# Vino Rosso "Ruschena" (2021)

- **Producer:** Cascina 'Tavijn
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Ruché
- **Region:** Piemonte, Italy
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Average price:** €25
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** No
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 14–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** rose, violet, cherry, plum, black pepper, liquorice, herbaceous, forest floor, mushroom, game

## About this wine

Cascina 'Tavijn is a small, family-run estate in Scurzolengo, in the Monferrato hills of Piedmont, run by the dynamic Nadia Verrua. The 'Ruschena' cuvée is a unique project, sourced entirely from a 70-year-old single plot of Ruché owned by Nadia's neighbors, the Ruschena family. This is the only wine in the Cascina 'Tavijn lineup made from purchased fruit. Nadia declassified this wine to Vino Rosso to bypass the rigid constraints of local DOCG regulations, allowing her to express the grape and terroir with complete freedom.

## Interesting facts

- Sourced from a single 70-year-old vineyard owned by the winery's neighbors, the Ruschena family.
- This is the only wine produced by Cascina 'Tavijn that uses fruit grown outside of their estate.
- Nadia Verrua declassified this wine to 'Vino Rosso' to escape the stylistic constraints of Piedmont DOCG rules.
- The wine undergoes an exceptionally long cold maceration of up to two months in a cold cellar.

## Food pairing

Ruché's highly aromatic profile, featuring intense floral and red berry notes combined with medium tannins and high acidity, makes it an excellent partner for rich, gamey meats and earthy dishes. The wine's acidity cuts through the fat of duck or pork, while its herbal and spicy undertones complement rosemary, fennel, and wild mushrooms.

## Wine making process

The grapes are harvested by hand and completely destemmed, keeping the berries whole to undergo a gentle press. Fermentation occurs spontaneously with native yeasts in stainless steel tanks. The wine undergoes an exceptionally long, slow cold maceration lasting up to two months in a cold cellar. It is aged for 12 months in stainless steel tanks to preserve the high-toned, aromatic purity of the Ruché grape. Bottled unfined, unfiltered, and with zero added sulfur.