Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG

Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato DOC is a red wine only denomination from seven communes in the northern part of the areas of Monferrato and Asti province in Piemonte, Italy. The wine is made from the Ruchè or Rouchet grape. The commune of Castagnole is 50km (31 miles) east of Turin. This area was somewhat forgotten in the 1960s and 1970s as people drifted to the factories (Fiat) in Torino. ‘Farming was not seen as a safe income, at that time’ Luca de Ferraris told me in the region in July 2017 (he was born in Turin, but later returned to the land). In the 1980s however the wines was re-discovered by Luigi Veronelli. This followed the efforts of the local parish priest, Don Giacomo Cauda who was from Castagnole. He found Barbera, Grignolino and Ruchè in the vineyards here in 1974. In 1987 the DOC was granted for Secco or Amabile wines. In 2001 production reached 150,000-200,000 bottles. In 2010 the DOCG was granted (under which the amabile style was no longer allowed). In 2016 1 million bottles of Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato were made. In 2017 the main markets for Ruchè were the USA followed by China and Japan.

Wine production: 2011 5,540hl. | 2012 5,534hl. | 2013 6,403hl. | 2014 6,082hl. | 2015 6,205hl. | 2016 5,929hl.

Wineries

No certification: Amelio Livio (Grana).