Sixty years of Ruchè
A modern and extraordinary story, which begins with a parish priest, Don Giacomo Cauda, the architect of the rediscovery, in the early 1960s, of Ruchè, a small winemaking gem that knows no crisis.
A figure halfway between Dom Pérignon, who legend has it was the creator of Champagne, and Don Camillo, due to his eccentric character, Don Cauda gave new hope to a small territory in Monferrato that was at risk of being abandoned.
This is the story celebrated today by the Vigna del Parroco Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG wine, produced from the only Cru in the appellation, recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture, covering just over 1 hectare. Celebrating this milestone is Luca Ferraris, who inherited it almost as a gift in 2016 with the promise to continue cultivating and promoting this vineyard.
"If it weren't for Don Giacomo Cauda, Ruchè wouldn't exist today," says Luca Ferraris, owner of the eponymous winery. "This wine is enjoying growing success and is unfazed by the crisis, despite the current period of reflection for the wine industry. Today, just over 1,000,000 bottles are produced, and they're sold worldwide at an ever-increasing price. This is also thanks to the introduction of the Riserva style, which we producers strongly supported."
Today, Vigna del Parroco is a complex wine, its bottle reproducing the original shape of the wine produced by Don Cauda. To celebrate its sixtieth anniversary, this year it will be sold in a special box containing a vertical tasting of four vintages: 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020.
Don Giacomo Cauda was an experimental priest. When he arrived in Castagnole Monferrato, he found the parish "dowry" of a few rows of a vine that was then rugged, but which, over time, he transformed into an extraordinary product, unmistakable for its spicy and floral notes. The beginnings were not easy, so much so that, when he purchased the parishioner's vineyard, he made the parishioners promise that, if necessary, they would purchase ten harvests of the grapes to avoid bankrupting the church. Working hard, even riding his tractor on Good Friday, and dedicating every free moment to tending the vineyard, thanks to this wine he managed to build services for the local community, reviving the town. This commitment led him all the way to Rome, to the Ministry, to apply for DOC certification, which was upgraded to DOCG in 2010 thanks to the Mayor of Castagnole Monferrato, Lidia Bianco.
Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato is a small DOCG that extends across seven municipalities in the Asti area—Castagnole Monferrato, Grana, Montemagno, Portacomaro, Refrancore, Scurzolengo, and Viarigi—and is included among the denominations managed by the Barbera d'Asti e Vini del Monferrato Consortium. This is a special designation because Ruchè is one of the rare grape varieties that can be produced and labeled only in the DOCG-authorized area.
