Dolcetto & Co. wine bar and bottle shop bringing Old World wines to South Pasadena
/wine bar and bottle shop dolcetto & Co. will open at 6800 Gulfport Boulevard South this fall | dolcetto & Co.
A new wine bar and bottle shop specializing in Old World wines is getting ready to open in South Pasadena.
Owners Michael De Salvia and Peter Celli are opening Dolcetto & Co. - Wine Merchant and Wine Bar at 6800 Gulfport Boulevard South, Suite 113, within a large shopping plaza that's also home to Walmart, CVS, Anytime Fitness, and Ace Hardware.
Dolcetto & Co. is expected to open this fall following renovations to the 2,100-square-foot space, which was formerly occupied by Books at Park Place.
The space will be divided roughly in half, with a four-foot barrier separating the retail bottle shop from the wine bar.
De Salvia says Dolcetto & Co. will specialize in traditional Old World wines from France, Italy, and Spain, with selections ranging from moderately priced bottles to premium offerings.
The shop will open with around 750 different products, with plans to expand its inventory over time. Sparkling wines, including Champagne and Prosecco, will also be available, along with a smaller selection of California wines.
Owners Peter Celli (L) and Michael De Salvia (R), plus business associate Andrea Mezzari | Dolcetto & Co.
“We’ll still offer wine at economy prices, but we're also going to slant a little more toward luxury and premium-type selections,” De Salvia says in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “We’re striving to be a boutique style, higher end kind of a shop. We won’t carry the same products as the big box stores in the area.”
Every bottle sold in Dolcetto & Co.'s retail shop will also be available to drink at the bar for an additional corkage fee. Guests can also choose from more than 40 wines offered by the glass.
The bar will feature customizable wine flights alongside a small food menu that is still being developed. A selection of cheeses and charcuterie may be offered, although De Salvia says Dolcetto's food program will be “somewhat unconventional” for a wine bar.
Dolcetto & Co. is expected to seat up to 45 guests across its L-shaped bar, lounge, and high-top tables, with plans to eventually add outdoor seating.
“The name Dolcetto is a kind of a play on an Italian grape, as well as a common term in their language, so there will be a little bit of an old-world, Italian kind of theme in here,” De Salvia says, describing a low-lit atmosphere with a warm color palette.
He also plans to host a variety of wine-focused events after Dolcetto & Co. opens, including tastings, live music, and interactive pairings.
Dolcetto & co. will specialize in old-world wines from spain, italy, and france | dolcetto & Co.
Both De Salvia and Celli have extensive experience in the local wine industry. De Salvia spent years as a sales representative for Southern Glazer’s, while Celli served as the wine consultant for Pasadena Liquors & Fine Wines for more than 20 years.
Pasadena Liquors, a family-run business that operated in South Pasadena for five decades, closed last year. Its closure helped inspire De Salvia and Celli to join forces and bring another specialty bottle shop to the neighborhood, just around the corner from the former community staple.
“After that closure, I just felt that there was a hole in the market. I think this area really needs and deserves something like this,” De Salvia says. “With our location in this high-traffic plaza, we expect to get out of the gate pretty fast.”
Dolcetto & Co. will join a growing number of wine-focused concepts opening around St. Petersburg, including Nightwatch, Bouquet & Bordeaux, Velvet Coupe, and Volta Wine + Market. Most of those concepts, however, are concentrated closer to downtown St. Pete.
“I love seeing the advancement of wine culture in downtown St. Pete, I just feel like it may get a little oversaturated,” De Salvia says. “I wanted to bring a little bit of that scene out here; I almost feel like I have this whole corner of town to myself.”
Dolcetto & Co.'s retail shop will be open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The wine bar will operate Wednesday through Saturday, opening at 11 a.m. and offering later service on Fridays and Saturdays.
Keep an eye out for Dolcetto & Co.’s new social media pages, which are launching soon | dolcetto & Co.
