I have had the pleasure of working closely with the man known as The Wine Philosopher, Steve Carrizzo. An active yogi, wine aficionado, and all around great guy, Steve brings a depth of spirituality and love of history that is rarely found in conversations about wine. I was lucky enough to grab a moment of his time for my questions. Please enjoy his answers – I surely did!
What’s your wine story?
I have been enjoying and collecting wine for over 35 years. My career in the wine industry developed out of my love of wine and its history, culture and relationship to the earth. Having been fortunate enough to visit and do business with wineries in France, Italy, California, New York State, Oregon and even Greece, has deepened my understanding of wine and the people who make it.
My work in the wine trade encompasses experience at many levels: retail, wholesale, winery, and the importing segments of the business. I also provide consulting services to restaurants, organize wine and food pairing dinners, teach classes and lead tastings for retailers, charitable organizations and private parties.
Another personal quest of mine has always been to understand the meaning of life, or the lack of meaning in life. This quest has lead to the study of western and eastern philosophy, the practice of Yoga, and lots of soul searching, so friends and family started to call me The Wine Philosopher.
Favorite wine?
I would have to say that my favorite wine changes from night to night depending on what I am eating but in general wines from Burgundy and Piedmont are my favorites.
Favorite wine fact?
Besides changing an ordinary meal into a special event it stimulates good conversation and philosophical thought, just ask the Greek philosophers: “In Vino Veritas”.
Favorite Region?
Almost all vineyards are located in beautiful places and there is so much good wine out there that it is hard to pick just one but if someone held a gun to my head I would have to say Burgundy, not so much for breathtaking vistas because other regions are more spectacular, but because there is an underlining spiritual vibe in Burgundy that I feel is still lingering from when the Monks tended to the vines and made the wine. They believed that the attributes of a wine from a certain vineyard was a message from God and God’s messages were revealed through the terroir of each vineyard. This is why they used one grape (Pinot Noir for red and Chardonnay for white) instead of a blend because they felt a blend would muddle the message while a single grape especially Pinot Noir or Chardonnay would keep the message pure.
Favorite food/wine pairing?
There are so many good parings out there but one of classics comes to mind first and that is Chablis with oysters on the half shell.
Next wine trip you’d like to take?
Looks like my next trip will be to Burgundy to source more wines for our Cellarage Portfolio.
What wines would you serve at a party?
That depends on the people at the party, but in general it is good to have a well priced sparkling wine like a Prosecco from Italy or a Cava from Spain. For still wines I would choose a California Cab or Merlot because they are softer than many European reds and work better for sipping as opposed to a wine for a sit down dinner. As far a white wine I would go with a nice Pinot Grigio or a Macon instead of an oaked Chardonnay or a Sauvignon Blanc.
Best wine out there for someone on a budget?
Right now some of the best buys for quality wine at reasonable prices are coming from Southern Italy, Portugal, Chile, the Cote du Rhone and the Languedoc region in the South of France.
