April 19, 2006 -Raleigh NC, – Caffé Luna prepared a special Tuscan dinner menu to compliment the reknowned Frescobaldi wines with guest of honor Marchese Ferdinando Frescobaldi. The Marchese took a special side trip on his way to a wine event in Charlotte to visit Caffé Luna which sells more Frescobaldi label wines than any other restaurant in North Carolina.

Approximately 50 friends of Caffé Luna were in attendance, including; Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker, Mayor John Byrne of Fuquay, Leo Daughtry and William Kennedy of Mutual Distributing, Progess Energy management, Dr. P.G Fox, Chief Medical Officer Duke Raleigh, architect Jeffrey Lee, attorneys, artists, wine merchants, doctors, business people and bankers to name a few.

Mayor Charles Meeker presented a gift to the Marchese: "The Key to Raleigh".

Marchese Ferdinando Frescobaldi spoke between wine servings on Tuscan viticulture and fascinating Frescobaldi wine producing history.
A Tuscan menu created by Caffé Luna complemented the Frescobaldi wines which started with, Frescobaldi Brut, followed by several of the Frescobaldi’s “Super Tuscans” ending with the outstanding 1998 Castelgiocondo, Brunello di Montalcino (Wine Spectator 97 rating).

This past September 2005, Parker and Nicole Kennedy were invited to lunch with Marchese Ferdinando at Frescobaldi’s Castello Nipozzano in Tuscany (click here for story and pictures). Nipozzano is one of their nine wine producing estates around the Chianti region of Italy. The Frescobaldi family has been producing wine for thirty generations. Nicole did several paintings of the Frescobaldi estates and decorated Caffé Luna with these paintings for the special wine dinner.

Contact information:
Parker Kennedy
Caffé Luna: 919-832-6090
email: Parker Kennedy <cafeluna@earthlink.net>
136 East Hargett Street,
Raleigh, NC 27601


Nicole Kennedy and the Marchese in front of her
painting of Frescobaldi Villa Castello Nipozzano in Tuscany