“We were always the sponsor at someone else’s event,” Tammy told me. “You cannot call the shots when you are a sponsor. I thought, why not do it ourselves.” She laughs when she says it, though the point lands. “Ignorance is bliss. If you do not know that you cannot do it, you are going to make it happen.”
Thirteen years later, that impulse has grown into SAVOR, a full-scale food and wine festival that started on Clearwater Beach and now lives on St. Pete’s waterfront. The move followed the city’s rise, and her own. “I moved to St. Pete in 1994. You could shoot a cannon downtown and hit nobody,” she said. “The renaissance over two decades has been incredible, inspirational, beautiful.”
Guests arriving at SAVOR St. Pete, held along the downtown waterfront at Vinoy Park. The festival draws thousands each year for a weekend of food, wine, and local flavor. (SAVOR St. Pete)
A Women-Led Operation With a Neighborly Feel
Tammy is frank about the field she works in. “It is very rare in the food and wine world that it is woman-owned,” she said. “That was important for me, to help create a culture of women helping other women.” Her agency teams today are almost entirely women, from strategy to the on-the-ground crew. The vibe is deliberate. “We only work with the nice people,” she said. “It is a family. We bring the band back together every year, and we keep adding more.”
Tammy Gail, left. (SAVOR St. Pete)
That ethos shapes who participates and how guests experience the weekend. Pricing sets expectations, and hospitality carries them through. “We try to create a dinner party for four thousand guests who are like-minded and want a great time,” Tammy said. “The crowd is professional, mostly women, very clean energy. Nobody gets out of control.”
From Radio to the Festival Stage
Tammy’s media background is not just a line in her bio. It informs how SAVOR tells stories. “I was in radio in the eighties. Artists came through our station all the time. Being around that kind of creativity taught me to love different, to be open to people and cultures,” she said. She brings that lens to chefs who spend most days behind the pass. “Chefs get stuck in the back of the house. We want to pull them forward, give them the spotlight, show their personality, show where the ideas come from.”
This year, that shows up in a bigger public stage and a chef competition guests can actually watch. “Our chefs asked for a larger audience. So the competition happens during the event now, with celebrity and media judges on stage at noon,” she said. “It becomes education and entertainment at once.”
St. Pete, On Purpose
Tammy speaks about the city like a local who has watched it change in real time. Waterfront museums, the Edge, murals, music, neighborhoods you can walk, places that feel safe and clean. “Arts, eats, and beats,” she said, referencing SAVOR’s mantra. The idea is to celebrate what the city already does well, then gather it in one place so guests can try it in an afternoon. “We want you to savor the food, savor the art, savor the experience. Dress in a way that makes you feel like a piece of art. Express yourself while our chefs express themselves.”
Big Brands, Local Flavor
SAVOR works with national labels because large events require partners with reach. It also leaves room for Florida producers and smaller outfits. “We are very picky. Not everybody is right for the event, and we cannot house everyone. We have to be safe, we have to fit inside the footprint, and we want the experience to feel good,” she said. Inside the tents you will find recognizable names next to local projects, plus spirits and non-alcoholic activations. “It is all about pairings,” Tammy said. “Afternoon, brunch energy, bubbles, then food that plays well with it, mocktails that work too.”
She loves when guests leave with practical language for what they enjoy. “Knowledge is power,” she said. “Ask for a lighter style, ask for less oak, ask for something good for brunch. We want people to feel dangerous in a good way, like they can shop with confidence for a dinner party.”
Mentorship and the Human Side
The mentoring thread runs throughout her story. “It is young women and more seasoned women, helping each other, answering questions, seeing things from different angles,” she said. The festival is also a place to discover talent. She tells me about a chef who once cooked for Ludacris, about a pastry chef planning cocktail-inspired cupcakes, about a cheesemonger moving to town who can lead pairing sessions next year. “We get ideas from our guests, from media partners, from people in the crowd who know someone doing something great. It is a group effort.”
Tammy Gail, left. (SAVOR St. Pete)
A Survivor’s Clarity
Tammy’s philanthropy is not a side project. It informs how she runs everything. She founded Glam-A-THON more than twenty years ago after her own breast cancer diagnosis. “I went through six surgeries. Moffitt saved my life. I wanted to help women directly, so we fund mental health, nutrition, lifestyle therapies. We donate to people, not research,” she said. “Knowledge is power. If you know something is wrong, you can fix it.”
