The first thing that strikes you about Raffaella is her peaceful, almost shy personality. But when visiting her at Colecchio, one quickly realizes that she is not actually shy, rather she is completely consumed by her devotion to her land and vines and her determination to make great Sangiovese di Romagna.

Her six hectares of vines, mostly Sangiovese with a little of the white Albana, are farmed manually and organically. The vineyards are at about 150 metres, planted on sandy-clayey soil.

Sangiovese is made without oak, brimming with fresh red cherry and floral fruit and a juicy mouthfeel.

Albana has the distinction of being the first white grape awarded DOCG status in 1987. Despite this, it is better known for its versatility rather than quality (a common viticultural theme here in Romagna). Raffaella forgoes the more common dry version and, instead, makes a passito Albana from late-harvested fruit. The grapes are left to dry on the vine and, usually, about half of the 1.5 hectare vineyard is affected by botrytis. The wine spends 12-14 months in used barrique and makes a great partner to pecorino served with jam and honey (very Italian).