MASTER SOMMELIER & RESTAURATEUR BOBBY STUCKEY WINNER OF VINITALY.USA's INAUGURAL 'GIANFRANCO SORRENTINO AWARD FOR ITALIAN EXCELLENCE'
Award Created to Honor US-Based Culinary Leader Who Best Advocates for
Italian Wine, Cuisine and Culture of Hospitality
NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Vinitaly.USA, a property of Veronafiere (organizer of Vinitaly events in Italy and around the world), announces Bobby Stuckey, MS as the winner of the first-ever, annual 'Gianfranco Sorrentino Award for Italian Excellence,' to be presented October 26th in New York City on the first day of this year's Vinitaly.USA wine trade event. The award fosters the education and promotion of quality, authentic Italian wine and cuisine in the US. 'I'm honored and humbled to receive this award," said Bobby. 'Gianfranco was a relentless advocate for top quality, authentic Italian cuisine and he epitomized Italian style and hospitality.'
Federico Bricolo, president of Veronafiere, explains why the Gianfranco Sorrentino Award was created. 'Gianfranco Sorrentino demonstrated how wine and cuisine contribute to strengthening the reputation of "Made in Italy" in the United States. He consistently distinguished himself through his commitment to quality, attention to service, and his ability to share Italian culture through his restaurants. With this award, we want to recognize those who, like him, have made hospitality a meaningful and tangible way of promoting Italy.' The award is part of Veronafiere's broader commitment to promoting Italian wine in international markets through Vinitaly events, the educational programs of the Vinitaly International Academy, and the industry dialogue fostered by the wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum.
Based in Colorado, Bobby Stuckey, MS is the founder of the Frasca Hospitality Group, which includes Frasca Food and Wine, Sunday Vinyl, Tavernetta, Pizzeria Alberico and Osteria Alberico. He is also the founder of Friuli-based Scarpetta Wine, a producer of Friulano wine as well as a full portfolio of other Friuli wines. And he has a wine import company, Benvenusa, specialized in boutique Italian producers. Bobby, who received his Master Sommelier Diploma in 2004, has been awarded some of the highest honors in the restaurant and wine industries including James Beard Foundation nominations for Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional and Outstanding Wine Service, which he won in 2013. Bobby has spent his career promoting quality Italian cuisine in the heartland of the US, a part of the country often underserved by Italian wine and food promotion.
Gianfranco Sorrentino, originally from Naples, arrived in New York City in the mid 1980's and opened his first restaurant, Il Gattopardo, in 2001 together with partners, Chef Vito Gnazzo and Paula Bolla-Sorrentino. Il Gattopardo came to define understated elegance and the best of southern Italian cuisine in NYC's hypercompetitive restaurant scene, attracting a clientele of celebrities, power brokers and the arts community. In addition to running Il Gattopardo and sister restaurants The Leopard at des Artistes and Mozzarella & Vino, Gianfranco founded Gruppo Italiano, a not-for-profit restaurant association dedicated to the education and promotion of the finest, most genuine Italian cuisine. Gianfranco's restaurants are renowned for the ingredients they utilize, often sourced from artisan purveyors, and wines imported by a community of Italian wine import specialists in New York. With the exception of Champagne, Il Gattopardo's wine list is entirely Italian.
'I'm very grateful to Veronafiere for honoring my late husband and business partner with this prestigious award,' said Paula Bolla-Sorrentino. 'In his understated and gentlemanly way, Gianfranco was a fierce defender and promoter of the very best of Italian food and wine.He never compromised on the quality of our cuisine or our service, which are both quintessentially Italian.'
About Vinitaly.USA
Vinitaly.USA is the U.S. edition of Vinitaly, the international wine and spirits trade exhibition organized annually in Verona by Veronafiere. Created to strengthen business opportunities and market access for Italian wine in the United States, Vinitaly.USA brings together Italian producers, regional consortia, importers, distributors, buyers and other industry professionals. The third edition will take place at Pier 36 in New York on 26-27 October 2026 and is organized by Veronafiere-Vinitaly in partnership with ITA-Italian Trade Agency. The event will feature more than 300 exhibitors, B2B meetings, tastings, masterclasses and market-focused seminars, alongside wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum, Vinitaly Tourism and educational programs by Vinitaly International Academy. Building on Vinitaly's nearly 60-year history in Verona, Vinitaly.USA extends the Vinitaly platform into the U.S. market, creating a dedicated meeting point for the Italian wine sector and the American trade.
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Bianca Panichi
SOURCE Vinitaly.USA
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