Raffaldini Vermentino Leads Gold Medal Wins at Sommelier Challenge
Raffaldini Vineyards earned outstanding recognition at the 2025 Sommelier Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition in San Diego, where judges evaluated wines through rigorous, sommelier-led blind tastings. Founded and judged by credentialed sommeliers and industry experts, the Sommelier Challenge draws hundreds of entries from acclaimed wineries around the world and has earned a reputation as one of the most competitive blind-tasted wine events in the country. With top honors awarded only to wines that truly stand out for balance, complexity, and craftsmanship, earning Gold here is a meaningful mark of distinction. Raffaldini brought home an impressive lineup of Gold Awards, including our 2024 Vermentino Superiore, that received Best Vermentino and a 90-point Gold, further cementing its legacy among the nation’s top Italian-style whites. Detailed reviews will be published on WineReviewOnline.com. You can read our notes and purchase on our web site.
Sommelier Challenge
2022 Grande Riserva - Gold | 92 Pts
2024 Vementino Superiore - Best Vermentino/Gold | 90 Pts
NV Il Falco - Gold | 90 Pts
2023 Sagrantino Edizione Anfora - Gold | 90 Pts
2024 Girasole Rosé - Gold | 90 Pts
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🎁 Here Are a Few of Our Favorite Things!🎄
Gift Ideas for Yourself or the Wine Lover on Your List! |
Celebrate the season at Raffaldini Vineyards, where old-world Italian tradition meets the magic of the Holidays. Whether you’re hosting, toasting, or gifting, our award-winning wines bring warmth and sophistication to every holiday moment.
Browse our exclusive holiday bundles to find the perfect bottle—or mix and match to build your own thoughtful gift. Looking for something extra special? Join us for festive tastings and cozy gatherings around the vineyard, surrounded by stunning winter scenery.
Round out your gift list with our curated accessories and custom sets, or let our helpful staff assemble a beautifully wrapped basket that’s ready to place under the tree. From elegant glassware to limited-edition wines, each option is crafted to make your holiday gifting effortless and memorable.
This Christmas, share the artistry—and the joy—of Raffaldini Vineyards with friends and family, and savor moments you’ll remember long after the last sip.
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November Events
Assemblaggio!
Grande Riserva Blending Trials
November 9 | 1pm - 3pm
$50 General Admission | Club Members Discount Applied at Checkout
A Few Seats Left!
 We are excited to unveil the first taste of our much heralded 2024 vintage, our greatest we have ever produced. After careful aging, these rich, dark reds are ready for blending and we need you to help us determine the blend for the Raffaldini Grande Riserva, our most powerful red wine!
Assemblaggio is a two-hour educational wine experience led by Owner Jay Raffaldini and winemaker Chris Nelson in our winery barrel room. Each blend you create will be carefully analyzed, sampled and help inspire our new vintage of Grande Riserva.
This is an opportunity to hone your winemaking knowledge and ability, learn more about grape varietals, and make a few new friends in the process. Blending trials will be held in the barrel room allowing you to experience the winery during the winemaking season.
Read more.
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Wine Club Member Spotlight
Pat & Doug Bundy
Pat & Doug Bundy have been married thirty-one years and reside in Athens, GA. Pat is originally from Massachusetts & Doug from the Midwest with both having lived in GA over 40 years. They met while working at AT&T, Pat an Executive Assistant & Doug in various sales positions, primarily the inmate communications business. Living near the University of GA allows them to enjoy frequenting a variety of restaurants, breweries & sporting events. Pat regularly enjoys playing tennis, so attending college tennis matches is a favorite way to spend a day. As parents of two children, son John & recently married daughter Sheila, their wine adventure began in 2018 when they acquired empty nester status. With food & wine at the forefront, their life journey is all about exploring new destinations & experiences with family & friends. Yet they quite regularly just enjoy an evening on the patio with a charcuterie board and a bottle of Italian red or two… Wine club members since 2021 - Riserva level.
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Family Days
Friday, October 31 - Halloween
Monday, November 10 - Veteran's Day (Observed)
Friday, November 28 - Holiday Cheer
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🍂 Fall Italian Baking Class
Sunday, November 2 | 1pm-3pm
7 spots left!
Join us for a cozy and delicious afternoon of seasonal Italian baking! Learn how to make two classic autumn desserts: Apple Crostata (Crostata di Mele)—a rustic, golden tart layered with sweet apples—and Calabrian Walnut Cake (Torta di Noci), a beautifully simple cake enhanced by the rich, earthy flavor of walnuts.
Chef Nguyet will provide fun step-by-step demonstrations and you will receive recipe cards to take home as well a tasting of the delicious desserts and of course, wine. Whether you’re an experienced baker or simply love Italian sweets, this class is the perfect way to embrace the flavors of fall.
Tickets include:
• Live baking demonstration
• Recipe cards to take home
• Two glasses of wine
📍 Event Details:
• Location: The Fattoria
Space is limited—reserve your spot early!
