Nino Franco celebrates 100 years of Prosecco success

Primo Franco is a renowned figure in Italian wine.  As the third generation to head the ground-breaking Prosecco winery in Valdobiaddane, his commitment to producing delicious wines has helped the brand reach its 100 year anniversary in 2019.

The historic winery was started by Antonio Franco.  In 1919, he created Cantine Franco in the hilltop village of Valdobbiadene.  Primo took over the business in 1982, and he traveled across Italy and around the world to bring Prosecco to a wider audience.  His outreach efforts, along with quality improvements he introduced in grape cultivation, helped make Prosecco the widely popular beverage it is today.  

Primo hosted a media dinner in New York at Avra Estiatorio, where his range of crisp wines paired beautifully with Greek seafood dishes.  The range of wines poured included: 

Rustico Prosecco - With generous mousse and a brioche-laced nose, this wine had good body and notes of pear.  The wine sells for $24. 

Faive - This rose wine's name is from Venetian dialect, loosely translated to sparks from a fire.  This uplifting beverage had flavors of a summer fruit bowl of raspberries, strawberries, and pomegranate. A wonderful rose sparkling for $29. 

Vignetto della Riva di San Floriano Valdobiaddane Prosecco Superiore DOCG - A single-vineyard wine from the San Floriano vineyard, this Prosecco had a more structured body, with notes of white peaches and bosc pears and a good length.  This retails for $37. 

Primo Franco Valdobiaddane Prosecco Superiore DOCG - With lively acidity and long length, this is Prosecco with distinction.  The grapes are grown on high hillside vineyards, and the flavor profile includes ripe golden delicious apples, a whiff of citrus, and roasted almonds.  This wine sells for $37. 

The Nino Franco portfolio offers strong, diverse interpretations of Prosecco that prove that this DOCG region can make serious, delicious wines. 

Wining and Dining at The Red Cat

Had a fantastic meal Tuesday at The Red Cat, an upscale restaurant in the gallery district of Chelsea. Starting at the bar, I was thrilled to see their by-the-glass menu included unusual pours like Grüner Veltliner and a Trocken Riesling. Best of all— Proseco "Jeio" NV, Bisol. It was gorgeous and fruity and full of fizz. I adore Prosecco as an aperitif, and it’s far too rare to be able to get it by the glass. One unfortunate evening I ordered a glass at Primavera, an over-rated joint in West Orange. After hounding waiters for 45 minutes, I finally learned they don’t sell it by the glass! But I digress.
The Red Cat is a lovely place. Huge iron lanterns hang along the corridor of the restaurant. My friends and I started with a mouth-watering grilled octopus and an unusual fondue…the melted cheese was served on a plate with chopped salad and bacon on top. The crunch of the vegetables contrasted nicely with the warm liquid cheese.
My main course was sensational: braised shortribs served over polenta. The ribs were amazingly tender. We choose a very affordable ($27) bottle of Petit Chapeau Côtes Du Rhone 2005. It had nice big tannins that worked great with the ribs.
I love the way The Red Cat presents their wine list. They break down the reds into Soft Reds (including Burgundies), Earthy Reds (including our Côtes du Rhone), and Full Bodied Reds (including Bordeaux). For whites, you could choose from Clean Whites (including Sancerre and Chablis), Floral Whites (including Riesling) and Rich Whites (pretty much your oaked Chardonnays).
With aperitifs, wine, appetizers, mains, a shared dessert (Brooklyn blackout cake with heavenly Earl Grey icecream) and even a shared cheese course (divine), this meal was a true indulgence that I whole-heartedly recommend. So wine and food lovers, head to Chelsea and enjoy the gustatory pleasures of The Red Cat.