Insider Piedmont Red

• 100% organic Ruchè From the Monferrato hills in Piedmont
• Dark fruit, lower acidity, good tannin
• Very rare in the United States.

My introduction to Ruchè came at an Italian trade convention at the old Waldorf Astoria, NYC. Thousands of wines, hundreds of importers, dozens of breakout sessions on all things Italy. Tough work, but we’re committed! Afterwards, I made a pilgrimage to Daniel Humm’s Michelin one-star, NoMad, for the only roast chicken better than L’Hôtel de Beaune in Burgundy. The wine steward, knowing I loved Italian vino, came by asking if I wanted to try the bottle of Ruchè she had just opened! Only in NYC, right?

Nope— you can do that right here in SGF! Ruchè is an indigenous black varietal from the Monferrato hills in NW Italy. This classic bottling from La Miraja captures the violet-lychee aromatic and the dark cherry and pomegranate fruit for which the varietal is known. Even in Piedmont, Ruchè is only regionally available. When you drive into Castagnole, you’ll see a sign, “If someone hands you a glass of Ruchè in Castagnole Monferrato, it means they like you.”