The Raffaldini Family has always believed that the miracle of winemaking does not happen in the winery, but rather in the vineyards. A deep respect for the land, a long sense of history, and centuries of aspiring for high achievement all combine to produce a single expression of wine that captures the heritage of the Raffaldini Family: “Audentes Fortuna Luvat” — “Fortune Favors the Daring”.

Raffaldini winemaker, Chris Nelson, grew up in Chapel Hill. He has 15 years’ experience making wine in California where he received his Master’s degree in Enology and Viticulture from Fresno State. We are excited to welcome him to Craft’d!! We will sample:

Vermentino Superiore '21 — The winery’s largest white planting is this signature grape which is made in two distinctly different styles (the other is the Desaria). This Vermentino is made similar to the wine commonly found in the Italian island of Sardinia with its minerality and saline features that might reemind drinkers of Mediterranean summers. Vermentino grows effortlessly at the North Carolina winery and requires very little winemaker intervention 13% ABV. $33.50/$11

Bella Misto Red Blend '20 — “Bella Misto” roughly translates from Italian as Beautiful Mix. It is a proprietary blend of estate red varietals. Each year we carefully craft a high-quality, consistent wine that highlights the unique character and soils of our vineyard, balancing the best attributes of our red grapes to create a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Blending grapes tends to produce a more balanced wine and this blend is no exception. 13% ABV. $25.50/$8.50

Sagrantino '20 — Sagrantino is one of the rarest grapes in the world with almost 95% of the 2,000 acres planted located in the Province of Umbria and around the town of Montefalco in Italy This varietal flourishes in North Carolina and when the grapes are harvested, they are brimming with mouth-drying tannins. The winery utilizes the Appassimento drying process to create a savory, dry, earthy full-bodied wine in the traditional Umbrian style. (Appassimento is the ancient Italian method of incorporating dehydrated grapes into the production of wine. The method has been passed down for centuries in Valpolicella, the premier grape-growing region near the city of Verona. Appassimento wines are direct descendants from the wines of the Middle Ages and the technique gives rise to rich, complex, and boldly structured wines.) 14.5% ABV. Regularly, $46.99, Now $41.99/$14

We will ALSO be joined by NC Wine Influencer Delayne Martin, who is on a mission to visit all 160+ wineries in North Carolina. You can find tales of her visits on her blog, Winey Friends:

https://www.instagram.com/2wineyfriends/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094541328707

See you Friday!