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Paul Grieco
James Beard Award winner
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Paul Grieco is the General Manager at Terroir Wine Bar in Tribeca, New York City, a role grounded in the movement between floor and cellar. The work here is in holding a room, reading a list, and making wine service feel precise without making it static. Grieco grew up in his family’s restaurant, La Scala, in Toronto, where service was part of the daily rhythm rather than something learned later. That early exposure to the cadence of hospitality, the pace of a working kitchen, and the pressures of a busy dining room still shows in the way he approaches the room: attentive, fluent, and comfortable treating wine as both serious inventory and lived-in pleasure. His path then moved to Gramercy Tavern, where the craft was learned from the floor up and through the cellar. In New York City, he served as waiter from 1995–1997 before rising through the room and cellar as Assistant General Manager, Service Director, and Beverage Director at Gramercy Tavern in New York City from 1997–2003. Those years show a clear progression through service roles, but they also mark an education in how a restaurant communicates through its list, its pacing, and the way a bottle lands on a table.
Coming Up
Paul Grieco began at Gramercy Tavern in New York City, serving as waiter from 1995–1997 before rising through the room and cellar as Assistant General Manager, Service Director, and Beverage Director at Gramercy Tavern in New York City from 1997–2003. Since 2003, he has been Beverage Director and partner of Hearth, and since 2008 he has also been founder / Wine Bar Operator of Terroir East Village and General Manager of Terroir Wine Bar. Taken together, those roles map a career built on service, list-making, and room management. At Gramercy Tavern, the progression from waiter to Beverage Director points to sustained work in the mechanics of dining room service and cellar organization. At Hearth, the title of Beverage Director and partner signals a broader responsibility for shaping the wine program as part of the restaurant’s daily operation. At Terroir East Village and Terroir Wine Bar, the role of founder / Wine Bar Operator and General Manager places him in direct control of a more concentrated wine-focused setting.
Where They Are Now
He is Beverage Director and partner at Hearth. At Hearth, he builds wine lists that are expansive and thoughtful, and creates wine dinners that explore both new and established regions, vintners, and varietals. He has said, "I never think about what my guest wants to drink." That line is a clean statement of method. At Hearth, the list is presented as something to work through rather than simply browse, and the wine dinners become a way to move across regions and producers with intent. The approach is less about matching expectation than about directing attention, using contrast between new and established names to keep the list active.
Signature
Paul's signature dishes include The Summer of Riesling. The name has become a shorthand for his public-facing approach to wine: seasonal, direct, and built around a clear point of view. The Summer of Riesling reads less like a menu item than a program name, which is part of why it carries.
In Their Words “Success to me is someone coming into my restaurant and opening the wine list and not recognizing a single goddamn thing on here.” “I never think about what my guest wants to drink.” Read together, these quotes show a preference for surprise over reassurance. Grieco frames success as an encounter with the unfamiliar, and the second line makes the operating principle plain: the list is not there to flatter assumptions. It is there to push the guest toward discovery, with the room and the bottle working in tandem.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Paul
What is Paul Grieco's current role?
As of 2026, Paul Grieco is General Manager.
Where did Paul Grieco work before?
Paul Grieco's earlier career included Gramercy Tavern and Gramercy Tavern.
What recognition has Paul Grieco received?
James Beard Award, Outstanding Wine, Beer or Spirits Professional (2016).