That perspective ties to a sustainability push at SAVOR this year. “We are working with the Sierra Club on a food audit and composting, using materials that return to the earth faster. The idea is to have a great weekend, then leave the place better.”
What Never Changes
Events scale. Footprints expand. Stages get taller. Tammy keeps returning to the same core. “We will always raise the bar for next year,” she said. “But the family feeling stays. The kindness stays. The focus on making chefs and makers feel seen stays.” She smiles again at the original impulse. “If you do not know that you cannot do it, you will make it happen.”
Guests gather under the main tasting tent at SAVOR St. Pete, where chefs, vintners, and artisans share their creations throughout the weekend. (SAVOR St. Pete)
SAVOR St. Pete returns to Vinoy Park on November 1-2, 2025. Guests can explore chef demos, tasting tents, and a full weekend of food and wine experiences along the waterfront. Tickets and VIP passes are available at https://savortheburg.com.
Find more local tastings and wine events happening around St. Pete on our This Week in Wine page.
When Zach Pace moved to St. Petersburg in 2023, he brought with him extensive experience in fine dining, wine education, and Michelin-star hospitality.
After studying economics at Tulane, Pace left the desk job path behind for a career in wine. He earned his WSET Level 4 Diploma and became one of the first certified WSET educators in the U.S. Over the years, he added credentials as a Certified Wine Educator, French Wine Scholar, and International Sommelier Guild Level 3 graduate. He spent more than a decade teaching at the San Francisco Wine School and leading operations at top Bay Area restaurants, including Lazy Bear, the two-Michelin-starred San Francisco destination recently ranked among North America’s best.
After years in San Francisco’s Michelin scene and wine education world, Pace came to St. Pete to reimagine what a neighborhood wine market could be. (Volta)
That background shaped his philosophy: sourcing rare bottles, leaning into back vintages, and treating every pairing as a story worth telling. “Make it a story,” he said. “Even if the guest doesn’t remember every single detail, they walk away thinking it was not just great food and ambiance, but that they’re richer for the experience.”
Volta Wine + Market at 400 Central
The 46-story Residences at 400 Central is projected to welcome Volta Wine + Market on its ground floor next spring.
Set to open on the ground floor of the 46-story 400 Central tower, Volta Wine + Market marks a turning point for downtown St. Pete. Anchoring the base of the city’s tallest building, it’s more than a wine shop. It’s the first concept to merge fine wine, grocery, and design-driven hospitality at the heart of the urban core.
Co-founded by Pace and his partner Rachelle Tomushev, Volta reflects both of their backgrounds, his rooted in wine and education and hers in global marketing and creative direction. For Pace, the word Volta, Italian for “change,” captures both a personal and civic transformation. After years teaching and curating in California’s Michelin world, he’s now building something that bridges education and everyday life. “That’s what we’re really trying to bring to St. Pete — to open people’s eyes to a hybrid concept that doesn’t really exist here yet,” he said.
The space blends their expertise into a modern market where guests can browse Florida caviar, Italian pantry staples, and other fine provisions, linger for a glass at the vinyl-spun lounge, and rediscover the idea of a neighborhood wine bar, one built for the next phase of St. Pete’s growth.
noctivore: a Preview of What’s Coming
Before Volta Wine + Market opens its doors next spring, Pace is setting the tone with an intimate dinner series called “noctivore,” a collaboration between Volta and Chef Mario Brugnoli that offers a first glimpse of his approach to wine and hospitality in St. Pete. The series is staged at Brugnoli’s Eat Art Love, which by night transforms into a moody, neon-lit space where guests gather at a single communal table.
Eat Art Love by day. The space transforms into noctivore’s secret dinner table by night.
The format is intentionally small, with just ten seats, seven courses, and pairings that push boundaries without losing balance. Champagne, he said, is “obligatory,” a reminder that it belongs at the table, not just at celebrations. From there, Pace draws on grower producers, back vintages, and lesser-known varietals. “Boundary-pushing in the sense that they’re slightly unconventional,” he said, “but we’re not going into full natty, just weird for the sake of weird.”
