Philip Di Belardino

TIMELINE

1939 – Constance Tempesta, while visiting relatives in Italy, meets Aldo DiBelardino and they are married in Marino, Italy.  The entire town is present, due to the fact that Aldo had been their youngest mayor, at age 26.

1940 – Mario is born in Rome. He and Connie live at Villa Zingone in Rome while Aldo is conscripted to fight in Africa and Greece.  

1946 – Philip is born in Rome, March 4, and baptized at St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City.  Aldo and Connie decide to return to the US and start a new life.  They move into an apartment on West 57th Street.

1949 – Aldo and Connie, Peter and Mary Tempesta found Mediterranean Importing.  Philip and his cousin Peter Jr. share the same playpen while their mothers work in the office.  

1952 – Philip begins first grade at St. Paul the Apostle Grammar School in Manhattan.

1956 – The family moves to Jamaica Estates in Queens; Nonna Tempesta comes to live with them.  She and Philip travel to Italy where he learns to speak Italian during a long summer holiday.  In September, he transfers to Holy Family Grammar School in Queens. 

1959 – Aldo and Connie buy the Shady Grove resort in Haines Falls, NY and develop it into the Villaggio Italia, the foremost luxury resort in the Catskills for Italian-Americans. 

1960 – Philip graduates from 8th Grade and attends Xavier High School, a Jesuit military academy in Manhattan.  He sings in the Glee Club and plays glockenspiel in the band. 

1964 – Philip graduates from Xavier and heads off to Boston College.  

1967 – He directs the college musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

1968 – He directs the college musical Little Me and graduates from the College of Arts & Sciences with a major in English.  He moves to Washington, D.C. for graduate work at Catholic University. 

1971 – Philip graduates from Catholic University with a Master of Arts in Drama.  He produces The Collector’s Item, a musical revue that tours the US and Europe.

1973 – He begins working at Mediterranean Importing; he starts in the warehouse, makes rounds with the sales staff, selling Soave, Verdicchio, and Fazi Battaglia brands and accompanies his father to Italy.

1974 – Philip moves into a new apartment on the 40th floor of Rupert Towers.  He meets Gloria Nobles at Weight Watchers.  Nonna Tempesta dies.  Mario builds and opens the Cortina Valley Ski Resort in Haines Falls, NY.

1981 – Mario and Susan are married. 

1982 – David Belardino is born; Uncle Philip is named Godfather.  Mediterranean is sold to Heublein; Philip becomes Vice President of International Vintage Wines for the Palace Brands Division.  His responsibilities include Beaulieu and Inglenook from California; French giant Mouton-Rothschild; Italian producers Anselmi, Bonacossi, Casal Thaulero, Ceretto, Livio Felluga, Lungarotti, Mastroberardino and Monsanto,.

1984 – Adam Belardino is born.  Philip suffers his first heart attack. 

1987 – Philip is labeled “America’s Impresario of Italian Wines” by the Italian Trade Commission. 

1988 – Grand Met acquires Heublein; a Japanese conglomerate buys Cortina Valley; Aldo and Connie celebrate their 50th Anniversary (a year early) in Marino, Italy.  In October, Aldo dies. 

1994 – Mario and Susan Belardino found Bedford Wines.   

1997 – Philip marries Gloria. 

1998 – Philip is hired by Banfi as Vice President of Education for the Fine Wine division.  He’s diagnosed with diabetes. 

2004 – Connie dies.

2010 – Philip is diagnosed with kidney failure, starts dialysis. 

2011 – Philip is elected to the Italian Wine Hall of Fame, joining his father, Aldo.  (Mario is elected in 2015.) 

2014 – Philip departs this life, November 13.

Philip di Belardino, who worked tirelessly in a 41-year career in wine to educate and inspire wine professionals and consumers alike working for wine firms such as Heublein and Banfi Vintners, succumbed to complications from diabetes on the morning of Nov. 13 in New York at the age of 68.

A massive outpouring of affection on social media and public forums greeted his passing. The emotional response was not surprising to anyone who knew di Belardino. His larger-than-life personality connected with anyone who shared his passions for wine, food, travel, theater and opera.

He was born Filippo di Belardino in Rome, and many people called him Filippo until his death. Friends called him Pippo. His career in wine began in 1973 with his family’s company, Mediterranean Imports, founded by his late father, Aldo di Belardino. The firm was later absorbed into Heublein, where Filippo’s brand responsibilities included such California wines as Beaulieu and Inglenook and French giants such as Mouton-Rothschild. He joined New York's Banfi Vintners in 1999 as vice president of fine wines, where he remained until his death.

“Filippo befriended the great and small of our community,” said James W. Mariani, Banfi co-CEO. “He connected legendary winemakers with industry novices, and everybody between.” While a student at Cornell University in 1989, Mariani vividly remembers a 90-minute di Belardino lecture that “energized me to embrace wine beyond what we thought possible. [He made] a tectonic contribution of wine knowledge, wit and friendship to thousands who today feel as if the wine world slipped on its axis.”

Di Belardino knew that part of education was showmanship. An on-stage entertainer at his family’s resort in New York’s Catskill Mountains, Villaggio Italia, he developed a signature presentation style that loosely blended facts with puns and anecdotes. It made reluctant audiences comfortable with wine in general. They often left impressed with his employer’s wines, smiling, well-fed and speaking a few more words of Italian.

Di Belardino created and connected a rich network of consumers, producers, press and trade, which made him wildly popular and sought-after as an educator, travel guide, and all-around resource.

“There are a lot of people in our world who know an awful lot about wine, but there are precious few who make you want to love it,” said John Fischer, a hospitality professor at the Culinary Institute of America. “There was nothing like a big, sweaty, deep and honest hug from Filippo to remind you that understanding Italian wine meant more than just memorizing the DOCGs.”

Even if non-Italians had trouble spelling his Italian name, they loved and respected di Belardino. “When Filippo walked into our restaurants we were all Italian,” said Richard Lavin, who had a long career as a sommelier and restaurateur and today operates his own educational firm. “He brought with him his love of food, music, art, history, his passion for Italian wines and his friends. And, what a parade of friends! Mastroberardino, Felluga, Ceretto, Bonacossi, Monsanto—not just the bottles, but the vineyard owners and the winemakers and their families.”

Di Belardino is survived by his brother Mario, sister-in-law Susan, and nephews Adam and David. His memorial service will be private, but friends and colleagues may visit Sunday and Monday at Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel in Manhattan. Donations in Philip's name may be directed to Calvary Hospital, a non-profit institution specializing in hospice and palliative care, located in the Bronx.

by Harvey Steiman, published November 14, 2014 in the Wine Spectator