| Q:
I understand you and your husband run the Raffaldini
winery. What is your relationship with the Raffaldini
family?
A: Along with my husband
Stephen, we are part of the ownership of Raffaldini
Vineyards. It is owned by members of the Raffaldini
Family and the Lyons’.
Q: Most people
say "What?!" when I mention North Carolina
wine to them. What possessed you and your husband
to invest your lives in a winery there?
A: North Carolina was ripe for vineyards and
wineries when we moved here from Sonoma, California
in 1996. There were less than 10 wineries then, mostly
muscadine and a few brave pioneers like Westbend.
Today there are 60 wineries. That’s tremendous growth.We
saw the opportunity – affordable land, good long growing
season, and we also saw the uphill battle side of
the opportunity, which is education, education, education.
In 1996 North Carolinians also exclaimed, “You’re
doing what?” when we mentioned vineyards and wineries.
Some still do but to a lesser extent. Getting back
to the education part of the equation: I (Susan) founded
a publication to educate the public AND the people
in the trade about what were going on in the industry
because of the thirst for information about the industry,
both within and without. On The Vine’s first edition
was released at the Tanglewood Wine Festival in Clemmons
in 2001. It was a small, full-color publication with
short interviews about winery owners and the industry
in general. Stephen, a viticultural consultant who
installed many of the state’s finest vineyards was
sought out repeatedly for information about the industry.
“Can I grow grapes in NC on my land? How can I do
this? What do I do with them after I grow them?” Everywhere
we went people were turning to us for advice, I guess
because we had been in the business in California.
Hence the need for information sharing, and a publication
that specifically addressed the industry from both
sides, trade and public.
Q: If it wasn't
hard enough to produce quality wine in a little known
region, you also made the decision to grow little
known Italian grape varietals there. Please explain.
A: Well, the name Raffaldini is obviously Italian
and the family goes back to 1368, in Mantua Italy,
where family members continue to farm the land and
grow grapes. So there is a long history of grape growing
and wine making in the family and a lot of knowledge
about Italian grapes. The land that Stephen sourced
for this project (and he looked at over 100 properties
within a certain radius specified by the family) was
not only beautiful, reminding one of being in Tuscany,
but also had the terroir characteristics of central
and southern Italy: cooling afternoon breezes blowing
down the Swan Creek Valley between the Brushy and
the Blue Ridge Mountains, hot days, less rainfall
than the flatland grape growing regions of the state,
and the soil at the vineyard is composed of schist,
weathered mountain soil from the erosion of the Brushys
over the millennia. The Brushys are one of the oldest
mountain ranges in the world and have now weathered
to an elevation that defines the range more as hilltops
than mountains. That good rocky soil is what we grow
Italian grapes on, just as they do in Italy. Climactically
and geologically, we are on a par with south central
and southern Italy.
Q: Is wine country
living all that, or is it a romantic notion reserved
for those who don't work in the soil from day-to-day?
A: There is definitely a romance to the grape
and to grape growing. You have to love it because
it is very, very hard work. It’s farming. The Italians
have this wonderful saying, “The ground…she is low.”
Any farmer will nod his head in agreement. And there
are so many stresses on grapes in the south, unlike
California where you can pretty much count on long,
hot dry summers and cool nights (although temperature
patterns have changed there drastically in the last
decade). We have humidity, disease pressure, and hurricanes.
Let’s not forget hurricanes…, which occur around the
time of harvest. So it’s very very challenging and
there is never a dull moment in NC viticulture.
But watching “budbreak” as we are
right now (the Chardonnay just broke bud!) is enlivening.
It enriches the soul. New life, greening up of the
vines, flowering and then the little beauties, the
hard little grapes themselves appear and voila! A
few more months of intensive care can yield delicious,
wine. However, the key is vigilance, and knowing what
you are doing. We think we’re doing it right, which
means, always being open to learning more, not ever
becoming smug because when you’re dealing with a product
that comes from the earth, you are merely a custodian
of nature. And subject to her whims.
Q: Will your
wines retain their "taste of place?" In
other words, is there a unique North Carolina "terroir?"
A: Definitely there is a unique terroir in
NC and many distinct terroirs within the state. Our
terroir is very different from the rest of the Yadkin
Valley Appellation’s terroir. That’s why we’ve filed
a federal petition to be named a second appellation,
an appellation within an appellation, called Swan
Creek. We have an association that currently comprises
four vineyards within 5 minutes of one another and
even within that area, the terroir varies from vineyard
to vineyard, though we have enough geological and
climatological values in common that we can be defined
as one appellation. The application process takes
two year. We have another year to go.
Q: Georgia has
a longer heritage with grape growing & winemaking,
yet only has 1/3 the number of wineries as NC today.
To what do you owe NC's success?
A: I would attribute NC’s success to the legislative
support we’ve received, the NC Grape Council and really,
the dig-in-your-heels and get it done attitude that
North Carolinians possess…even us transplants! It’s
contagious and vital to this industry.
Q: If one makes
a visit to Raffaldini and the surrounding area, what
should we expect to find/encounter?
A: You will find absolutely beautiful vistas.
We grow 40 acres of grapes on 132 acres of property.
The property is gorgeous: it encompasses the beauty
of the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop and in the
foreground, the rolling Yadkin River Valley. On the
property itself we have streams, and fish ponds and
rhododendron and rose dells. It’s a beautiful, serene
place and people stay all day when they visit. Our
Tuscan-styled sunny farmhouse tasting room is staffed
by very knowledgeable, friendly people. You will feel
very welcome when you visit. We strive for that. Our
location is family friendly. People picnic on the
large tasting room deck or by the fish ponds and make
a day of it. We celebrate the Italian way of life
– wine, family, food and fun.
Q: Do you have
any events or festivals which makes a good excuse
for a visit?
A: The weekend of May 6 and 7 we hold one of
our biggest festivals of the year: The
Annual Spring Wine Release Celebration. In conjunction
with the other three Vineyards of Swan Creek, we offer
concurrent entertainment and events at all four vineyards,
all weekend. At Raffaldini our theme, always, is Italian.
So we will celebrate “Springtime in Mantua!” Besides
being the Raffaldini birthplace, Mantua is where Romeo
fled to, remember, so we are celebrating the spring
with live opera, roving Shakespearen performances
by the Renaissance Theatre Co. (including scenes from
Romeo and Juliet) on the grounds of the vineyard,
live jazz by Vince Lewis and singer, Maddy Winer (and
they will be covering lots of Italian songs). And
we’re releasing our white spring wine, Fiori, which
means flowers. Free wine sampling of Fiori and complimentary
refreshments for all. At most of our events, we offer
free tasting of our new release and refreshments.
There is no fee for this event.
Our entertainment takes place on Sunday, May
7. We alternate days with the other Vineyards of Swan
Creek but on Saturday, we will have wine tasting and
food of course. All our wines are available for tasting
and purchase.
Other Events
June 11 – our annual Day
of Wine and Roses. We have a rose expert lead
a tour through our rose gardens (we have over 700
roses planted on the property)so you can learn how
to care for these beauties while you sip a glass of
vino. There is a $5 fee for that. Our website lists
all our event info and is updated regularly.
The Current Wine List
Whites: Vermentino (one of only 3 wineries in the
country producing this elegant white from Liguria
and Sardinia), Pinot Grigio, Fiori.
Red varietals: Sangiovese, Dolcetto. Blends: Bella
Misto, Rosso, Chiara.
Winemaker Stephen Rigby is working on a frizzante
that they hope to release later this year, comprised
of Aleatico and Malvasia Bianca.
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