Joseph Lapi’s path to the glass runs through family, hustle, and hospitality. Raised in a tight-knit Sicilian household outside Buffalo, Joseph grew up around nightly dinners, clinking glasses, and stories that made food and wine feel like home. A chance correction over Chianti sent him down the rabbit hole, trading a planned legal career for the sommelier track. In Chicago he joined Lettuce Entertain You, opening RPM Steak before moving onto the wine team and, eventually, directing the beverage programs for RPM Seafood and Pizzeria Portofino. When COVID hit, he helped pivot a unicorn cellar into a lifeline for staff, reinforcing his belief that hospitality is about people first.
Today, Joseph is the owner-operator of Carmella’s, a welcoming wine bar along the Erie Canal in Pittsford, NY, named for his daughter and fueled by his mother’s Sunday sauce. We talk about building a list that’s approachable and world-class at once, why service is the true “height of hospitality,” and what he learned pouring for members and players as a guest sommelier at Augusta National during the Masters. From big-city polish to small-town heart, Joseph shares how to create a space where everyone has a seat, whether they’re sipping NA spritzes, crisp Sauvignon Blanc, or a celebratory bottle of Champagne.