Chef Mario Brugnoli, leading the kitchen for noctivore at Eat Art Love. (Volta)
While Pace curates the wines, Brugnoli drives the kitchen. A Clearwater native with Michelin training and a Food Network background, he builds the menu from premium local products, including wild-caught Gulf shrimp from Versaggi, St. Pete Microgreens, and ribeye from Providence Farms. The result is a dining experience that is as much about storytelling as it is about indulgence.
“It’s meant to feel transformative,” Pace said of the series. “Like stepping into an underground dinner party where the food, wine, and atmosphere pull you into another world.”
noctivore, in many ways, sets the tone for what’s to come, offering a glimpse of the hospitality and precision that will soon find a home at Volta.
A Personal Cellar
Over the summer, he and Tomushev hiked the Dolomites, drinking Kerner and Müller-Thurgau in Alto Adige. Back home, their attention turned to lesser-known Piemontese whites such as Timorasso, Nascetta, and Erbaluce, a theme that wasn’t intentional but, as he put it, “kind of been awesome.” In his cellar, a 1998 Château Musar from Lebanon stands apart, a bottle tied to memories of meeting the late winemaker years ago in San Francisco. “The wine ages so splendidly,” he said. “I opened a bottle a few months ago with friends, and it’s still hanging on, with another decade left in it.”
After careers spanning Michelin-star dining and global marketing, Pace and Tomushev are channeling that experience into Volta. (Volta)
For Pace, wine is about more than taste. It is about history, patience, and transformation. That philosophy carries from noctivore’s communal table to the shelves and seats of Volta, the hybrid wine market and bar he’s building downtown. In a city where true grocery and fine wine retail don’t yet exist, Volta represents the kind of change its name promises, and the kind of future he has come here to build.
Sabrina D’Alba is a writer and editor based in St. Petersburg, Florida. She explores how people connect through wine, place, and community, telling stories that capture the spirit of Tampa Bay’s growing wine scene.
Jayme Kosar has been named Best Sommelier in Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2025 awards, adding another accolade to her long career in wine and hospitality.
This year’s finalists also included Adam Paul of The Black Pearl and Chris Ciarcia of Sauvignon Wine Locker, both respected figures in Tampa Bay’s wine community. Read more about this year’s Best Sommelier nominees in our nominee spotlight.
Kosar opened the original Ybor City Wine Bar in 2012 with a vision Tampa hadn’t yet seen: 200 wines by the glass. “Back then, there really wasn’t much of a wine scene here,” she recalls. “I wanted to expand the culture of wine in Tampa Bay.” That vision has since grown into Society Wine Bar, a franchise with locations in Ybor, Apollo Beach, and Naples, with plans to continue expanding across Florida.
A Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, Kosar also holds more than a dozen wine certifications and teaches advanced programs for the United States Sommelier Association. Harvest visits and vineyard tours are a key part of her curriculum. “When you know exactly how the wine gets in the glass, that’s a real somm to me,” she says.
Flashback to 2020, when Jayme Kosar dedicated her Best of the Bay award to the entire hospitality industry during one of its toughest years. Photo courtesy of Jayme Kosar (via Facebook).
This is not her first Best of the Bay recognition. Kosar has previously won in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2024. The 2020 award was especially meaningful, earned during the height of COVID closures: “That was a big win because it was such a difficult time. Restaurants were closed, the industry was struggling. I dedicated that award to everyone—front of house, back of house, the whole hospitality community.”
She also notes that Best of the Bay often puts her alongside sommeliers she has taught or mentored: “Sometimes I’m up against sommeliers I’ve trained, sommeliers who have worked for me—and that’s been a great nod to them.”
For Kosar, wine is about passion and connection: “I can suggest and be the best somm in the world; but if you don’t like the wine, it matters not. It’s your palate, your party.”
As Society Wine Bar continues to grow, Kosar remains committed to her original vision of expanding the culture of wine through education and accessibility.
Two women, six sommeliers, and a vision to make wine approachable in St. Pete’s Grand Central District.
Inspiration & Beginnings
Savoir on Central began as a dream between two women who met through Leadership St. Pete in 2019. Sharon Mahoney was deep into her WSET Diploma studies, while Christina Noordstar was fresh from two decades in restaurant franchising and brand development.
