Recently, at the Eastern Winery Exposition 2025 in Lancaster, PA, I had the opportunity to once gain sample some wines from Raffaldini. I have long been a fan of Raffaldini Vineyards in North Carolina. I have considered them the best winery of the south (states located geographically below Virginia). Nestled in the rolling foothills of the Swan Creek Wine Appellation within the Yadkin Valley, Jay Raffaldini and his family offer a selection of wines with n Italian twist. Raffaldini currently produces quality dry Italian-styled wines including Sangiovese Classico, Montepulciano Riserva, Sagrantino and Grande Riserva with the white being Vermentino and a sparking Prosecco style wine called Auguri. Their Vermentino is legendary. And their reds are impressive.
Chris Nelson, the winemaker at Raffaldini, poured three wines for me at EWE 2025. Chris, who grew up in Chapel Hill, is a 15 year veteran of the wine industry. A former organic chemist, Chris received his Master’s degree from Fresno State in Enology and Viticulture. Chris spent the 2018 harvest working in Northern Virginia.
Courtesy of CellarTracker
The first of the wines I tried was their Raffaldini Vineyards Vermentino Superiore 2024 which comes from the winery's largest white planting - their flagship wine. Vermentino is a popular wine on the Italian island of Sardinia. Chris uses a non-interventionist approach to making this wine. The resulting wine is a light-bodied white, with gorgeous citrus notes of lemon, lime, and grapefruit, mixed with fresh Granny Smith apples, a hint of nuts, and a touch of saline or sea spray. A fantastic food wine. Refreshing, complex and well balanced. It ends with a brisk zip of acidity. Tremendous!
Next was the Raffaldini Sangiovese Classico made from Yadkin Valley estate grown Sangiovese grapes(found most famously in Chianti). Owning to North Carolina's hot, humid summers, makes growing Chianti in this region quite the challenge. But Raffaldini has found a way not to just endure, but to succeed. The grapes are also put through the Appassimento drying process to further concentrate the structure of the wine. Chris then uses the classic Italian technique called Ripasso which utilizes grape skins from another pressing and “repass” the fresh pressed Sangiovese wine over these skins to further deepen the wine. The result is a wine of great quality and incredible taste. An impressive red filled with dried cherries, dark raspberries, and cassis. A terrific food wine. This wine absolutely has its heart in Italy. A must try!
The final wine was the Raffaldini Grande Riserva 2022, an estate red blend of Montepulciano, Tannat, and Petit Verdot grapes, that are triple-sorted at harvest and then dried heavily using the Appassimento drying process to further concentrate the flavors. The resulting wine is a shocker! Dark in the glass. On the nose are big deep stewed dark fruit - cherries, raspberries, cranberry - along with cocoa, and other herbal notes. The wine itself is stunning. Cherry and raspberry and cranberry all come through as well and a world of other flavors. And the wine lasts for a full 60 seconds on the palate. This is a wine would stand out in any region in the US. An impressive, impressive red that makes you want to got to an Italian restaurant, if you can't get to Italy. Transport yourself to Tuscany - an open a bottle of Grande Riserva!
There is no question - Raffaldini Vineyards is the Star of the South!