Vineyard
Agrarians through History and Philosophers by Destiny
There is an old Italian proverb that says, “the land the farmer rejects is the land that the vineyard accepts.” This implies that the less fertile and more rocky the land, the more superior the wine will be as the grape vines struggle for survival by digging deeper into the soil in a never-ending search for water and life’s minerals.
Nestled near the Yadkin River and Blue Ridge Mountains, the rolling hills and gentle slopes of the vineyard are blessed with mild breezes that constantly freshen and circulate air. Unique to the vineyard is an abundance of broken granite and schist which provide for excellent soil drainage and trace mineral extraction. This gives the grape a certain terroir, or sense of place.
Moderate elevation levels of 1200 feet and colder facing aspects allow for temperature variation during the growing season which slowly builds acidity and complexity. Most importantly, the vineyard possesses an indescribable sense of totality and energy that only comes from a complete union of spirituality, energy, and historic legacy.
With this understanding and deep respect for the land, we began to search for the perfect parcel of land. We looked at over sixty parcels until we found the right one. It was an abandoned farm that, as Jay Raffaldini described it, had an instantaneous gravitational pull on his heart and soul. So, on Jay’s birthday in 2001, we closed on the initial forty-two acres of land on which our vines and the Villa and other structures are located. We shortly thereafter acquired an additional sixty acres, which together with the original forty- two acres, comprise the Estate. Today we have over thirty two acres planted mainly with Italian varietal grapes, some of which are very unique and we are proud to have been the first vineyard in the East Coast to plant them.
“Honey, I’ve just died and gone to Tuscany.”
–Anthony Baratta National 1st Vice President, The Order Sons of Italy in America