Marche

The hills of the Marche region are extensively cultivated with vineyards and olive groves. Regarding the colour of the wines, whites predominate and one of them is the Marche’s signature wine: Verdicchio, made from the grape variety of the same name. Vineyards of Verdicchio cover the hilly area between the Adriatic coast and mountains immediately inland, in the province of Ancona, and partly also in the province of Macerata. What is known for certain is that it is a great Italian grape, capable of producing long-living wines, thanks to its excellent acidity. It is, however, also suitable for producing spumante and raisin wines. Its taste, which can be structured, is always fresh. There are two designations - or rather, four - which are made with 100% Verdicchio grapes. Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC is produced in the hills around the town of Jesi, between the coast and the hills, where the microclimate is influenced by the sea; Verdicchio di Matelica DOC, on the other hand, comes from a valley between the hills inland, that benefits from a cooler microclimate. The other two designations of Verdicchio are the Riserva type, which becomes DOCG, i.e. Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva DOCG and Verdicchio di Matelica DOCG. The Riserva version is a structured, complex and intriguing wine that can be aged for many years. Other white wines of the Marche region are Bianchello del Metauro DOC produced in the north of the region from the Biancame grape variety, with a simple, fruity character, and Offida Pecorino DOCG and Offida Passerina DOCG, produced in the south of the region. 

The red wine scenario is dominated by the Montepulciano grape variety, often blended with Sangiovese. The following reds are examples of this: Conero DOCG, Rosso Conero DOC and Rosso Piceno DOC. The Marche has two rather original red wines that stand out from the rest. Lacrima di Morro d'Alba DOC is a red wine produced north of Ancona from the native Lacrima grape variety. It has a scent of berries and a fresh, moderately tannic taste, and is a wine to be drunk young. Last but not least, Vernaccia di Serrapetrona DOCG is a red spumante, produced from the Vernaccia Nera grape variety in dry, semi-sweet and sweet versions.