“I was inspired by Sharon—we’d been talking for years about a concept like this because she’s so well studied,” Christina said. “To build a place together—it was dreamy. And now we’re sitting in the dream.”
Inside Savoir on Central, where Christina and Sharon’s vision came to life.
For Sharon, the vision had been forming for years. She knew she wanted to make wine approachable, but the right space never came along—until Christina called her to see the Central Avenue location. “We walked in—with the high ceilings and everything else—and I was like, I see chandeliers… I see marble… I see black and white.”
From Concept to Community
The old space was hardly glamorous. Formerly a cannabis beverage shop, it was painted floor-to-ceiling turquoise, complete with rainbows and raffia bamboo.
But Sharon and Christina saw past it. “We saw the classroom that could be created with this long, lean bar… and the intimacy possible with the spacing,” Christina explained.
The dream realized: Savoir’s opening brought the community together under one roof.
That mix of vision and persistence became the foundation for Savoir: a place designed not only for drinking wine, but for conversation and education.
A Team of Sommeliers
Unlike most wine bars, Savoir was built around a full sommelier team—six in total, each bringing their own specialty. Sharon had known most of them for years through studies, events, or shared friends.
“You build your network, and you keep it close,” Sharon said. “Renee and Rochelle were part of the original conversations. Rochelle is the OG of wine in St. Pete—she had the first wine bar, A Taste for Wine. And Robert came through a distributor—he walked in and I was like, yeah, you’re hired.”
Renee Blubaugh, a longtime fixture in St. Pete’s wine scene and part of the sommelier team at Savoir.
Christina added: “Sharon exudes care—and everyone feels it. Everyone is happy to work with her. It’s hard to leave here… it doesn’t feel like work.”
The lineup now includes Italian specialists, natural wine voices, and Maggie, who brought her following from ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. And then there’s Rico, an award-winning cheesemaker from New York, who now builds food pairings for the classes.
Rico, Savoir on Central’s award-winning cheesemaker and the creative force behind its food pairings.
“He’s so passionate,” Sharon laughed. “He even wanted to flambé dessert and I had to say, nope, no flambéing in this building.”
The Wine Club
At the heart of Savoir is its monthly wine club, designed to make exploration approachable and engaging. Memberships are available in five tiers, ranging from one to three bottles, with pickup parties held the second Tuesday of every month.
“Wine club pickup is always a celebration,” Christina said. “Every month feels like its own little release party.”
Members enjoy discounts on bottles, classes, and food, plus early access to special events that often sell out quickly. The wines themselves are handpicked by the sommelier team around a monthly theme.
Kicking off Savoir’s wine club with a classic: Burgundy’s lesser-known white grape, Aligoté.
“This month we featured Aligoté from Burgundy—the ‘other’ white grape,” Sharon said. “We love introducing wines that sommeliers are excited about but many people may not know yet.”
Unlike many clubs that ship the same bottles to everyone, Savoir’s is flexible. Sommeliers work with members to tailor selections—whether that means only reds, only whites, or even sweet wines.
Wine Education, Elevated
Wine classes at Savoir are intimate, and they sell out fast.
Wine education is the driving force behind Savoir. Sharon’s teaching style is rooted in storytelling and accessibility.
“Everybody learns differently,” she said. “It needs to be fun. I once even fell asleep in a class with a Master Somm—not because I was tired, but because it was so dry. I want people to discover wine for themselves.”
Christina added: “We wanted to build a space that’s elevated but approachable—whether you’re a beginner or a super connoisseur. We’re built for the entire spectrum.”
Sharon’s global perspective filters into every class. “French was my first language—I’ve picked grapes in Bordeaux, stepped in puddles, been bitten by bugs. Every vineyard has a story… and great wine starts in the vineyard.”
Why Central Avenue
The choice of location was no accident. Christina and her husband have owned the building for over 15 years, watching Grand Central evolve into one of the city’s most dynamic districts.
“The building is 100 years old, originally owned by a woman, E.B. Howard, who lived upstairs and ran a salon for working women in the 1920s,” Christina said. “We want to honor that history while building something modern. The time is now for Grand Central.”
