Aug 5thRaffaldini Vineyards

Before our trip to southwestern Virginia, I explored the internet looking for wineries that were close enough to visit and discovered that there were some in North Carolina that were nearby. While looking, the winery that stood out was Raffaldini Vineyards. Their wines are made in an Italian style and the vineyard is owned by a family with roots in Italy’s wine industry. Along with the family crest is the slogan “Chianti in the Carolinas;” we were intrigued. Photos from the internet seemed almost too good to be true; could it really be that beautiful? On our visit, we found out. Yes, it could be that beautiful. Raffaldini Vineyards is in the rolling hills of the North Carolina countryside, but a visitor might think they had made a trip to Italy. It is amazing.

As if the beauty of the vineyard and the tasting room weren’t enough, the wine was exceptional. Their white wine Vermentino,  medium bodied, with a peach flavor, was especially good. While not normally enjoying rosés, their Girasole created by the free run juice of Sangiovese and Montepulciano was delicious. The reds are all excellent, but the two we preferred were the Montepulciano and the Sangiovese Reserve. Montepulciano is not a common wine found in American wineries and we thoroughly loved it. The Sangiovese Reserve, with small amounts of Malbec and Petit Verdot blended in, had a pleasing cherry finish. Our tasting room host, Mary, was friendly and knowledgeable and made our tasting experience special.

This was our first visit, but won’t be our last. I recommend it to any wine lover visiting the area.