Matteo and Carolina Carozzo left their farm in the Monferrato hills, to take work in a Delaware gunpowder factory.
After several years, in 1928 they were able to pool their life-savings to purchase an abandoned field near the
town of Avondale. The small field occupies a knoll between a concrete factory and two manure composting
plants. The ground is littered with old horseshoes, musket balls, and veins of the black ‘mushroom soils’
that are infamous to the area. The first vines of the home vineyard were planted here in 1999.

Pop Pop Jim ran over 100 miles of wire to erect a trellis for the vines. The initial planting
coincided with the longest drought in the region’s history, which ended suddenly when 10 inches of rain fell
in one evening. The next morning, a deep sink hole had opened-up in the field. At the bottom of the crevice,
a large crucifix was discovered. The crucifix was mounted atop a fence post overlooking the young vines,
and he became known as “Vineyard Jesus”.

This hill is visited by hurricanes, hail and disease, cold snaps, deer, insects, and legions of birds.
New members of our family have been born here, and others have left us. Great Grandmother Anna
is approaching 100; she admonishes us to rack the wines on the new moon. Our daughter is now
the fifth generation of Matteo and Carolina to live and work in this field.
There are less than seven acres of land. It is a place pregnant with memories, and full of ghosts.






Va La Wines






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Va La Family Farmed Wines  |  8820 Gap Newport Pike (Rt. 41)  |  Avondale, PA  |  19311  |  610-268-2702