Discover the Casa Raia brand: here’s our interview.

Casa Raia is an organic Tuscan farm located on a promontory adjacent to the famous medieval town of Montalcino. It was founded in 2006, thanks to the winemakers Pierre Jean Monnoyer and his wife Kalyna who restored the vineyards with an unparalleled respect for the land.
They started with just one hectare of Sangiovese Grosso, an old vineyard planted in 1975 owned by his mother-in-law: “La Vigna Scarnacuoia.” From the very beginning, Casa Raia has focused all its efforts on producing natural wines as an expression of their deep commitment to quality.

Casa Raia spans 4.5 hectares of vineyards. The oldest vineyards date back 44 years, including the sole hectare from which they produce Brunello. The winery's goal is to maintain biodiversity and the natural balance of the ecosystem; for this reason, in autumn, the soil is worked in a minimally invasive manner and sown with various organic plants and flowers that provide natural nourishment for the land. Since 2009 the estate has obtained organic certification.

We admire these realities, these producers of unique, certified, and award-winning delicacies: they are true treasures embedded in our Peninsula between seas and mountains and in the most remote streets of villages and countryside. We do not just focus on living through their products, but we want to discover more closely the protagonists of this brand. That's why we sent some questions to those who manage communication with us.

Stay with us to get to know Casa Raia: read the answers!
 

• Who are we talking to?
  I am Pierre Jean Monnoyer, French/Corsican owner/winemaker of the Casa Raia farm in Montalcino.
   
• Is the company family-run? In what year was it founded, and how did it develop in the early years?
  Yes, it is family-run. I started the company in 2006 with my wife, and we have three beautiful children in Tuscany. We began with a single hectare of Brunello planted in '75, then I bought another two hectares in Castiglione d'Orcia five years ago, where the grapes for Bevilo come from. I built the winery in 2009. I worked in other organic farms of friends, who hosted me to make my wine, and I helped them in return. My winemaker friend Antonio Mori (from Frescobaldi) has also always helped me in this adventure. Since 2010 I have started fermenting in my winery and developed my style.
   
• What is the true reason or triggering fact behind the establishment of this company, and when did it occur?
  In 2006, the Pertimali company that rented my mother-in-law's vineyard completed its lease (since 1997). I was working on the 2004-05 harvest with friends' companies, and Lionel, a friend from the Cupano company, where I was working, encouraged me to make wine with this hectare of Brunello, and he was convinced that my terroir could create extraordinary wines. 
   
• What is your relationship with the land of origin and its uniqueness? And why do you want to tell its story through your products?
  I make wines with respect for biodiversity and the life of the terroir. Without chemicals. Only sulfur and copper in the vineyard and minimal So2 after malolactic fermentation. I have been a part of vinnatur.org since 2009 and now of Montalcino BIO. For me, agriculture for food should always be without chemical substances. It was natural for me to choose to make organic wine. I worked from 2010 to 2017 with the help of family and the woof.it association. Since 2017 we have one worker/collaborator. 
   
• What was the first product you created?
  Bevilo IGT while waiting for the Brunello 2006 (released in 2008)
   
• What is the product that you consider your “flagship” today?
  Brunello di Montalcino
   
• And which product has most carried the beating heart, philosophy, and soul of the company throughout its history?
  Brunello 2007, which is the first one I created directly from pruning to sale.
   
• Talking about today: how much has the company grown since its inception? Can we have some numbers?
  Today the company owns three hectares.
   
• Right now: more tradition or more innovation?
  They are not opposites: tradition is innovation over time. And for us, it will always be so.
   
• What has been the most important evolution of the company to arrive at what it is today?
  Hiring an employee in 2017... I just couldn't manage everything anymore!
   
• Speaking of the future: what tomorrow awaits the company? Is there any change or new evolutionary process planned?
  I aspire to build a larger winery in a few years. Currently, the one we have is cramped.
   
• Do you plan to create new products?
  Certainly in the coming years.
   
• Having focused on Spaghetti & Mandolino, how important is online sales for you, what has your relationship been in the past with this sales channel, and how do you see it in the future?
  I had a website created for online sales in 2020, but my customers mainly use email. They like to communicate.
   
• Value: what has it been, what is it today, and what will it be in the future for your company?
  Respect for nature without a doubt. Plus, greater dedication and passion: I created the Casa Raia farm for this reason, and I intend to continue as long as my legs allow me, and I also hope that one of my children can carry on its story.

S&M