Ronda, N.C. — A North Carolina wine was part of a gift President Barack Obama presented to Italian President Giorgio Napolitano before he attended the G-8 summit.
Obama gave Napolitano a variety of American wines packaged in a custom-made box crafted from the wood of former Oval Office flooring, and a bottle of 2008 Raffaldini Vineyards Vermentino was among the wines in the package.
Raffaldini is a family-owned vineyard in Wilkes County that produces a variety of wines. It was among the first U.S. vineyards to plant Vermentino vines, which are cultivated in coastal districts of Italy and on the island of Sardinia.
“Raffaldini Vineyards is honored to have been selected to represent the U.S. and is proud that our preservation and promotion of our Italian heritage and culture have been recognized,” Barbara Raffaldini, co-owner and general counsel, said in a statement.
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