A native of Salerno, Raffaele represents the fourth generation at his family’s estate, which is much larger than Joaquin. Rather than taking on his family’s three wineries—and an annual multi-million bottle production—he founded Joaquin in the early 2000s to pursue his passion of organic viticulture and site-specific vinification. His first vintage of Joaquin was released in 2006, since its early days, the wines have garnered a cult following amongst Italian wine lovers and international collectors alike.

Joaquin’s flagship wines include the revered Vino della Stella, a varietal Fiano sourced from a plot of old vines surrounded by fruit trees and local herbs. The estate’s Piante a Lapio is an equally special expression of Fiano, crafted from century-old vines and aged for 60 days under a layer of flor prior to resting in a variety of oak casks. For reds, the robust Aglianico variety is the star of the show. Joaquin’s vines boast an impressive 200 years in age, which lead to small amounts of concentrated, flavor-packed fruit that promise to captivate fans of rustic Italian cuvées, as well as those with an affinity for full-bodied reds from other benchmark regions.

Additionally, Joaquin also produces a small amount of wine on the breathtaking island of Capri. Here, the estate focuses on restoring small vineyard plots and recovering indigenous varieties, including Greco, Biancolella, and Ciunchesa. Joaquin wines are known for their soulful personalities, impressive texture, and unparalleled ability to speak of the unique places from which they come.

Spearheaded by the talented Raffaele Pagano, Joaquin winery is one of the leading—if not the leading—pioneers of great wines from Campania. The estate is located in Montefalcione, which is home to the region’s two prized DOCG appellations, Fiano di Avellino and Aglianico Taurasi. Here, Raffaele works to showcase the hidden gem terroirs and ancient, pre-phylloxera vines found in southwestern Italy, which ultimately provide the backbone to his structured, thought-provoking wines.