Joe Campanale

Beverage Director/Co-Owner, L'Artusi

Born and raised in Queens, New York, Joe Campanale's love of wine was sparked upon taking his first sip of ice wine during a vacation in New York's Finger Lakes wine region when he was just 13 years old. Soon after he returned, his mother was injured in a car accident and he began cooking for her. It was then that he learned the nurturing properties of food and developed his love of food, cooking and taking care of people.

Campanale enrolled in New York University, where, from a culinary standpoint, he found city life inspiring. He did a pastry internship at Union Square Cafe during his sophomore year, and also began immersing himself in hospitality and restaurant studies, learning about enology, food service, food history and anything else his professors could teach him in the undergraduate Food Studies program. Campanale also studied abroad in Madrid and Florence, furthering his love of wines. In Madrid he visited several wineries and grew fond of sherry. During a semester in Florence he took wine classes and visited vineyards on almost a weekly basis.

Back in the States, Campanale started attending weekly wine tastings at his neighborhood wine shop, ultimately becoming a regular at all wine events and in-store programs before he could legally drink. He eventually got a job at the Italian Wine Merchants and the International Wine Center, where he worked alongside oenophiles like Joe Bastianich, Sergio Esposito, Mary Ewing-Mulligan MW and Linda Lawry. Following graduation, he continued his studies at NYU, receiving a Master of Arts in Food Studies.

Campanale's sincere love for the hospitality industry led him into restaurants, starting at Mario Batali's Babbo, where he was hired as sommelier. In October 2007, he helped open the intimate West Village restaurant dell'anima, where he continues to serve as sommelier. Campanale has won raves from regulars and the media not only for dell'anima's predominantly Italian wine list, but also for his warm and welcoming demeanor when greeting guests at the restaurant.

At L'Artusi, Campanale has doubled the amount of bottles on the wine list and offers a number of Italian microbrews and signature cocktails. The list includes premium-quality artisanal and naturally-produced wines, and many bottles that are hard-to-find or are not sold in other restaurants. Some of his favorites are the Damijan Kaplja 2002, a white wine served at a red wine temperature, and the Lini Lambrusco Bianco. The menu will also feature several wines from New York State, with an emphasis on small, quality- focused production.

Campanale has written about wine for various media outlets, such as Beverage Media, Ed Levine's Serious Eats and Debonair Magazine. Now 24, he has earned a Diploma in Wines and Spirits from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, was named a Certified Wine Educator by the Society of Wine Educators and received Certified Sommelier distinction from the Court of Master Sommeliers.