Andy Mezzari on Wine, BayVino, and Life Between Verona and Florida
You might have spotted Andy Mezzari behind the table at a Mazzaro’s tasting or pouring a Vermentino at Bar Chinchilla. As the owner of BayVino, he’s brought wines from his native Verona to restaurants, bars, and shops across St. Pete, often introducing people to bottles they didn’t know they’d love.
Andy Mezzari grew up in Verona, in Italy’s Veneto region, where wine is part of daily life. He remembers making wine in the backyard with his father and friends, surrounded by vineyards and people who knew winemaking firsthand. “Even if you don’t want to, wine is in your blood,” he says.
Veneto is Italy’s largest wine-producing region, and Amarone is among its most celebrated wines. Andy always liked wine, but never planned to turn it into a career. That changed after he moved to Florida in 2013.
From Fashion to Wine
Before wine, Andy worked in fashion. When he arrived in St. Pete, he brought an idea from home: wine on tap. In Italy, it’s everywhere, served by the glass or carafe in bars and restaurants. He tested the concept locally with a small keg import, but quickly realized it wouldn’t take off. “Nobody here had seen something like that, and it was too complicated,” he says.
So he shifted focus, establishing BayVino and building a portfolio of bottled wines instead. At the time, St. Pete’s restaurant scene was smaller, and Italian and European wines were harder to find. “That’s when I saw there was room to work.”
Building BayVino’s Portfolio
Andy started with what he knew best—Pinot Grigio, Soave, Amarone, Valpolicella, and Tuscan Chianti. Promoting his home region came naturally, and the conversation often began with, “Where are you from?” Over time, he added producers from the south of Italy, focusing on smaller wineries without a local presence.

Convincing people to try them wasn’t easy. “People only knew five grapes—Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet, and maybe Merlot,” he says. Tastings, wine dinners, and introducing something new, slowly expanded their palates.
Selecting Wines Today
BayVino now carries about 120 to 130 wines. Some are imported directly; others come through an importer in Fort Lauderdale, a setup shaped by Florida’s 3-Tier System, which governs how alcohol moves from producers to consumers. He keeps the essentials, Montepulciano, Chianti, Pinot Grigio, but likes to mix in something unfamiliar. “I like a challenge, so I bring in something different and see people’s reactions.”
Sometimes that means buying a wine simply because he likes it, then debuting it at a tasting so he can talk about it face-to-face.
Where to Find BayVino Wines
Andy doesn’t keep a formal public tasting calendar. “My clients have the final customers, so they post and I repost,” he says. You’ll find BayVino wines at restaurants like IL Ritorno, Gratzzi, and Bonu, in shops such as Mazzaro’s, American Spirits, and Pasadena Liquors, and at wine bars like Savoir, Vino Simpatico, and Bar Chinchilla.
This month, he’ll be at Mazzaro’s on August 29 and Savoir on September 24, and visiting winemakers in Italy in October.
Ties to Italy
When he returns home, Andy makes time to visit wineries, especially in April when the Vinitaly trade show brings producers from across the country to Verona. “It’s convenient because it’s my hometown. I was born there and I’m still there after 58 years,” he says. “It’s always nice to go and see what’s new, drink a glass of wine and talk with the winemaker.”
Wines He’s Excited About
Florida’s climate has shaped his preferences. “I love white wines and rosé,” Andy says. “Florida’s hot all year. Drink more whites, drink more rosé, drink your red at home with your steak.”

Right now, he’s especially proud of a new Pinot Grigio from Friuli that’s been a hit with clients. He also points to Vermentino from Sardinia—“I love wines with a salty mineral finish”—and light reds like Valpolicella and Pinot Noir. Müller Turgau and Teroldego from Alto Adige and Barbera Superiore d’Asti (Nizza) round out his list of favorites. From top vintages, he sets bottles aside to open years later, checking how they’ve evolved.
Market Changes
Since Andy started, European wine in Florida has gone from niche to significant. But with growth has come competition. “When I started, it was me and another guy. Now there are too many of us going to the same places.”
Trends have shifted, too. “Vodka and tequila cans ruined the market for wine. The new generation isn’t into wine. They want something they can spend five or eight bucks on for the boat or the beach.”
A Wine That Feels Like Home
If there’s one wine Andy always keeps close, it’s Amarone from Provolo Winery in Verona. “The current vintage is 2015, and I have the 2003 Riserva,” he says. “When I drink it, it brings me home.”
What He’s Proud Of
“I moved here with bad English, opened a company, started importing wine, knocked on doors,” Andy says. “I wanted to be in the nice places in this area, and now a lot of them know me. That’s success to me.”
For him, it’s as simple as that — doing the work, building connections, and seeing BayVino wines on tables across St. Pete.

Editor’s note: I’ve tried the Pinot Grigio from Friuli Andy mentioned and loved it so much that I’m doing a separate feature on it.