VERDICCHIO- 

We are now off to the smaller region of Marche (mar-kay) which sits along the Adriatic Sea on the east side of Italy.  It lies east of Umbria and north of Abruzzo.

As with most of the regions in Italy, Marche produces good quantities of wine.  There are 38,600 acres of land planted to winemaking grapevines.  Marche produces on average about 15.4 million cases of wine a year.

There are two wines I will focus on for now, Verdicchio, and Rosso Conero.

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC-

This wine producing area within Marche is probably the most recognized Verdicchio producing area.  This is Verdicchio grape from the area Castelli di Jesi.   Castelli connotates castles which appear throughout the region. 

Jesi produces around 1,602,000 cases of wine from 4460 acres of land.  It is the region I see the most on shelves and in restaurants in our area.

Many years ago, they used an amphora shaped bottle to create a distinctive product.  There is a bottle shaped like a fish as well that people tend to remember.  There are few producers that haven’t changed over to standard shaped bottle.

The downside to the old-style amphora shaped bottles is that generally, the wine inside was sweeter and not of great quality.  There are some that have improved the quality and still use that unique shaped bottle in their production as a marketing tool. 

You could equate the uniqueness of the bottle shape to the straw covered bottle of Chianti.  It's a tradition that still sticks with some people.

Verdicchio isn’t this big aromatic varietal.  The wine’s strength is in the acidity.  One of the producers I researched would say the grape gives the wine texture.

Another change from the old ways to current winemaking is the use of the “lees”. 

If you will remember, “lees” are the dead yeast cells that settle to the bottom of the storage unit (tanks or barrels) after they have done their part in turning the sugars into alcohol.

Lees can impart flavor and body to a wine, particularly enhancing white wines.  It can give the wine a creaminess and round out the acids some.  The lees are often stirred up in the tank to give the wine more exposure to effects of the lees.

The length of time the lees remain in the barrel depends on the winemaker and the flavor profile they want to achieve.

For Verdicchio, this roundness gives the wine more elegance and complexity while taming the acids.  Acids are a good thing and one of the main characteristics of Italian wine. 

Too much acid can be off putting while not enough acid can make the wine bland and not interesting.

My research led me to understand there are no hard fast rules in the aging of Verdicchio from this or any other DOC.

Traditional methods have less emphasis on aging and more on capturing the bright acidity and enjoying the wine with seafood and lighter fare.

There is Verdicchio Riserva.  It must age at least 18 months, of which 6 months must be in bottle. Again, no hard fast rules regarding the aging vessels.

Riserva gives you more texture, elegance, balance & milder acids.  They are definitely a treat!

Non Riservas should be consumed and not set aside to age.

If you have one in the cellar and it’s older than 2 years (non riserva), don’t toss it out.  Open it up and see what the years have done to it.  It might be good, or it might not be so good.

There are some labels that have the word “classico”.  In Marche, classico means the grapes come from a historical production area.

This isn’t a measurement of quality. 

In Jesi, classico means the wine has spent 5 months on the lees, and at least 3 months sitting in a bottle before release to the public.

Different regions have different meanings to the “classico” word on a wine label. 

It is quite confusing to me.  But when you remember that Italy was a fragmented country of independent regions and each has their own way of doing things, I tend to not get too hung up about it. 

Classico almost always is a good thing.

I love and recommend Verdicchio to any and all white wine drinkers. 

The brightness, the peach, apricot, pear flavors with the balanced acidity make for great wine to start the event.  Be it lunch, dinner or happy hour, Verdicchio is a no-brainer.  The really good ones have this saline & citrus flavors in perfect balance. 

Though not as available as regular Verdicchio, they also make Spumante (sparkling) and Passito (sweet) wines.  I can’t wait to get my hands on a Verdicchio Spumante because that sounds so delicious

Food Pairing-

Verdicchio would pair nicely with seafood in all forms. 

Poultry would work, spaghetti with clams, risotto, carbonara sauce are just a few of many options of light to medium flavored foods. 

Of course, appetizers would be a great fit with this wine too.

ROSSO CONERO DOC-

One of the main red wines from the Marche is Rosso Conero. 

The primary red grape here is Montepulciano.  The same Montepulciano they use in neighboring Abruzzo. 

At least 85% of Rosso Conero must be Montepulciano.  Some producers use 100% Montepulciano, but most add a percentage of the 2^nd most grown red varietal in Marche, Sangiovese. 

Together these grapes create one of the best value wines in Italy.  I think one of the most amazing things about wine is how different the same grape can taste from two different neighboring plots of land. 

It is crazy to me how the right balance in the mixing of a similar flavored grape can create such a fantastic wine.

Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo is far more popular than Rosso Conero and not just because they produce more.

Marche isn’t Tuscany or Abruzzo.  It is a lesser-known region that is happy not to be in the wine spotlight. 

Besides, they only produce around 128,000 cases a year so not as much is available here in the States.

Much of the wine comes from vineyards placed around Monte (Mount) Conero.  The vineyards are situated like an amphitheater around the Monte.  This gives the grapes more character, and flavor due to the higher elevation soils. 

Rosso Conero is dry, Medium-bodied, has red fruit flavors, some earthiness yet smooth, with balanced acidity.

Probably not the kind of wine to sip and contemplate the immensities, but enough character for you to notice how good the wine really is. 

Like Montepulciano in Abruzzo, Rosso Conero can be more fruit forward and lighter in their youth or structured and complex with aging.  Aging and lower yields develop into a full-bodied, dry, complex red wine.

Conero DOCG-

Here is where things get a little confusing.  In 2004 the Conero DOCG was established.  Basically, they renamed Rosso Conero Riserva to Conero DOCG.  There are still wine labels with Riserva on them in the market and its okay to do that. 

Whether the label says Riserva or Conero DOCG, they are the same.  It has the same aging stipulations, such as a minimum of 2 years in oak and bottle before release.

The wines are stronger, more age worthy, richer in flavor and of course, cost more.  This area is about 282 acres, and they produce almost 32,000 cases of wine a year.  Not a great volume but there is some availability here.

There are no changes in the grapes allowed or the percentages allowed of the grapes in the mix.  The main difference is Conero DOCG must age for 2 years prior to release.  All other things are the same.

Keep in mind these tasty wines from the Marche!  Verdicchio has a greater presence, but you should be able to find some Rosso Conero here and there for a double delight.

Stay tuned, we will be talking more about Marche in the near future.

Food Pairing:

Rosso Conero when young will certainly pair with white meats like poultry, pork, & rabbit.  They generally are lighter in body and so pair with lighter flavored foods.

Aged Conero’s are great with beef, lamb, game and other heartier flavored foods like stew and meat sauces.