BEST ZINFANDEL
A RAFANELLI WINERY
“We know those vineyards. A lot of them are 100-year-old vines and they themselves tell a story.” —Shelly Rafanelli, head winemaker
By Janet Perry
A . Rafanelli Winery has withstood the test of time, creating distinctive handcrafted wines for generations, tending the land with a gentle hand and with a close eye to the vines. Its zinfandel has earned a top award in the NorthBay biz Best of the North Bay 2024 awards. We spoke with Shelly Rafanelli who says, “This award is a huge compliment because you’re being voted on by the people who are actually drinking and enjoying your wine.” Rafanelli says she feels fortunate to be a fourth- generation winemaker. Her great-grandmother came over from Italy with the knowledge of winemaking and growing grapes. “We still follow an old-world style of winemaking,” she says. “We put a lot of our focus in our vineyards and toward the fruit because we feel that’s actually where the wine is made—out in the vineyard.” That emphasis on the vineyard has helped A. Rafanelli create award-winning wines year after year. Rafanelli says that the decisions made throughout the growing season play a very important role in the quality of the wines. “If I make the right decisions of timing and harvesting and
The Rafanelli family believe in being stewards of the land and sustainably farm because they want to preserve what they have.
part of its legacy. “Four generations have been born and raised here,” Rafanelli says. “We’re raising the fifth generation here now. It’s a wonderful place to grow up, a beautiful place to live.” Rafanelli says they sustainably
following that all the way through to the bottle, I’m going to be able to put out a great product that people enjoy,” says Rafanelli. The Rafanelli family has always been a steward of the land, using practices that help sustain the beautiful land that is a
Shelly Rafanelli
farm because they are looking toward the next generation. “We really want to preserve what we have and do,” she says. “We want to continue growing these grapes, and doing what we love and making wine. And obviously, you need the terroir, you need the land.” The family knows the vineyards, Rafanelli says. “A lot of them are 100-year-old vines and they themselves tell a story. When you’re sourcing the same fruit, Mother Nature puts her spin on it,” she says. “Every growing season is different, so it makes every vintage different, but it lends itself to a consistency of fruit sourcing and winemaking style.” That’s an important thing, she says: “The legacy of our love of winemaking and bringing to the table a great bottle of wine.” v
Fourth generation winemaker Shelly Rafanelli is following the old-world style of her great-grandmother.
arafanelliwinery.com
Best of the North Bay 2024
Northbaybiz 41
Made with FlippingBook - PDF hosting