- Ruché
Ruché is a
wine grape fromItaly ’sPiedmont region. It is largely used in making Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato, a small production red varietalwine which was granted DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata ) status by presidential decree onOctober 22 ,1987 .Origins
There is some debate about the origins of the Ruché grape. One leading theory is that the varietal is truly indigenous to the hills northeast of the town of
Asti . Another theory is that the grape is a local variation on a French import. It has been grown in the area for at least one hundred years but has only recently been marketed and consumed outside of the immediate vicinity of its production. Ruché has now been "discovered" and production is increasing accordingly.Locations
The current DOC, or
EU recognized area of production for the wine, covers only about 40hectare s (100acre s) of vines around the villages ofCastagnole Monferrato ,Refrancore , Grana, Montemagno,Viarigi ,Scurzolengo andPortacomaro . [ [http://www.regione.piemonte.it/agri/ita/piemontedoc/vino/vini/cartine/ruche.htm regione.piemonte.it :: Map of production zone] ] Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato is, therefore, one of the lowest production varietal wines in Italy.The grape is also grown to some extent in the neighbouring
province of Alessandria .Character
Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato is a very distinctive, medium bodied wine with clear notes of pepper and wild berries. The wine is quite floral on the nose. Its body is characterized by a pleasant acidity and soft
tannins . It pairs well with slow-cooked beef and formidable northern Italian cheeses and mushrooms likegorgonzola andporcini , respectively.Notes
External links
* [http://www.italianmade.com/wines/DOC10259.cfm ItalianMade.com]
* [http://www.jgwines.com/Factsheets/santagataRuche04.html J.G. Wines Website]
* [http://www.regione.piemonte.it/agri/ita/piemontedoc/vino/vitigni/ruche.htm Ruchè] it A page on the grape from the Regione Piemonte Website
* [http://www.regione.piemonte.it/agri/ita/piemontedoc/vino/vini/ruche.htm Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato] A page on the wine from the Regione Piemonte Website
* [http://www.piemonte-emozioni.it/enogastronomia/eng/vini/ruche.shtml Piemonte Emozioni Website]
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