Marche

Marche on the Adriatic coast is known mostly for its white wines from Verdicchio, of which there are two subzones, Matelica and Castelli dei Jesi. There has been a quality revival of these two wines in the last two decades, being previously dominated by large co-ops and bottlers. There is now more than a handful of quality-minded producers working with lower yields and experimenting with barrel ageing, which due to the full body and high acidity of this variety, it can absorb this remarkably well. Verdicchio is genetically identical to Trebbiano di Soave, and is now though to be one of Italy's most important white varieties, in term of quality at least.

As far as reds go, the grape varieties used here are influenced by its neighbours: Sangiovese from Tuscany to the west, and Montepulciano from Abruzzo to the south. There is one, however, that is a distinctly native variety, Lacrima di Morro d'Alba, which produces highly aromatic wines.