Juan Pablo Escobar

Wine Director

Born in Santiago de Chile, Juan Pablo began his wine journey after arriving in Princeton, New Jersey at the age of sixteen. Working with the Terra Momo group, he had the opportunity to learn every front-of-house position while studying the world of viticulture and immersing himself in Italian wine and culture. Juan Pablo fulfilled his dream of working in a top New York City restaurant when he started at Manzo Ristorante at Eataly Flatiron in 2011. Following Manzo, he joined the wine teams at Lupa Osteria Romana and Otto Enoteca e Pizzeria before landing at Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca in 2015. With a focus on maintaining the soul of the Babbo Wine Program and a passion for staff education, Juan Pablo’s transition to Wine Director in 2019 was a natural fit. With nearly ten years of experience in the New York City restaurant industry and more than eight years with the company, Juan Pablo is grateful to constantly learn from some of New York’s most extensive wine lists and to interact with producers from all over the world.