It seems as though chef Adrianne Calvo is creating a small culinary empire for herself.

Calvo, best known for Chef Adrianne's Vineyard Restaurant and Bar in Kendall (11510 SW 147th Ave., Miami), has quietly become a force in Miami's dining scene. In addition to her flagship restaurant and Cracked by Chef Adrianne (7400 SW 57th Ct., South Miami), the restaurateur has opened two restaurants in as many years.

In 2020, she revitalized the beloved Redfish Grill into Redfish by Chef Adrianne, a romantic waterfront eatery in Matheson Hammock Park (9610 Old Cutler Rd., Coral Gables). And, this past June, Calvo opened Forte by Chef Adrianne (45 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables), where the menu celebrates her mother's Italian heritage.

Now the restaurateur is venturing into the wine game with her own label: A Family Vineyards.

The wine is a Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon. "It's a really great wine with beef, lamb —- even fish. It could also be a patio pounder, because sometimes you just want a glass of wine at the end of the day," says Calvo.

The chef says that, although she always dreamed of having her own wine label, she never thought it could happen. Then, the opportunity actually arose during the pandemic. "Winemaking takes time and I used the  time off to work on the wine."

Calvo worked with a vineyard owned by the Mondavi family in Napa to hit the right notes. "It took several tries," she says. "You create wine almost like you would create a perfume in France. I knew that want to be able to taste the grape, with a hint of spice at the end."

The chef traveled to Napa several times to oversee the wine's production up to and including the Bordeaux-style bottle and the label, which boasts her signature A. 

A Family Vineyards cabernet is priced at $98 per bottle and is available at all her restaurants as well as online.

"I approached different winemakers and I admire the Mondavi winery for its process," she tells New Times. They walked me through the process and it hit all the marks — there's little carbon footprint, there are no chemicals involved in the growing process, and the employees are treated well."

The end result, she adds, is worth it: "I'm so proud of the wine."

Calvo says, even though she thinks an evening out at one of her restaurants is special, she believes there are other ways to engineer a perfect night.

"I like to get a burger and a bottle to go and enjoy them while relaxing on the sofa," she says. "I wanted to make wine approachable. I wanted to bridge the gap and let people know you can have this beautiful wine any way you like."

A Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Available online ($98) at chefadriannes.com.