Del Posto Wine Director Jeff Porter Joins the Babbo Team

Jeff Porter, the acclaimed wine director of Del Posto, is now overseeing the wine program at Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich's flagship restaurant, Babbo. He replaces Alec Steidl, who is no longer with the restaurant. Porter will split his time between Babbo and Del Posto. Joe Bastianich tells Eater: "Jeff is one of the very top wine professionals in this country....We welcome him into the Babbo family and leave to his care and guidance one of the great Italian wine cellars and programs in this country."

Here's what Jeff has to say about the transition:

I am very humbled by Joe and Mario putting me in this position. Babbo means so much to me personally and professionally. Del Posto and Babbo represent two programs that aim to show the greatness of Italian wine culture. We are seeking to continue to push both restaurants to the next level in terms of wine education for both our guests and staffs.

I will be working closely with our sommelier teams, FOH and BOH staff to help grow our culture of Italian wine at every level. This is a huge honor and an exciting time for Italian wine in the U.S. as more and more great wines are being imported. We look to continue to show our guests the classics of Italy and the future of Italian viticulture.