinoteca on SW 8th Street, focused on the finest Mediterranean wines and hard-to-find bottles.
From wine shop to wine bar
Regulars asked if they could open a bottle and eat something with it. The answer was yes — and a small kitchen, then a real one, took shape inside the shop.
The New York Times calls
Top 25 Locally Owned Places to Eat — and the Miami New Times names us Best Wine Shop in Miami.
A Josper, a stage, a flamenco night
A Josper charcoal oven joins the kitchen. Live music becomes a six-nights-a-week fixture. Flamenco Thursdays grows into a Miami ritual.
Still the same door on Calle Ocho
Over 1,000 bottles on the wall. Tapas, vino, and live music — six nights a week. Same neighborhood, same people, same idea.
What We Believe
Authentic Mediterranean Soul.
Jamón Ibérico de Bellota. Pulpo a la Gallega. Pan con tomate. The plates are the plates — cooked with the authentic traditions of Mediterranean wine bar culture.
Wine that isn't gatekept.
Bottles you can drink in the room or take home from the wall. Quartinos for the curious, allocations for the collectors — the same price either way.
A room with people in it.
Strings of lights, framed photos, scuffed wood, music in the corner, someone always laughing too loud at the next table. We've never tried to be quiet.
Press & Awards
Three things we never compromise on.
Plan Your Visit
Whether it's a glass or a long table of friends we're ready.
Reservations recommended for Flamenco Thursdays, weekends, and parties of 6+.
5792 SW 8th St
Dominio del Bendito