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Afternoon of Holiday Cheer
Friday, November 28 | 11am-5pm
The Holidays are in full swing, and we invite you to join us in celebrating the holidays! The entire family will enjoy holiday shopping and live tunes while you craft your own holiday decorations and enjoy complimentary cookies and apple cider. The children’s corner has fun coloring activities and an opportunity to write a letter to Santa so that those wish lists can make it to the North Pole in time for the holidays!
Local musician RG Absher will entertain you with holiday tunes on a wide variety of instruments including Hammered Dulcimer, Violin, acoustic guitar, classic guitar, and banjo! RG is a Wilkes County native and a regular at MerleFest. His music includes a rich folk tradition and haunting Celtic sounds from Ireland and Scotland.
To Admission is Free for Everyone so please consider clicking the button below to RSVP now. We look forward to seeing you for a day full of Holiday Cheer!
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December Events
Wine Club Member Appreciation Day
Saturday & Sunday, December 6 & 7 | 12pm-4pm
Saturday & Sunday, December 13 & 14 | 12pm-4pm
As the year comes to a close, we want to raise a glass to you, our valued Wine Club Members, for being such a huge part of making Raffaldini what it is. Your continued support, enthusiasm, and love for our wines inspire us every day, and we can’t imagine a year without celebrating that together.
Please join us for a special Wine Club Appreciation Event at Raffaldini Vineyards. Choose from one of four exclusive afternoons filled with good company, fine wine, and the spirit of the season.
Event Dates (1:00 PM–3:00 PM)
- Saturday, December 6 – (Sold Out)
- Sunday, December 7 – Click HERE to Reserve Your Spot
- Saturday, December 13 – Click HERE to Reserve Your Spot
- Sunday, December 14 – Click HERE to Reserve Your Spot
Our Gift to You
Enjoy a relaxing afternoon among friends as we share some great wines, delicious bites, fun raffle prizes, and stories from the past year.
This is our way of saying grazie mille for being part of our Raffaldini family.
Wine Club Exclusive
This event is exclusive to wine club members and their guests. Seating is limited, so reserve early to secure your preferred date. The event is free for you and a guest. Additional guests are $30 per person (Max 2 additional guests).
From our family to yours—thank you for another wonderful year of wine, laughter, and memories. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!
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Food Trucks
November
Saturday, November 1 - Dogs R Us
Saturday, November 8 - Southern Noodle
Saturday, November 15 – Cannoli Man
Saturday, November 22 - Dogs R Us
Friday, November 28 - Dogs R Us
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Beyond the Vines...Into the Community
Raffaldini Vineyards In-Kind Sponsor for Pretty In Pink Foundation’s Triple Crown Casino Night
Raffaldini Vineyards is proud to be an In-Kind Sponsor once again for Pretty In Pink Foundation’s Triple Crown Casino Night! This one-of-a-kind event will be back at Legacy Stables and Events on Friday, April 17th, 2026 at 5:30pm.
And this year, the 5th annual Triple Crown Casino Night kicks off with an exciting new addition—a sparkling champagne reception! Savor tasty hors d'oeuvres and delicious Raffaldini wines, enjoy entertainment, and mingle with fellow guests before the main event. The evening continues with a thrilling live auction, a gourmet dinner, and high-energy casino games. Fabulous prizes, exciting scratch-offs, and our signature diamond giveaway are all on the line! Plus, there are always some fun surprises!!! Join us for an incredible night and help make a difference for local NC breast cancer patients!
Pretty In Pink Foundation's mission is to provide uninsured and under-insured breast cancer patients in NC with financial assistance for quality, lifesaving medical treatment.
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🍇 Join La Famiglia Raffaldini Online! 🥂
We invite you to join the vibrant La Famiglia Raffaldini on social media! Connect with us online to receive daily updates on new releases, exclusive offers, and upcoming events. Share your Raffaldini moments with us by tagging your posts with #Raffaldini.
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Raffaldini Wines Now Available Across NC
We understand that you can’t visit Villa Raffaldini every day, so we have partnered with a wholesale distribution firm that connected us with owners of boutique wine shops and restaurants all over North Carolina that will share our story as well as our wines with you. Click here to find restaurants and wine shops carrying Raffaldini wines near you:
Don’t see your favorite wine shop listed? Please email me directly and I will work with our wholesale partner to get our wine in a store near you.
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Planning a Visit?
We encourage you to read our visitor experience guide. Your cooperation will help us provide the best possible experience for all our patrons.
We have partnered with Tock to provide a reservation system for tastings and flights at the Villa and on the Piazza. Our continued goal is to provide the best experience for you, our valued customers and friends. While walk-ins are welcome and a reservation is not required, we believe that making a reservation will enhance your visit.
As a general reminder to all our guests, to provide a safe, relaxing, and intimate experience for our guests, all visitors must be at least 21 years of age. Infants and children are no longer permitted at the Tasting Room, except on holidays and specially designated family days when we can appropriately staff and have child-friendly activities available. Please see our calendar for a full list of Family days.
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