Pray Tell WinesThe Homecoming
From South Philly street-corner wine with grandpa Sal, to Oregon's Willamette Valley, to a Kensington warehouse. Hand-cut paper labels, Italian heritage, and elegant low-intervention wines.
CUT
From hand-crank destemmers on South Philly sidewalks to The Bear—3,000 miles, five tractor-trailers, and a dream realized.
Tom Caruso grew up on Ninth Street and Oregon Avenue in South Philadelphia, running between his house and his maternal grandparents' home. Every fall, his grandfather Salvatore Ricchetti—a nurse from Italy who worked in steel mills—would haul out a hand-crank destemmer and basket press to make table wine on the sidewalk. "It was how he socialized with his friends. In the same way they'd make a bunch of tomatoes into sauce," Tom recalls [^23^][^36^].
After college, Tom moved to New York, working in publishing before falling in love with wine at Brooklyn's dynamic dining scene. He worked night shifts at Brooklyn Winery, then headed west to work with Morgan Twain-Peterson at Bedrock Wine Company in Sonoma. In 2014, he moved to Oregon's Willamette Valley, working at Rex Hill and then with Maggie Harrison at Antica Terra—a formative experience that taught him the soul of blending [^27^][^23^].
In 2017, a fellow winemaker called about splitting a Gamay block. Tom quit his job and Pray Tell was born—120 cases made in a McMinnville warehouse. By 2022, production grew to 2,000 cases and national acclaim. In August 2024, Tom and assistant winemaker Sydney Adams loaded five 53-foot tractor-trailers and moved the entire operation 3,000 miles back to Philadelphia—to the same building where Tom's mother and grandfather started their family business [^27^][^24^].
"Serious ambition and focus, but never take ourselves too seriously."
Tom's approach centers on three values: honoring varietal typicity, showcasing terroir—the land, climate, and growing season—and demonstrating creative decision-making through blending. "I love that it is an expression of earnest curiosity, but also a bit tongue-in-cheek" [^27^][^36^].
The labels are hand-cut paper collages designed by Tom himself, inspired by Henri Matisse's later period. "I love the idea that something beautiful can be made from something so simple. Feels like a beautiful synergy to winemaking" [^27^].
While sourcing from Oregon's Willamette Valley established Pray Tell's reputation, Tom is now exploring Pennsylvania's five distinct AVAs. "The fact that Pennsylvania isn't widely associated with just one grape feels like an opportunity rather than an obstacle." He plans to work with Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Cab Franc, and Merlot from PA vineyards while maintaining some Oregon connections [^24^][^27^].
Matisse Inspired
Earnest & Tongue-in-Cheek
Urban winery, open-concept production, and wines featured on The Bear.
Miles Moved
Five 53-foot tractor-trailers carried barrels, equipment, and dreams from Oregon to Philadelphia. The new open-concept tasting room at 1615 N. Hancock Street puts visitors among the production equipment—demystifying the process [^24^][^26^].
Person Team
Tom and Sydney Adams do everything—making wine, running tastings, hosting events. "We're a tiny operation—a mighty team of two with help from family and friends to make the wheels roll forward" [^27^].
Featured on The Bear
Pray Tell's 2021 Syrah appears on the shelf at Carmy and Sydney's restaurant in season two. "Right there, next to Richie's head"—a cultural moment for the small Philly brand [^26^].
Memory Lane, Fruit Snacks, and Piume—elegant expressions with playful names.
Gamay Noir
The wine that started it all—120 cases in 2017 from a shared block in Oregon. Light, playful, and energetic, this established Pray Tell's reputation for elegant, low-intervention reds. "I had always wanted to work with Gamay Noir as I enjoy the levity and playfulness that the variety can have" [^27^][^24^].
Memory Lane
A red blend that captures Tom's journey from South Philly to Oregon and back. Smooth tannins with generous fruit and spice. "Perennial Favorite" meets "Tell Your Friends" energy—approachable yet sophisticated [^37^].
Piume
"Piume" is Italian for feather—built around that characteristic. "Soft, light, textured." One of Pray Tell's most distinctive blends, showcasing Tom's Italian heritage and his love for wines with levity. The identity was built around the feather concept [^35^].
Skin Contact Orange
A textured, savory orange wine showing Pray Tell's experimental side. Part of the 2024 lineup alongside Fruit Snacks Red Blend. Made with extended skin contact for color, tannin, and complexity [^33^][^37^].
Fruit Snacks
A fun, approachable red blend that doesn't take itself too seriously. Juicy and vibrant, this is the wine for casual drinking while still maintaining Pray Tell's standards for thoughtful farming and production [^33^].
Perennial Favorite
Smooth, well-integrated tannins with generous fruit and spice on the nose and palate. Incredibly friendly in its youth—destemmed and carefully handled to preserve freshness while building structure [^34^].
Tell Your Friends
The 2021 Syrah that appears on The Bear. Bold, spicy, and expressive—exactly the kind of wine you'd want on a prestigious restaurant shelf. "The category is..." [^37^][^26^].
Willamette Chardonnay
Classic Oregon Chardonnay with Pray Tell's elegant touch. Small-production, showcasing the complexity of Willamette Valley fruit through careful cellar work and minimal intervention [^25^].
As Seen on The Bear
Pray Tell's 2021 "Tell Your Friends" Syrah appears on the wine shelf at The Bear restaurant in season two—right next to Richie's head. From South Philly street corners to primetime FX prestige television in just seven vintages. "So I guess Sweeps really did learn a thing or two during his sommelier classes" [^26^].
The Full Circle
Tom Caruso represents a new wave of American urban winemaking—one that values community, heritage, and accessibility over traditional cellar door tourism. By moving Pray Tell from Oregon's established wine country to Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood, he's betting that world-class wine can be made (and appreciated) in post-industrial warehouses just as well as pastoral valleys [^24^].
His hand-cut paper labels, Italian-American heritage, and commitment to sourcing from emerging regions (Pennsylvania's five AVAs) position Pray Tell at the forefront of East Coast natural wine culture. With Sydney Adams, he's proving that a staff of two can make 2,000 cases of wine, appear on prestige TV, and build a tasting room culture that rivals any rural wine country experience—just with better cheesesteaks [^27^][^26^].
- Started 2017 (120 cases Gamay)
- South Philly street wine roots
- Grandpa Sal's hand-crank press
- Brooklyn Winery night shifts
- Bedrock Wine Co. (Sonoma)
- Antica Terra (Oregon)
- Rex Hill cellar & tasting room
- 7 years in Oregon (2014-2024)
- Moved Aug 2024 (3,000 miles)
- 5 tractor-trailers of equipment
- 1615 N. Hancock St. location
- Family building (30+ years)
- Open-concept production
- Staff of two (Tom + Sydney)
- ~2,000 cases annually
- Hand-cut paper labels
- Matisse-inspired collage
- Featured on The Bear (FX)
- Philadelphia's five AVAs
- Best Local Wine (Philly Mag)