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Obama gives N.C. wine as gift

President Barack Obama presented Italian President Giorgio Napolitano this morning with a gift from North Carolina.

Obama, meeting with Napolitano prior to the G-8 Summit, presented the Italian president with a variety of American wines. Included in the package was a 2008 Raffaldini Vineyards Vermentino.

Raffaldini Vineyards is in Ronda, between Winston-Salem and Wilkesboro, and the vinyard's owners were thrilled to have their wine included in the gift.

“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,” co-owner Barbara Raffaldini said in a release.

A release from the vineyard notes that the Vermentino grape is "most famously cultivated in Sardinia," and that Raffaldini Vineyards was among the first to plant the grape in the U.S.

The vineyard says the 2008 vintage "is characterized by its lively green apple and lime flavors and refreshing acidity."

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Re: Obama gives N.C. wine as gift

Submitted by ThoughtCrimes on July 10, 2009 - 2:39am.

"win as gift" too funny.

Lazy? Poor typing skills? A hob at the news and pbloboisu awaits you! Can you spin poloitical malpheaseaseance as positive pres? Yor ar mahn!

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Re: Obama gives N.C. wine as gift

Submitted by townie4282 on July 9, 2009 - 9:36pm.

no lets criticize the wine on its own merits...

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Re: Obama gives N.C. wine as gift

Submitted by JustWondering on July 9, 2009 - 8:29pm.

Some people in San Diego liked Raffaldini's wines.

Let's give credit where credit is due and not criticize the wine just because some of us have a petty political axe to grind.

The gift was very appropriate, showing a cultural connection between the United States and Italy --- wine made in North Carolina by an Italian-American family, using an Italian varietal grape, and presented in a wood case made from old flooring from the Oval Office.

http://www.sdiwc.com/sdiwc2006_resP-R.html
http://www.sdiwc.com/sdiwc2007_P-R.html

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Re: Obama gives N.C. wine as gift

Submitted by townie4282 on July 9, 2009 - 8:12pm.

Lets face it, right now NC wine is critically an up and coming interest, but not considered good by any means. Thats not to say the NC can not produce outstanding wine. But it is going to take another 5-20 years of work to get there... especially considering the values available from outside NC.

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Re: Obama gives N.C. wine as gift

Submitted by ThoughtCrimes on July 9, 2009 - 7:38pm.

Obama's new stimulator. hillarious

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20090709/i/r3356552547.jpg?x=400&y=340&q=85&sig=_dbUibuGcHSmlg8QoaQV7A--

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Re: Obama gives N.C. wine as gift

Submitted by cdtew on July 9, 2009 - 3:40pm.

Well, given that the only wines that really characterize NC would be Scuppernong wines or Muscadine wines, and I'm certain an Italian as high-falutin' as Berlusconi would turn his nose up at our sweet native creations.

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Re: Obama gives N.C. wine as gift

Submitted by BitterEXdemocrat on July 9, 2009 - 3:34pm.

it will be laughed out of Italy...besides they should be embarrassed to have their wine presented by a tyrannical dictator.

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Re: Obama gives N.C. wine as gift

Submitted by mayberry_lady1 on July 9, 2009 - 3:25pm.

why wasn't the wine chosen one that characterizes NC? Do you think an Italian is going to think an Italian transplanted wine is going to be better than the Italian original? I thought gifts were suppose to represent the country you represent.....Obama is representing the US, isn't he?...oh, never mind.

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