Meet Suzanne Zizzi: Owner, Wine Shop and Bar

We had the good fortune of connecting with Suzanne Zizzi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Suzanne, as a parent, what have you done for you children that you feel has had the most significant impact?
I am the mother of two daughters, both of whom I have always encouraged to speak their mind and stand up for themselves, while also being kind to others. There is no such phrase as, “because I say so” in our house. My kids know that I will listen to them if they have a concern or grievance over something that we may disagree about. I believe that I have also demonstrated a strong work ethic to my daughters, and that there will be obstacles but they can also be overcome.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Oeno Vino is a boutique wine shop with a very carefully curated selection of small production wines from around the world. As someone who has always worked as an employee to others, opening up a wine shop with a wine bar component was probably the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. I hadn’t worked in retail since college, and it was a steep learning curve! The fun part was really delving into the world of wine and the wine industry, which is surprisingly small in our metropolis. We pride ourselves on our selection of wines, many of which are organic, natural, and bio-dynamically farmed.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We would probably start out at the Nature Reserve beach at Point Dume in Malibu, and maybe stop off for lunch at Gladstone’s on the beach. Another day might take us downtown to Disney Hall and the Broad Museum, with a stop at the Last Bookstore. We would also take advantage of the glorious Westridge Canyonback Park, where my dogs can run off leash. Other stops include the Getty Museum and tapas at Black Market Liquor Bar. Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shout out my husband, John Wolfenden, with whom I worked side by side to realize our dream of opening a wine shop. It was the most difficult thing either one of us had done, and he passed away the morning after the day we opened.

Website: www.oenovinowines.com

Instagram: @oenovinowines

Facebook: oenovinowines

Yelp: oenovinowines

Image Credits
Sam Lane and Nicolas Agro