Cristina Zoppi and her husband Ezio fell in love working at a Fiat car factory in Piemonte, eventually moving into the family farmhouse in the Monferrato hills. During her maternity leave in 2004, she embraced the life of the vignaiola and began organic farming (now certified), with a keen interest in the kinky, off-beat red grapes of the region: grippy, dried-herb-scented Grignolino and floral-spicy Ruchè. In 2017, Cristina couldn’t bear to sell the grapes off anymore and brought on famed Alto Piemonte enologist Cristiano Garella. He helped Cristina realize the potential of the silt, limestone, and clay soils to give a Ruchè with aromatic complexity and more gracefulness on the palate.
Cristina’s Ruchè is from 10 to 20 year-old vines. 10 to 15 days of maceration, without temperature control. 6-8 months of élevage in stainless steel and concrete tanks. 13% alcohol and only 30 mg/L of added SO2. The wine has Ruchè's classic floral aromas, with deft darker fruits on the palate.
