Everybody knows what a taqueria or a pizzeria is. A proseccheria is a take on the same idea—it’s a bar where prosecco flows. Plaza Midwood is now home to the country’s first.
Michelle Castelloe, the retail powerhouse behind Moxie Mercantile and Betty, opened Bev Proseccheria last November in a restored 1963 vintage Airstream. Guests can sip authentic Italian prosecco by the glass or bottle beneath string lights in the space between Moxie and Undercurrent Coffee on Commonwealth Avenue.
Castelloe has been a prosecco drinker for decades, but the idea for a proseccheria came to her about six years ago. Her best friend, also a fan of the bubbles, read an article in an in-flight magazine about Prosecco Road, Italy's oldest designated wine route.
“She stuck it on her fridge, and we planned her 50th birthday in the Prosecco region,” Castelloe says. “We went to Prosecco Road and visited 10 or 12 vineyards. These tiny bars had outdoor seating with blankets in the winter. I thought, ‘We have to do this in the States.’”
In late 2024, on a trip to Maine, Castelloe visited a bar in an Airstream overlooking the ocean.
“I loved the Airstream vibe,” she says. “It was less of an investment to do an Airstream than to build or rent another location.”
After securing the permits and two vintage Airstreams (one serves the prosecco, the other seats 20 people and can be booked for events), Castelloe officially launched Bev Proseccheria. The name, like each of her brands, has a special meaning. Moxie was a word her grandfather used to describe her as a child, and Betty was named after the woman who sold her the building. Bev is short for Castelloe’s godmother, Beverly, and it doubles as a cheeky shorthand for “beverage.”
The menu features 12 proseccos, a non-alcoholic option and one Italian lager. Castelloe did several tastings (“That was so fun,” she says) before landing on the right lineup.
“I ruled out things you could find in a grocery store,” she says. “I wanted more unique, exclusive varieties. We’re not Americanizing anything—we’re keeping it as authentic as possible.”
Bev’s bartender, David, is schooled on each label and can explain everything from the prosecco’s mouthfeel to the vineyard it comes from. Their clientele is predominantly women, but Castelloe says a lot of guys enjoy a flute of fizz, too.
“The first thing I learned is there are no strangers on our patio,” she says. “Prosecco is a happy, bubbly experience. People knit, read books and bring card games… a lot come expecting to have one glass and stay for hours.”
Guests are allowed to bring in outside food, and once a month, the team from Limone Pizza sets up their outdoor oven to sling Italian-style woodfired pizza. Occasionally, Castelloe’s musician husband, Clifton, performs on the patio. On weekends when the weather is nice, it’s often standing room only, but guests are welcome to sip and shop inside Moxie until a table opens up.
“I wish we’d done this 20 years ago,” Castelloe says. “My husband loves providing the entertainment, and I love being the host. It’s a blast. There’s a lot of joy on that patio.”
“Prosecco is a happy, bubbly experience. People knit, read books and bring card games"