Politics and N.C. Wine
CORRECTION: Raffaldini Vineyards now says that its Vermentino was not given to President Giorgio Napolitano of Italy during President Obama’s recent trip to Europe. Supposedly, the president does plan to give a bottle of the wine as a gifft at a later date.
N.C. Wine has made its way to Italy, thanks to President Barack Obama.
According to a press release from Raffaldini Vineyards in Ronda, Obama gave President Giorgio Napolitano of Italy a bottle of Raffaldini’s Vermentino at a meeting in Rome this morning.
Vermentino is not a well-known grape in the States, but it is in Italy, where it produces light and refreshing wines that are perfect for seafood.
The folks at Raffaldini do know vermentino quite well, though. In fact, almost the entire vineyard is planted with Italian grapes, a grand experiment for the young N.C. wine industry.
I have not tasted the latest vintage of Raffaldin’s vermentino, but if it’s anything like previous vintages, it should get at least grudging respect from Italy’s president.
Apparently, the gift included other U.S. wines, but no word on what they were.
Here’s hoping that N.C. wine does its part in furthering international relations.
