About Us
Sam Alberts
Co-Founder
Sam graduated from Davidson as a Classics major in 2008 and set off for a summer in Rome to experience first hand the foundations of civilization he studied for so long. A summer in Rome quickly turned into a four year adventure into all things Italian.
After culinary school at Gambero Rosso in Rome he went on to work at one of the city's top seafood restaurants and then for Alice Water's Rome Sustainable Food Project.
A return to the States brought another few years in the kitchen - opening a restaurant in Brooklyn and working at a start up catering company - but eventually a desire to pursue the intersection of culture, tradition and the modern dining experience turned him to Boston where he began work with one of the city’s foremost restaurant groups and opened a Roman-inspired Osteria as well as working in of the city’s most acclaimed locations.
Domenico Pate
Co-Founder
Born and raised in southern Italy, he moved to Rome for his legal studies. While legal work kept him employed his passion for sharing Italian wine culture occupied every other waking moment.
He began a Professional Sommelier course and realized it was time to leave the law and pursue wine to the fullest extent possible. After a two year course he became an Executive Wine Master with the Italian Sommelier Foundation (FIS) and the World Wide Sommelier Association (WSA).
Today he works with the foundation as a docent and course director in their efforts to expand class offerings.
But passion has no patience for national borders and with our new venture he will continue to present the best parts of Italian wine culture and its rich heritage to the world.