i. Biography
The Path
Since 2003, the work at Càstelle has joined ownership, field practice, and cellar responsibility in one operating line. As co-founder, wine entrepreneur, and winemaker-agronomist, Raffaele Assini sits across those decisions from vineyard to bottle, where the final wine is shaped before harvest as much as during vinification. At Càstelle, Assini’s work is tied to that continuity: reading the vineyard, following the fruit, and carrying the material through fermentation and bottling without treating any stage as separate from the others. Wine entrepreneurship, in this setting, is not only commercial direction. Since 2003, Assini has helped give Càstelle a defined course from Castelvenere, Benevento, Italy, with attention to place, native character, and a controlled house expression.
The Work Today
The current work remains grounded in the connection between agronomy and winemaking. Vineyard decisions set the frame for the fruit; cellar decisions then determine how that fruit becomes structure, aroma, texture, and balance in bottle. In Raffaele Assini’s work at Càstelle, the craft is the transfer of vineyard material into wine while keeping origin legible and the finished bottle composed.
Signature
Raffaele's signature wines include Ca'stelle - Cassyopea 2020, Alkeys Barbera Sannio DOP 2021 - Castelle, Falanghina del Sannio DOP 2024 - Castelle, and PASSITO DI FALANGHINA ML.375 '2012 ASTUCCIATO CASTELLE. These wines mark the range of the Càstelle work under Assini: different bottlings held to the same basic standard of vineyard origin, cellar discipline, and clear expression.
Acclaim
Recognition came in 2022, when Ca'stelle - Cassyopea 2020 won a Gold Medal at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. The wine is a Falanghina del Sannio DOP made from 100% Falanghina, and it was noted for expressiveness, overall quality, and balance. That result places a specific bottle from Castelvenere in an international competition context. It also confirms the practical line in Raffaele Assini’s work at Càstelle since 2003: agronomy and winemaking handled as one craft, from native grape to finished wine.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Raffaele
What is Raffaele Assini's current role?
As of 2026, Raffaele Assini is Winemaker-agronomist at Ca'Stelle.
What is Raffaele Assini known for?
Raffaele Assini is associated with wines primarily derived from indigenous Falanghina and Aglianico grapes from Sannio.
What recognition has Raffaele Assini received?
Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, Gold Medal for Ca'stelle - Cassyopea 2020 (2022).
