About ViV & "Vivez Joyeux"

In 2015 adventure called and Julie answered. She left France and came directly to the southernmost Island in the USA. Her passion to eat well and drink well fit perfectly into the slightly delirious and always charming melting pot that is Key West. Soon after arriving, Julie took the rich experiences that she had in Europe and France discovering artisanal cheeses and sincere wines (without conventional chemistry) and put them to work by purchasing La Crêperie. Her expertise in not only selecting good French wines but being able to pair them with mostly traditional French recipes lead her to open her passion project a year later, aptly named Vivez Joyeux (Live Merry). She changed the name to Viv Wine & Cheese Bar and then settled on the perfect name, Viv Wine Bistro because wine + food + bar = Bistro.

Viv has curated a vast collection of the finest organic and natural wines, craft beers, French plates, cheeses, meats, and more. Eating well + drinking well is still Julie’s passion - we invite you to discover an eclectic selection of exquisite bottles from around the world, produced by winemakers who are respectful of humanity, nature, and biodiversity, only at ViV!

Stay Safe, Drink Natural,

The ViV Team

What our customers are saying

  • Jacci Grillo, February 2022

    "We love VIV! Have been going there for a couple of years now for quality wines and charcuterie boards. Pop in and relax - they have indoor and outdoor seating. The portions are really big. Be sure to add the special high-quality black-pig-like fresh sliced prosciutto that is freshly sliced off the bone, visible on top of the bar. It melts in your mouth and is worth every penny! The staff is so kind and friendly and the energy on Petronia Street is amazing!”

  • Hank LeMieux, August 2022

    "Really, really enjoyed Viv. I’m from mostly San Francisco and Manhattan, where there are several very nice French wine bars, but I live in Miami now and this is the first really nice one I’ve found in South Florida.
    Loved the wine selection, the French sausage/tomato/potato dish, the mixed green salad was very inventive and I added a tasty charcuterie of Brie and Chorizo. So much else to try. Highly recommend it.

    UPDATE Aug2022: have been back half dozen more times. Still terrific. Menu has expanded to include full entrees, also delicious. Charcuterie/cheese plate is fantastic (girlfriend likes them better than even in NYC, where she lives). Julie behind bar is sooo nice and knowledgeable. Really one of my fav places in all of Florida."

  • Taylor Greer, 2022

    "Our experience here was incredible. We arrived for happy hour, let Julie guide us through some French wines and then explored other regions pairing with charcuterie and pork belly. Julie even fired up the billig for a red velvet dessert crepe for us that was to die for!

    Service and selection is stellar! Breakfast next door at La Crêperie that morning and we returned to enjoy 5hrs at VIV ending with a bottle on the porch watching sunset. Amazing day of food and wine!"

We carry a vast selection of fine wines, including the largest collection of natural and organic wines in town.

By the bottle or by the glass, natural wines are our favorites.

What is natural wine?

Wine created with one ingredient, grape (raisin in French), and sometimes a slight of sulfur.

"While there is no universally accepted definition of natural wine, it is generally agreed to be wine that is farmed organically (biodynamically, using permaculture or the like) and made (or rather transformed) without adding or removing anything in the cellar. No additives or processing aids are used, and ‘intervention’ in the naturally occurring fermentation process is kept to a minimum. As such neither fining nor (tight) filtration are used. The result is a living wine – wholesome and full of naturally occurring microbiology." rawwine.com

Does Organic taste better? Yes!

"Studies Shows Organic Wines Taste Better

Multiple studies show that organic wines taste better. A 2021 study led by UCLA found that some certified organic French wines rated higher by experts"