A poem by "Vite":La Cantina Di Ruscio

It is the immediate post-war period, it is evening, the farmers are returning from work in the fields to gather around the crackling logs and share moments of conviviality. Amidst the blazing flames of the cottages, you can hear the chatter of traditions being passed on and relationships being woven. Specifically, in Via Valdaso di Campofilone, people impatiently await the arrival of ‘Lu pueta’: Dante, the ‘supreme’ poet of the ‘Garden of the Marches’.
Dante’s entertaining tales delight the whole neighbourhood, with his curious anecdotes enchanting the local patrons, and his talent as a novelist eventually reflected on the fame of the then nascent family business: ‘Di Ruscio Dante Vini’, better known as ‘La Cantina de li Pueti’.
It was 1953 when Dante, together with his beloved wife Gina, began making wine from the delicious nectar of the Aso Valley, winning the title of the area’s first winegrower.
In the 1950s, the poem continues with the birth of Mario, Vinicio and Claudio.
Mario, the eldest, immediately showed interest in the world of wine and, after completing his agricultural studies, joined the family business, innovating the management of the vineyard and increasing investments for the technological and productive development of the winery.
The entry of Mario, later joined by his wife Manuela, helped broaden the horizons of the winery, which, in addition to supplying local drinkers, also began to satisfy requests from neighbouring municipalities and more distant markets, mainly located in northern Italy.
In the 1980s, the ‘poetic’ founder Dante decided to retire and hand over his winemaking work into the hands of his son Mario, thus ushering in a new era under the renewed sign ‘Vinicola Di Ruscio Mario & C’.

So, no longer the cultivation, processing and sale of wine made from their own grapes, but a total focus on cellar expertise and the selection of raw materials strictly from reliable local producers.
The commercial structure expanded and, at the same time, so did Mario’s family. Within six years, they celebrated the arrival of their children Francesco, Barbara and Marco.
The development did not stop and, in addition to guaranteeing the unfailing and historical demijohns for the loyal clientele, production moved towards smaller formats in glass for daily use, enriching itself with some new entries heralding a changing style of drinking. Hence the need to receive loyal consumers in a new sales outlet built in the premises adjacent to the production area.
Immersed in the evocative atmosphere of the Marche hills, there are more and more wines to taste: Di Ruscio’s offer is becoming increasingly varied and interesting, ranging from classic white and red table wines to Falerio DOC and Rosso Piceno DOC, not forgetting the fresh Rosato.
Infected by his father’s passion, Marco graduated with honours in Oenology, and under the supervision of Mario, the Benemerito della Viticoltura Italiana (2014, Cangrande Award), he started the third generation of the ‘Cantina dei Poeti’, officially renamed ‘Cantina Di Ruscio Srl’.

The latter is a sparkling generation, characterised by the innovations made and the marked reactivity and pro-activity towards emerging market demands. A market in constant flux, where the customer moves from sober and habitual consumption patterns to more curious and aware ones.
“La Cantina di Ruscio Srl” does not let itself be intimidated by trend reversals and seizes the opportunity to translate this new way of drinking into an all-round experience: in 2015, in fact, it created a completely new structure for the area, capable of welcoming its connoisseurs in an ad hoc environment, designed specifically to taste and experience the Cantina’s specialities in a pleasant and informed manner.

The investments are not limited to commercial spaces, but involve all business areas, materialising in:

  • The introduction of a barrique cellar for ageing wine
  • The enhancement of lines dedicated to bottling
  • The launch of the first business website
  • Participation, through constant marketing activities, in initiatives related to the promotion of the product such as Vinitaly (a regular event for several years) and other trade fairs.
  • Increase in technological and administrative spaces

Today, Di Ruscio’s eno-poetry boasts an even faster pace, thanks in part to the contribution of Marco’s wife Jessica, who has integrated perfectly with the family art and collaborates fully in the business.
In this succession of changes that have favoured the Cantina’s growth, there is one thing, however, that has remained unchanged through no less than three generational transitions: the best value for money, because ‘drinking well at the right price’ is an indispensable constant in the poetics of Cantina Di Ruscio.