Savoir’s 100-year-old façade, with plans underway to restore the original columns and arches.
Sharon added: “Grand Central respects architecture and has its own vibe. Plus, it’s one of the only parts of Central that shuts down blocks for events like Halloween on Central—it’s a true community.”
Final Sip
Savoir on Central is more than a wine bar. It’s a space where sommeliers, community, and wine education come together—led by two women who chased their dream and brought it to life.
As Sharon put it: “We invite everybody to come for a glass—and stay for a class.”
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.
Andy Mezzari pouring one of his Italian selections at the 2025 Summer Whites & Rosé tasting at Bar Chinchilla.
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.”
A selection of Andy’s current favorites from the BayVino portfolio. Full list and where to buy coming soon.
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.
Each year, Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay Awards spotlight the people, places, and plates that shape Tampa Bay culture. The Best of the Bay2025 nominees for Best Sommelier represent a standout group of wine professionals.
Eight nominees took time to reflect on their paths, sharing a wide range of experience and perspective. All are passionate about making wine more approachable, memorable, and genuinely enjoyable.
Below, meet the Tampa Bay wine professionals who opened up about where they work, how they got started, and what’s inspiring them right now.
We’re grateful to those who participated and plan to spotlight more Best of the Bay 2025 nominees for Best Sommelier as we’re able.
Table of Contents
St. Pete
Chris Ciarcia
Owner & Sommelier, Sauvignon Wine Locker & American Trattoria
📍 St. Petersburg, FL
Pictured: Chris Ciarcia
Chris Ciarcia is the owner and sommelier behind Sauvignon Wine Locker & American Trattoria in downtown St. Pete, one of the city’s most wine-focused restaurant concepts. His hospitality roots run deep, beginning in Connecticut with roles at Chili’s, Uno Pizzeria, and Dakota Steakhouse before moving to Florida, where he worked at The Rusty Pelican, The Birchwood, and Annata Wine Bar. Chris is a Certified Sommelier and brings that depth of experience to everything he curates at Sauvignon.
What he loves most about working with wine? “The friendships and bonds you make while sharing a glass,” he says. “Also, wine makes your food more yummy.”
As for what he’s drinking lately, it’s all about refreshing sips to beat the Florida heat. “It’s summer, so I’ve been reaching for whites, rosés, and especially sparkling wines. At home, I’ve been enjoying Pinot Noir. And if I’m out for a meal, a nice Sangiovese with a burger has been hitting the spot.”
“I’m really excited about our updated wine list, especially the wines we offer by the glass,” Chris says. “We have over 40 different options in our BTG program—wines with age on them, carefully picked to complement our culinary team’s creations.”
“As the Managing Partner at Pulpo Kitchen & Lounge, I bring over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, having had the privilege to work alongside culinary luminaries such as Chris Ponte, David Chang, Nobu, Shaun Hergart, and Anne Kearney,” Dylan says.
That foundation shaped his approach to wine service today. While he’s fascinated by the intricacies of operations, his passion lies in creating an approachable experience for guests. “Working with wine presents a unique opportunity, as many find it intimidating. I see it as my personal responsibility to simplify wine for the novice while elevating the experience for the more discerning guest.”
Mentorship is central to Dylan’s philosophy. He believes the wine industry’s future depends on supporting staff and giving them the tools to thrive. “Ultimately, I believe that our staff are the cornerstone of the wine industry’s future; nurturing their knowledge and confidence is essential.”
At Pulpo, Dylan’s vision comes through in a curated list that focuses on just a few regions. As he puts it, this approach allows him to uncover ‘hidden gems that might otherwise remain overlooked’—wines that, he says, ‘deepen the connection between our guests and the world of wine.’
Lynsey Carlson may be newer to the wine world, but she’s already making waves in St. Pete’s growing scene. She manages the bar program at Bar Chinchilla, where she’s helped build a wine-focused space that stands out for its vibe and global selections.
She’s been in the industry just under three years and discovered her love of wine while working behind the bar at Chinchilla. “I believe in any job or career, educating yourself on what you’re sharing or selling to others is so important,” she says. That philosophy led her to pursue wine education through WSET, with plans to sit for her Level 2 exam later this summer. Read about what it’s like to take WSET Level 1 in St. Pete.
