In 1964 Don Giacomo Cauda redesigned the modern history of Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato by planting “La Vigna del Parroco”, today the only Cru of the denomination enhanced thanks to Luca Ferraris
A modern and extraordinary story that begins with a parish priest, Don Giacomo Cauda, the mastermind behind the rediscovery, in the early 1960s, of Ruchè, a small oenological gem that knows no crisis.
A figure somewhere between Dom Pérignon, who legend has it was the man behind the birth of Champagne, and Don Camillo, because of his eccentric personality, Don Cauda gave new hope to a small area of Monferrato that was in danger of being abandoned.
This is the story that Vigna del Parroco Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG – a wine from the appellation’s only Cru, recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture, spreading over just over 1 hectare – is celebrating today. Celebrating this milestone is Luca Ferraris, who inherited it almost “as a dowry” in 2016 with a promise to carry on and continue to enhance this vineyard.
<< If it were not for Don Giacomo Cauda, Ruchè would not exist today. – Says Luca Ferraris, owner of the winery of the same name – This wine has a growing success and knows no crisis, despite the moment of reflection for the wine sector. Today a little more than 1,000,000 bottles are produced and sold all over the world at an ever-increasing price. Merit also goes to the introduction of the Riserva type, which as producers we strongly wanted>>.
Today, Vigna del Parroco is a complex wine whose bottle reproduces the original shape of Don Cauda’s one. To celebrate the 60th anniversary, this year, it will be sold in a special box containing a vertical of 4 vintages: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020.
Don Giacomo Cauda was an experimentalist priest. Upon arriving in Castagnole Monferrato, he found as a “dowry” to the parish a few rows of a vine that was rough at the time 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, upon purchasing the Vigna del Parroco, he made parishioners promise that, if necessary, they would have bought ten vintages of the grapes so as not to bankrupt the church. Working hard, even getting on the tractor on Good Friday, and devoting every spare moment to the care of the vineyard, he was able to build services for the local community with this wine, making the village flourish again. A commitment that led him to go all the way to Rome, to the Ministry, to apply for the DOC, which evolved into DOCG in 2010 thanks to the Mayor of Castagnole Monferrato Lidia Bianco.
Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato is a small DOCG that covers seven municipalities in the Asti area-Castagnole Monferrato, Grana, Montemagno, Portacomaro, Refrancore, Scurzolengo and Viarigi-included in the roster of appellations managed by the Consorzio Barbera d’Asti e Vini del Monferrato. A special denomination because Ruchè is one of the rare grape varieties that can only be produced and listed on the label in the territory authorized by the DOCG.
