Study / Region guides
Marche
5 DOCGs and 15 DOCs. Examined in Unit 2: Central and Southern Italy.
- Borders
- Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio, Abruzzo
- Wine provinces
- Macerata, Ancona, Ascoli Piceno, Pesaro, Fermo
The land
The Marche faces the Adriatic. A row of river valleys runs from the Apennines straight down to the sea, and the vineyards sit on the hills between them.
Verdicchio has two zones: Castelli di Jesi, open to the sea, and Matelica, a higher valley closed off from it. Monte Conero is a limestone headland on the coast by Ancona. The Piceno hills are in the south.
The grapes
Verdicchio is the grape to know, and it ages better than most Italian whites. Pecorino and Passerina are the whites of the south.
Montepulciano and Sangiovese make the reds, alone or blended. Lacrima and Vernaccia Nera are the aromatic local reds.
Which grape leads which appellation
- Verdicchio 5
- Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva, Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva, Esino, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, Verdicchio di Matelica
- Montepulciano 2
- Cònero, Rosso Cònero
- Vernaccia Nera 2
- Vernaccia di Serrapetrona, Serrapetrona
- Aleatico 1
- Pergola
- Bianchello 1
- Bianchello del Metauro
- Lacrima 1
- Lacrima di Morro d'Alba
- Passerina 1
- Terre di Offida
Local names
- Focara
- Pinot Nero, in Colli Pesaresi
- Maceratino
- Ribona, in Colli Maceratesi
In the vineyard and cellar
Most Verdicchio is made in steel, with the riserva wines aged longer. Vernaccia di Serrapetrona is the curiosity: a sparkling red made partly from dried grapes.
History and trade
Verdicchio became famous abroad in the 1950s in an amphora shaped bottle. The reputation for serious wine came later.
The DOCGs
Oldest first. The year is when each one became a DOCG.
| Appellation | DOCG since | Grapes | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cònero | 2004 | Montepulciano (min 85%), Sangiovese | Monte Conero, the limestone headland just south of Ancona |
| Vernaccia di Serrapetrona | 2004 | Vernaccia Nera (min 85%) | Macerata |
| Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva | 2010 | Verdicchio (min 85%) | Ancona, Macerata |
| Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva | 2010 | Verdicchio (min 85%) | Macerata, Ancona |
| Offida | 2011 | Pecorino, Passerina, Montepulciano | Ascoli Piceno |
The DOCs
| Appellation | DOC since | Grapes | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bianchello del Metauro | 1969 | Bianchello (Biancame, min 95%) | Pesaro |
| Colli Maceratesi | 1975 | Ribona (Maceratino), Sangiovese | Macerata |
| Colli Pesaresi | 1972 | Sangiovese, Pinot Nero (Focara), Trebbiano, Biancame | Pesaro |
| Esino | 1995 | Verdicchio (min 50%), Sangiovese, Montepulciano | Ancona, Macerata |
| Falerio | 1975 | Trebbiano Toscano, Passerina, Pecorino | Ascoli Piceno, Fermo |
| I Terreni di Sanseverino | 2004 | Vernaccia Nera (Moro), Montepulciano, Sangiovese | Macerata |
| Lacrima di Morro d'Alba | 1985 | Lacrima (min 85%) | Ancona |
| Pergola | 2005 | Aleatico (locally called Vernaccia di Pergola, min 85%) | Pesaro |
| Rosso Cònero | 1967 | Montepulciano (min 85%), Sangiovese | Monte Conero and surrounding communes south of Ancona |
| Rosso Piceno (Piceno) | 1968 | Montepulciano (35 to 85%), Sangiovese (15 to 50%) | Ascoli Piceno, Fermo, Macerata, Ancona |
| San Ginesio | 2007 | Vernaccia Nera, Sangiovese, Montepulciano | San Ginesio and neighboring communes in the hills southwest of Macerata |
| Serrapetrona | 2004 | Vernaccia Nera (min 85%) | Macerata |
| Terre di Offida | 2011 | Passerina (min 85%) | Ascoli Piceno, Fermo |
| Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi | 1968 | Verdicchio (min 85%) | Ancona, Macerata |
| Verdicchio di Matelica | 1967 | Verdicchio (min 85%) | Macerata, Ancona |
Facts that get tested
The kind of thing an exam asks about Marche. Cover the answers and try them.
How does Verdicchio di Matelica differ from Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi?
Matelica is smaller, higher and further inland. Matelica sits in an enclosed valley that runs north to south, cut off from the sea, and gives firmer wines with more acidity.
Vernaccia di Serrapetrona is
A sparkling red made partly from dried grapes. It comes from Vernaccia Nera, with at least 40% of the grapes dried. It is made both dry and sweet.
Lacrima di Morro d'Alba is
An aromatic red from the province of Ancona. This Morro d'Alba is in the Marche and has nothing to do with Alba in Piedmont.
Offida DOCG covers which wines?
Whites from Pecorino and Passerina and a red from Montepulciano. Offida is in the south of the region, in the province of Ascoli Piceno.
Rosso Piceno is a blend of which two grapes?
Montepulciano and Sangiovese. Cònero, by contrast, is at least 85% Montepulciano.
Think you've got it?
Twenty questions on Marche, with every wrong answer drawn from the region and its neighbours.
Quiz me on Marche