For Lynsey, wine is about exploration and connection. “I love how it forces you to explore your palate and learn about not just what you’re tasting by why you’re tasting, how terroir or winemaking processes can change a variety so vastly in one bottle to the other,” she says. “And I love how it brings people together, whether you’re meeting with your pals for happy hour and some cheese or bringing a bottle to the beach for a sunset- there’s a wine for every occasion!”
Right now, she’s most excited about the local momentum behind wine. “I’m really exciting about all the enthusiasm behind wine in St. Pete, we have really grown a community here for it and I think it fits so well. I love being able to try new and different wines, discovering some cool finds and supporting our local bottle shops and wine bars- that’s where the good stuff is.”
Disclaimer: Lynsey is not yet a certified sommelier, but she is currently pursuing her WSET Level 2 and is honored to be recognized as a Best of the Bay 2025 nominee alongside so many local wine professionals.
Pam Coyle
•Lead Server & Wine Buyer,Fortu • Wine Columnist, St. Pete Life
📍 St. Petersburg, FL
Pictured: Pam Coyle
Pam Coyle is a vital part of St. Pete’s wine world. She leads service at Fortu, assists in wine buying, food pairings, and staff training, and writes the wine column for St. Pete Life magazine. You might also spot her supporting Events By The Glass, run by fellow nominee Sharon Mahoney, at local tastings around town.
Her wine journey began in downtown Chicago while working at a farm-to-table restaurant. A group of coworkers formed a study group and earned their introductory certifications from the Court of Master Sommeliers. That led her west to Mount Shasta, California, where she became beverage director at the area’s largest restaurant, surrounded by wineries, especially in the Rogue Valley AVA.
When she returned home to St. Pete, Pam dove into the local scene with guidance from fellow nominees Chris Ciarcia and Sharon Mahoney. She also gives a nod to Ryan McSwiggin at Lilac for the creativity he brings to the table. “I think we have a great support system in this town and a lot of interest in the community in wine,” she says. “Luckily, we have some great lists and shops to taste through as well!”
For Pam, wine is a way to connect: to place, to people, and to memory. “I love watching people share a bottle and creating memories through it. It’s the best feeling when guests return and seek the same bottle you recommended once again.”
She’s especially passionate about connecting with younger wine drinkers and understanding what draws them in. “I like finding what interests younger drinkers and how to cater to their tastes,” she says. “Wine from non-conventional places, wines made with little to no intervention, and bottles discovered at a good value all help them feel like they’ve found something new and exciting.”
• Owner & Sommelier, Events by the Glass • Co-Owner & Wine Director, Savoir on Central
📍 St. Petersburg, FL
Pictured: Sharon Mahoney
After a successful career in corporate retail, Best of the Bay 2025 nominee Sharon Mahoney discovered her passion for wine through a single class, was bitten by the “wine bug,” as she calls it, and never looked back.
Today, she holds an impressive list of credentials including a WSET Diploma in Wine & Spirits, Certified Educator (WSET), and certifications from the Wine Scholar Guild, Society of Wine Educators, and the Court of Master Sommeliers, where she is a Certified Sommelier.
As both an educator and beverage director, Sharon thrives on introducing guests to wines they might not have encountered otherwise. “The opportunity to introduce our guests to a new favorite region and wine variety,” she says, is one of the most rewarding parts of the work.
“The world of wine is vast and there’s always something new to experience!”
Right now, she’s especially excited about Savoir on Central, the new St. Pete wine bar she co-owns, set to open in early August. “We’re curating an amazing wine list and class schedule at Savoir on Central with our amazing sommelier team,” she says. The goal is a space where wine education feels fun, accessible, and community-driven. Learn more about the Savoir Wine Club here.
Jayme Kosar opened the original Ybor City Wine Bar in 2012, with a vision for something Tampa didn’t yet have: a bar offering 200 wines by the glass. “Back then, there really wasn’t much of a wine scene here,” she says. “I wanted to expand the culture of wine in Tampa Bay.”
More than a decade later, she’s built Society Wine Bar into a Florida franchise, with locations in Ybor, Naples, and Apollo Beach—and more expansion plans in motion. “We get leads every day,” she says. “But I keep them close, so I can support them. That helps them succeed.”
A Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, Jayme holds more than a dozen wine certifications. She teaches advanced courses for the United States Sommelier Association, where vineyard tours and harvest visits are a core part of the curriculum. “When you know exactly how the wine gets in the glass—that’s a real somm to me.”
Her guiding principle remains rooted in sharing wine through experience: “I can suggest and be the best somm in the world; but if you don’t like the wine, it matters not.”
“It’s your palate, your party.”
Jayme Kosar has won Best of the Bay Best Sommelier 2018, 2019 2020 and 2024.
A Best of the Bay2025 nominee, Adam Paul’s wine journey is rooted in one of the most iconic wine programs in the country. He started in hospitality early, landing a role as a food runner at Bern’s Steak House in 2003. A year later, he entered their rigorous trade program, an intensive four-year path to becoming a senior waiter and sommelier.
It was the hardest thing I ever did in my entire life, but also the most fulfilling,” Adam says. “I feel very fortunate to have had access to the greatest wines ever made, and in some respects being able to taste some of the greatest wines ever made.”
After nearly two decades at Bern’s, Adam moved to Dunedin in 2020 to be closer to family, just as the pandemic hit. That time also inspired him to pursue formal certifications, including WSET courses at the Epicurean Hotel across the street from Bern’s. Shortly after, he was offered a leadership role at The Black Pearl, tasked with building the restaurant’s wine program from the ground up, as well as managing front-of-house operations.
Ask him what he loves most about wine, and you’ll hear a blend of heart and heritage. “History,” he says. “History of the region, history of the vineyard and the history of the people who make it. Equal to that would be how it makes people feel.”
“Watching people’s emotions as they taste something for the first time and immediately fall in love with it — that truly touches my heart.”
Adam’s passion is ongoing. He’s constantly excited by new wines, standout vintages, unexpected pairings, and anything that deepens both his knowledge and the guest experience. “I love how dynamic wine can be,” he says. “I love to see how a wine develops and matures as it ages — how it grows up, if you will.”
New Port Richey
Madison Allen
Head Bartender, Estuary
📍 New Port Richey, FL
Pictured: Madison Allen
Madison Allen moved to Florida from Minneapolis, where she spent years behind the bar at acclaimed restaurants like Saffron, HauteDish, and The Hewing Hotel. Her background includes brand development work for Peroni and Pilsner Urquell, extensive spirit and cocktail training, and a competitive streak in mixology. Before relocating, she served as Bar Director at 801 Chophouse, a role that sparked her deeper interest in wine.
Since landing in New Port Richey, she’s been the Head Bartender at Estuary and briefly served as Wine Director at The Restorative in Dunedin. In June 2024, Madison passed the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Introductory Sommelier exam and is now seeking a tasting group to help her prepare for the Certified level. “I’m looking for a tasting group in the Bay Area focused on the CMS Certified Somm exam — if you know any, let me know!” she says.
She’s especially drawn to the intricate details behind a wine’s character: soil, sun, slope. But what fuels her passion is translating those complexities into stories guests can connect with.
“That moment when you connect with the guest and discover the perfect wine for their tastes is one of the reasons I truly love my job.”
“Our wine list at Estuary is really cool right now,” Madison says. “We’re trying to bring in some lesser-known blends and varietals, especially from Italy like Inzolia and Passerina.”
She recently attended a tasting with Guasti Clemente at Sip on Grand and is excited to explore more of their portfolio beyond the Barbera d’Asti she already loves.
You can vote in Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2025 once per day in each category by visiting vote.cltampa.com. Voting is open now and has been extended to August 21 at midnight, so be sure to show your support for your favorite wine bars, restaurants, and sommeliers before the deadline.
Thank you to all the sommeliers who shared their stories with us. Your insight, passion, and presence help shape the way Tampa Bay drinks, and we’re lucky to have you.
After two decades in Florida wine distribution, Mike DeSalvia has seen just about every side of the business, from pitching bottles out of grocery store back rooms to shaping buying decisions across the region. I sat down to talk about what’s changed, what hasn’t, and what he still believes in.
Getting In
Mike didn’t enter the wine world with romantic visions of Burgundy. He started, as many do, by burning out elsewhere.
