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Yvonne Roberts, Director
Premier Club, Cellar Club & Wine and Spirits Program

As Director of The Cellar Club at the Biltmore in Miami-Coral Gables, Yvonne Roberts is at the helm of South Florida’s most vibrant leisure lifestyle membership. In 1994, Roberts was contracted by the hotel’s General Manager, Dennis Doucette, to develop and launch a distinctive social club presenting specialty events for its members, with a focus on food and wine related venues. The club’s overwhelming success enabled the resort to implement an additional ‘Premier’ level of membership, encompassing classic Cellar Club offerings as well as entertainment, fitness programming and spa activities, which are reflective of the property’s extraordinary profile.

Through Yvonne Roberts’s leadership, The Cellar Club today boasts an annual membership of 3,000 distinguished patrons — and continues to thrive. Its vast and varied events reflect the diversity of its members and their evolving range of interests, featuring art exhibits, concerts, book signings, fashion shows, celebrity chefs and winemakers from around the world.

A Miami native of Chilean descent, Roberts developed a passion for food, wine and entertaining while growing up in Chile, where daily meals involved fresh produce from the local farmer's market and wines to accompany each dish. Over the years, Roberts organized and hosted numerous events, from small intimate gatherings to large-scale affairs, overseeing the smallest details, from invitations to catering to décor. These experiences played a key role in setting the stage for Roberts’ grand vision of an elegant social club within the stellar setting of the palatial Biltmore, while maintaining a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.

In 2010, Roberts took on a new initiative, directing the health and wellness programming for the hotel. The annual Biltmore Health & Wellness Festival is a culmination of that programming, all throughout the resort. The festival represents a three-day celebration for individual, family, community and planetary wellness, all to be explored in a series of exciting events. The festival will present workshops with renowned holistic health figures featuring national & local educators presenting interactive exhibits, dozens of lectures, and an organic food and wine tasting, featuring many of South Florida’s top chefs. 

A commitment to give back to the community has always been part of the Cellar Club’s mission. As Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Biltmore International Food & Wine Weekend — an annual 3-day charity event with over 10,000 visitors — Roberts’ dedication has yielded proceeds in excess of 6 million dollars, benefiting multiple local charities over a decade. Always in search of opportunities to elevate the club and its offerings for members and the community, Roberts has joined forces with the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival, merging the two festivals as of 2007.

2011 James Beard Award Nominee “Outstanding Wine Service”

Florida International Magazine awarded the Biltmore’s wine list “Best Wine Selection” in its Best of Florida 2007 issue. Yvonne Roberts and The Cellar Club have been featured in such publications as Travel & Leisure, Where Miami, Dining-Out, South Florida Gourmet, Cigar Aficionado, The Miami Herald, and Southern Living, amongst many others.