What the Fosc is Refosco?
Sommelier’s Confession:
I struggle ordering Italian wines in Italian restaurants.
I’m big believer in matching wine with cuisine: French wines with French food, Italian wines with Italian food. But, as you’ve probably guessed from the name of my business, French wines are my favorite and my area of expertise.
Second Sommelier’s Confession (and unpopular opinion):
Part of the problem is that I’m not a huge fan of Italian wine.
While I have a few go-to Italian wines that I love (Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Brunello di Montalcino, Etna Bianco, Franciacorta), when I look at an Italian wine list, I mostly see things that I don’t like.
Enter the good folks at Fresco by Scotto. If you’re a New Yorker, you’ve probably heard of it. If you haven’t been, you must go. Fresco is owned by the Scotto Family…yes, THAT wonderful Scotto family that gave New York (my former colleague) beloved Fox 5 NY anchor Rosanna Scotto. You’ll often see Ro’s entire family working the floor at Fresco, including her amazing mom who still sits at the front desk from time to time. Fresco is as New York as a restaurant could possibly be: warm and inviting, delicious, and full of characters. I have been seated a table away from Rudy Giuliani on Christmas Eve (the things I heard!); I’ve chatted with former New York Governor David Paterson while sipping a martini; gossip Columist Rob Schuter was at the table next to me another night. If you want a true New York experience, book a table at Fresco, and be sure to order the chips with gorgonzola to start.
Recently, I was having dinner at Fresco with my husband and business partner and I couldn’t decide what we should drink. I wanted a red wine, we were all having red sauce, but which one? The Maître D’ came over immediately, steered me away from the Etna Rosso I was eyeing (it was too light) and suggested the Refosco pictured here. At $92 it was one of the cheapest wines on the menu and it was ABSOLUTELY perfect. You can find it on wine.com for $27.99.
I had never heard of Refosco, so here’s what I’ve learned:
Refosco is a dark skinned red wine grape.
Refosco was first mentioned in 1409, when it was served at a banquet for Pope Gregory XII in Cividale, which is in Northern Italy near the Slovenian border.
Refosco comes in six different varieties.
This wine is Refosco Dal Penduncolo Rosso which is the most widely planted Refosco and is commonly found in Friuli, Italy (where Cividale is).
Refosco Dal Penduncolo Rosso makes deeply colored wines than can taste of plums and a touch of almond. They’re usually medium-full bodied with high acidity.*
Hope this helped you learn a little more about Italian wines, too.
Chin!
*All Refosco facts courtesy of Wine Grapes by Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding & José Vouillamoz.