“I was an unhappy banker,” he says. “Cubicle life was not for me. I couldn’t stand it.”
A friend in the wine industry opened a door, and Mike took it. He started on the floor at an Italian restaurant, then landed an entry-level role with Southern Glazer’s as a merchandiser for grocery stores.
“You can’t get any further down the ladder,” he says. “But that’s the perfect way to start.”
Over the next 20 years, Mike steadily climbed the ranks, first as a sales consultant, then as a business development manager overseeing national portfolios and mentoring teams. Along the way, he earned certifications from the Court of Master Sommeliers, WSET Level 3, and the Italian, French, and Spanish Wine Scholar programs.
Then and Now
“When I started in the mid-2000s, it was the Wild West. You had to pitch everything. Free goods were allowed, and buyers were completely in the dark. No online systems, no pricing portals, no product databases. It was just you, your bag, and whatever case you could make.”
Another shift came around 2015, when legal teams began rolling out compliance meetings and tightening the rules.
Today, he says, buyers are more informed, but that doesn’t always mean better equipped.
On What Makes a Great Buyer
“The best wine buyers leave subjectivity out of it”
His framework is simple: know your geography, know your demographics, and stock for your customers—not your ego.
“Even if you don’t love natural wine, if you’re downtown, you may have to consider a portion of your inventory leaning that way.”
The St. Pete Scene
Mike’s watched St. Pete evolve quickly, and unevenly. What’s hot downtown doesn’t always land in north Pinellas.
“Down here it’s on fire. People want natural, low-intervention, small producers. You go seven miles west, and it’s a totally different world—more traditional, branded, and price-driven.”
When asked who’s doing thoughtful work locally, he points to CellarMasters.
“I would’ve been skeptical of their concept if I hadn’t seen it myself. But they’re bringing in the right crowd with something a little outside the usual.”
Underrated Regions to Know
Ask him about overlooked regions, and Mike doesn’t hesitate: Red Mountain in Washington, Taurasi in Campania, and Spain’s Jumilla.
“You can get a killer bottle of Monastrell from Jumilla for $15. Top-notch stuff. There’s so much value if you know where to look.”
On What’s Next
After leaving Southern Glazer’s in 2024, Mike had a retail dream shattered by a hurricane and a streak of bad timing. Now, a new project is taking shape in west St. Pete, and he’s cautiously optimistic.
“I’m building something I believe in,” he says, “but I’m not rushing it.”
How He Keeps the Spark
From left to right: Peter Celli, Andy Mezzari, and Mike DeSalvia. Photo by Mike DeSalvia
If there’s a thread that’s kept Mike grounded, it’s the Friday night blind tastings with his longtime mentor, Peter Celli.
“We’d each bring a wine and taste it blind—just us, guessing, learning, getting humbled by it. It’s one of the most satisfying ways to stay sharp and keep loving wine.”
Mike credits Pete with shaping not just his palate but his purpose.
“If I hadn’t met him, I might’ve lost the spark. But he reminded me why this work matters.”
Why It Still Matters
Even after two decades, and what he calls “the most vocationally challenging year of my life”, Mike’s relationship with wine hasn’t faded.
“I’m a true oenophile. I never got snobby. I never needed a hundred-dollar bottle to enjoy myself.”
Sometimes it’s the younger, fresher wines that keep him curious.
“A $12 bottle from Portugal? That’s the same experience for me.”
He traces that mindset back to his time in distribution, when winery trips offered a deeper connection to what he sold.
A vineyard sign at Ruffino’s Greppone Mazzi estate in Tuscany.Photo by Mike DeSalvia
“The trip to Ruffino in Tuscany was huge for me. Seeing the vineyards, touching the dirt—it just hit different after that.”
Other visits stood out, too.
“We went to Charles Smith in Washington. He was a total a*****e,” Mike laughs. “But it stuck with me. He was this rock-and-roll guy making great wine. He broke the mold of what I thought a winemaker was supposed to be.”
Final Thoughts
“We could go on and on forever about it. It’s such an exciting industry, and I just can’t wait for the future.”
“I believe something great can still be built here. I believe in the culture. There’s something happening in St. Pete.”
