{"id":988571,"date":"2023-03-24T11:36:17","date_gmt":"2023-03-24T10:36:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.levignediraito.com\/?p=988571"},"modified":"2023-03-28T17:14:54","modified_gmt":"2023-03-28T15:14:54","slug":"from-boston-to-raito","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.levignediraito.com\/it\/from-boston-to-raito\/","title":{"rendered":"From Boston to Raito"},"content":{"rendered":"
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On a cold winter day in 2011 while reading Luciano Pignataro\u2019s wine blog (http:\/\/www.lucianopignataro.it<\/a>)\u00a0(a must read for people interested in\u00a0 wines from Southern Italy) I came across an article on Le Vigne Di Raito. The winery bottled its first vintage in 2007. In the article the owner of the winery, Patrizia Malanga, commented on the challenges\u00a0that a small winery with an annual production of\u00a0less than 6,000 bottles has participating in the international market. This piqued my interest. I made arrangements with my wine consultant and transportation coordinator, Gaetano Petrillo of The Wine Bus (http:\/\/www.thewinebus.it<\/a>) \u00a0to visit Le Vigne Di Raito on our next trip to Italy.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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On an autumn day in \u00a02012 Gaetano left my wife and me at the base of the beautiful terraced vineyard to meet Patrizia. As Gaetano parked his vehicle, we engaged in conversation with Patrizia and soon discovered that she was born in the City of Potenza, a city about 25-30 miles north of my family\u2019s ancestral home village of Corleto Perticara.\u00a0We concluded that we\u00a0must be\u00a0\u201cdistant\u201d cousins.<\/p>

Le Vigne Di Raito, a certified organic winery, \u00a0is located in Raito, a frazione of Vietri sul Mare. Patrizia\u00a0purchased and planted\u00a0 the vineyard about fifteen years ago.\u00a0 At the outset she worked the vineyard with the workers so that she could appreciate fully the tiresome work, made more so\u00a0due to the terraced land.<\/p>

Because of the elevation and proximity to the Gulf of Salerno, Patrizia has\u00a0to guard against erosion caused by strong winds and rain. For example, she does not turn over or loosen the soil with machines due to potential adverse effects that\u00a0 wind and rain would have on loose soil. On our most recent trip\u00a0Patrizia \u00a0shared with us one of her organic methods \u00a0for detecting and stemming the spread of disease. She uses rose plants as a \u201cguard\u201d for her vines. If\u00a0 a rose plant becomes\u00a0diseased, then it is likely that the grapes near the rose plant will also become diseased. The diseased grapes and leaves are pruned.<\/p>

After each of our visits we\u00a0have \u00a0relaxed at Patrizia\u2019s outdoor patio and enjoyed a breathtaking view of the Gulf of Salerno while tasting her wines.\u00a0Le Vigne Di\u00a0Raito features two wines: one\u00a0is a rosato (rose) which is made from a blend of 80%-20% piedirosso and aglianico grapes, respectively; and the second is the flagship wine, Ragis, which is\u00a0a blend of 80%-20% aglianico and piedirosso grapes, respectively. This wine blends the intensity and dryness of the aglianico grape with the softer and less tannic piedirosso grape. Ragis is one of our favorites.<\/p>

Le Vigne Di Raito is a family affair.\u00a0 Patrizia\u2019s daughters Valentina\u00a0and Alexa assist with the harvest. Vallentina is studying to be\u00a0a sommelier and Alexa is a pharmacist in Salerno. Patrizia\u2019s husband, Stelio, is an oral surgeon with offices in Potenza and Salerno. His busy schedule does not allow for much time in the vineyard, but he is a presence at the dinners prepared by Patrizia for their friends and family.<\/p>

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\n\t\t\t\tSince we are \u201cfamily\u201d, Patrizia has prepared  meals for us that consist of traditional food from Potenza: sheep prosciutto, onion pizza, peppers stuffed with olives, tuna and capers, wedding soup (meat broth, scamorza cheese, escarole and boiled egg), squash stuffed with meat and cavatelli served with red pepper. <\/span>\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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When I was young\u00a0my grandmother and Aunt Mary would make cavatelli, but we called the pasta dish \u201cfingers\u201d because of\u00a0the way\u00a0cavatelli pasta is made, rolling\u00a0and pushing\u00a0each piece with one\u2019s fingers.\u00a0For dessert Patrizia has prepared\u00a0a caprese chocolate cake. (See next blog article for the recipe.) We are\u00a0fortunate to be part of Patrizia\u2019s \u201cfamily\u201d.

Source:<\/em> http:\/\/southernitalywine.com\/le-vigne-di-raito-2\/<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Recent Posts<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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