Wine
Continued from Page 7
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At 7 p.m., Ziskind stood atop a chair to introduce the night’s guest
speaker, physician and author Anthony Mazzarelli, who came to talk
about his new book. Ziskind isn’t the largest in size, but he makes up
for it with his big personality and enthusiasm. He’s best known by his
nickname “Zippy,” a title inherited as a kid from his father, a veteran
who earned a Bronze Star and Purple Heart serving in the 94th Infantry
Division under Gen. George Patton.

The name is an accurate description of Ziskind, 61, who zips around
from guest to guest. Tonight, he is both emcee and waiter, never letting
a glass remain empty for too long. The room is packed with friends and
clients-turned-friends. One of them is the attorney Daniel-Paul Alva.

Their friendship dates back 15 years.

“He’s a very giving person,” Alva said. “There’s not a topic you can’t
discuss with him and, for that reason, I can’t say I have any highs or any
lows; it’s just a real terrific friendship.”
Ziskind is a wine guy, but not in the typical way. A mechanical engi-
neer by trade, he’s made a living designing wine cellars. He specializes
in cooling systems and, under the name ZipCo Wine Cellar Services, is
involved in more than 150 projects a year.

Ziskind estimates that about 30% of his business is correcting others’
mistakes. While some get into the line of work out of a love of wine or
design, for Ziskind, it’s problem-solving that’s the draw.

“I was always good with my hands. I could never sit behind a desk.

I like to take things apart and put them back together again, trouble-
shooting,” Ziskind said. “It’s the challenge of figuring out what is wrong
and fixing it — that’s what always drew me to engineering.”
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THE GOOD LIFE
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM



Ziskind lives in South Philadelphia, but grew up in the
Northeast where he attended Abraham Lincoln High School. As
a kid, he enjoyed the Boy Scouts, earning the top rank of Eagle. In
college, Ziskind worked for various air conditioning companies
to help pay his way at Drexel University.

He launched his business in 1978, mainly working in
commercial refrigeration and air conditioning at restaurants.

But after getting good press for installing a wine dispenser at
Jack’s Firehouse, he got into the wine cellar business. In the
1990s, he shifted from commercial to residential clients, building
wine cellars in people’s homes.

About two decades ago, Ziskind launched one of his most
unique business ventures: My Cellar, which is akin to a Fort Knox
for wine lovers. The refrigerated warehouse is home to rentable
storage lockers for people in condos and small apartments who
don’t have the space to store their excess wine long-term.

“This business, the storage facility, actually started on a dare
from a friend of a friend who we don’t like,” Ziskind said. “And
he said it was the stupidest idea that he ever heard, that it would
never work. And I said, ‘Watch me.’”
My Cellar has succeeded, however, and been written up in
publications including The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Wall
Street Journal.

Ziskind found himself in an interesting predicament about
three years after starting the venture. One day, a lawyer called
“He’s a very giving person. There’s not a topic
you can’t discuss with him and, for that reason,
I can’t say I have any highs or any lows; it’s just a
real terrific friendship.”
DANIEL-PAUL ALVA
and explained that his client had died and a treasure trove of
wine was discovered in his basement. Not knowing what to do
with the stash, he reached out to Ziskind.

In turn, he gave the lawyer two options. The first was to get the
wine inventoried and sent off to auction in New York. The second
was for Ziskind to come over with a shoebox full of cash, price
the wine and buy the whole lot.

”And there was a pause, and the lawyer said, ‘I like the second
option better,’” Ziskind said.

With the wine inventory in hand, Ziskind began selling
bottles to close friends and other associates. Eventually, they
started meeting at restaurants or Ziskind’s warehouse to drink it.

It’s a casual affair — the kind where suits and ties aren’t
required and, in fact, are discouraged. Somebody jokingly referred
to the group as the Dead Guys Wine Society, and the name stuck.

When not at work or with the club, Ziskind spends his time
with family or at shul. His wife, Marice Ziskind, owns a paint-
your-own pottery studio in Philadelphia called The Expressive
Hand. Two of the couple’s sons have performed in various local
rock bands, Miles Ziskind on drums and Lev Ziskind on guitar.

Their eldest son, Harrison Ziskind, was killed in a car accident
in Colorado in 2016.

Ziskind has been member of Society Hill Synagogue for three
decades. There he plays the shofar, an instrument he learned after
See Wine, Page 10
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM THE GOOD LIFE
DECEMBER 19, 2019
9