Because of severe droughts around Agliano Terme in Piedmont, the 2023 vintage was an exceptionally difficult one for young micro-winery Vini Ragerra.
Winemaker Keith O'Gorman—whose family live in Ballyphehane, Cork—and his wife Laura lost sixty per cent of their production, with some grape clusters withering on the vine, and careful selection of what remained yielding just five hundred bottles of this 2023 Vino Rosso.
It's a unique, intensely coloured red, with layers of floral and herbal character from a field blend of grape varieties, and the 'crunchy', dense fruit texture that comes in part from Keith's use of whole-cluster fermentation before aging his wine in old barriques—though future vintages may go into other vessels.
The couple manage their three and three-quarters of an acre by hand, without the use of heavy machinery or conventional equipment. The vines flourish in a living vineyard where the earth is not disturbed; cover crops, herbs and flowers grow between the rows; and the pursuit of regenerative agriculture and 'promiscuous viticulture' creates a natural, biologically diverse balance, unencumbered by regulation.
Only copper and sulphur treatments are used in the vineyard, and the winery's 100% organic approach is recognized as such in Italian law. The winery is still too young to enrol for the bureaucratic gymnastics required for organic certification—and for now, in any case, the hard work of restoring soil, rebuilding ecosystems and enhancing diversity of life in the vines takes precedence.
A spirit of experimentation and continuous learning in the tranquil surroundings of the Nizza DOCG informs the winery's stand against 'monocultures and static vineyardscapes'.
Supplier's website | Vini Ragerra |
---|---|
Wine colour | Red wine |
Country | Italy |
Vintage | 2023 |
Grape variety | Barbera, Grignolino, Nerello Mascalese, and other old vines of unknown origin |
Alcohol | 13.5% |
Bottle size | 750 ml |
Organic status | Yes, organic—not yet eligible for certification |
Please note that we do not deliver to the UK or overseas
Orders of €150+: free delivery in Ireland and Northern Ireland
All other orders: €15 flat rate delivery in Ireland and Northern Ireland
Orders are usually dispatched in the first two working days after receipt.
We cannot guarantee delivery on a given day. If the delivery date is important, please let us know, and we'll put one of our 'Not to Be Opened Before' stickers on the box and aim for delivery a day or two early.
Your orders are delivered by courier to ensure fast and reliable delivery of each carefully packaged consignment. Because nobody likes breakages, we use very strong and secure packaging specially designed to protect wine bottles.
![Recycled cardboard packaging for wine bottles](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0463/2438/3912/files/pulpsafe-12-crop_480x480.jpg?v=1676909130)
Personalised champagne orders are dispatched to anticipate your requested deadline (see above), or otherwise as soon as possible. Please allow at least one extra working day for these orders to be prepared.
Eircodes please
The ideal delivery address has someone available to sign for parcels during office hours, so a work address may be a better choice than a home address. An Eircode eliminates any doubt about the delivery location, and you can find or check Eircodes here.
Phone numbers please
Our couriers do their best to deliver and often have amazing local knowledge, but in the event of difficulties a reliable telephone number for the recipient makes all the difference and is a required piece of information. A mobile number is usually best.
Track your order
When we dispatch your order, we send on a tracking code so that you can follow your order in transit on the courier's website.
Delivery outside Ireland
If you need delivery to Northern Ireland, our €15 standard rate applies, with orders of €150 and more travelling free—for the time being.
We do not generally send wine overseas because of the complicated bureaucratic requirements and very high cost. If you would nonetheless like more information about deliveries outside the island of Ireland, please ask.
Returns
Faulty bottles
Wine is a natural product: its variety is what makes it so interesting!
Sometimes, though, a faulty bottle turns up. It's rare, but it does happen.
We want you to enjoy the wines you buy from us, and we'd like you to enjoy doing business with us too.
If you are unlucky enough to receive a bad bottle, please let us know immediately by calling the office on 021 431 6000 and we'll arrange a replacement or issue a credit in compensation.
Broken or Damaged Deliveries
Despite our best efforts to wrap and pack securely, damage in transit occurs from time to time.
If there's a breakage, our couriers will normally return the whole fragrant mess to us straight away.
If, however, the damage isn't apparent until you open the box, we'd still prefer to have the whole parcel collected. We'll send you a replacement as soon as possible.