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.