La Miraja ‘La Ribòta’ Vino Aromatizzato Alla China
Winemaker: Eugenio Gatti
Grapes: Ruché
The estate of La Miraja is situated in an 11th century castle of Castagnole Monferrato in Piedmont. The armory of the castle was repurposed as a cellar in the 1400s. Today it is owned and operated by seventh-generation viticulturist, Eugenio Gatti, who produces a miniscule 840 cases a year. Considered “off-the-beaten-path” compared to other Piedmont estates, La Miraja produces some of the lesser-known gems of the region, including the oldest vineyard of ruché in existence. We carry a bottling of that Ruche in the shop, for those curious, but this month, for the wine share, we'd like to hip everyone to a fortified wine Eugenio makes with some of that same fruit: 'La Ribota' is labeled as “Vino Aromatizzo Alla China” since it is not from Barolo and doesn’t follow the same dictates as the only slightly better-known style of Chinato, a fortified wine elixir first developed by a pharmacist in the 1800’s and produced by many of the best Barolo growers. 'La Ribota' is a blend of Eugenio's DOCG-level wine with botanicals including china (pronounced kee-na, and known to us as quinuina bark used in making quinine), wormwood, cardamom seed, cinnamon, and orange peel, plus some more secret family recipe ingredients. The herbs are macerated in grappa (neutral grape spirit) and that is added to the still-fermenting Ruche juice, halting the process. Many of the herbs are believed to be medicinal and certainly do settle a full or nervous stomach! Enjoy this, cool, after dinner; or as an aperitif with some ice and a splash of club soda and an orange zest.-Peter
Winemaker: Eugenio Gatti
Grapes: Ruché
The estate of La Miraja is situated in an 11th century castle of Castagnole Monferrato in Piedmont. The armory of the castle was repurposed as a cellar in the 1400s. Today it is owned and operated by seventh-generation viticulturist, Eugenio Gatti, who produces a miniscule 840 cases a year. Considered “off-the-beaten-path” compared to other Piedmont estates, La Miraja produces some of the lesser-known gems of the region, including the oldest vineyard of ruché in existence. We carry a bottling of that Ruche in the shop, for those curious, but this month, for the wine share, we'd like to hip everyone to a fortified wine Eugenio makes with some of that same fruit: 'La Ribota' is labeled as “Vino Aromatizzo Alla China” since it is not from Barolo and doesn’t follow the same dictates as the only slightly better-known style of Chinato, a fortified wine elixir first developed by a pharmacist in the 1800’s and produced by many of the best Barolo growers. 'La Ribota' is a blend of Eugenio's DOCG-level wine with botanicals including china (pronounced kee-na, and known to us as quinuina bark used in making quinine), wormwood, cardamom seed, cinnamon, and orange peel, plus some more secret family recipe ingredients. The herbs are macerated in grappa (neutral grape spirit) and that is added to the still-fermenting Ruche juice, halting the process. Many of the herbs are believed to be medicinal and certainly do settle a full or nervous stomach! Enjoy this, cool, after dinner; or as an aperitif with some ice and a splash of club soda and an orange zest.-Peter
Winemaker: Eugenio Gatti
Grapes: Ruché
The estate of La Miraja is situated in an 11th century castle of Castagnole Monferrato in Piedmont. The armory of the castle was repurposed as a cellar in the 1400s. Today it is owned and operated by seventh-generation viticulturist, Eugenio Gatti, who produces a miniscule 840 cases a year. Considered “off-the-beaten-path” compared to other Piedmont estates, La Miraja produces some of the lesser-known gems of the region, including the oldest vineyard of ruché in existence. We carry a bottling of that Ruche in the shop, for those curious, but this month, for the wine share, we'd like to hip everyone to a fortified wine Eugenio makes with some of that same fruit: 'La Ribota' is labeled as “Vino Aromatizzo Alla China” since it is not from Barolo and doesn’t follow the same dictates as the only slightly better-known style of Chinato, a fortified wine elixir first developed by a pharmacist in the 1800’s and produced by many of the best Barolo growers. 'La Ribota' is a blend of Eugenio's DOCG-level wine with botanicals including china (pronounced kee-na, and known to us as quinuina bark used in making quinine), wormwood, cardamom seed, cinnamon, and orange peel, plus some more secret family recipe ingredients. The herbs are macerated in grappa (neutral grape spirit) and that is added to the still-fermenting Ruche juice, halting the process. Many of the herbs are believed to be medicinal and certainly do settle a full or nervous stomach! Enjoy this, cool, after dinner; or as an aperitif with some ice and a splash of club soda and an orange zest.-Peter