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Considering the amazing diversity and complexity of the top red wines of Italy, Italian whites are usually relegated to the second division. But a handful of native grapes stand above the sea of mediocrity. Then there’s Verdicchio, Le Marche’s contribution to the characterful white wines of Italy. Excelling in styles ranging from bone dry to sweet, late harvest, even some sparkling versions. It has a wonderfully subtle floral side, often with a whiff of honey and almond, bright acids and the capacity to age. Angelo Accadia manages a small, high quality operation in the Castelli di Jesi appellation that sits in an east-west valley that gives onto the Adriatic Sea. I recall visiting Accadia in 2006, and was impressed by the quality and the range of expressions of verdicchio on offer. Accadia is first an artist, a painter and sculpture to be precise, who happens to make wine.
The 2011 Azienda Agricola Accadia Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico “Consono” ($15.95) is Accadia’s very good entry level verdicchio cropped at higher levels and harvested slightly earlier than his two other cuvées, and I find it the most authentic and food-friendly of the range. It’s bright, lively, crisp and bone dry, yet with a certain weight and palate richness that gives this better depth than the average. Aromas and flavours mix in the citrus, blanched almond and sweet green herbal spectrum, with a fine dose of wet stones. 2011 Azienda Agricola Accadia Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Cantorí” ($22.95), on the other hand, is Accadia’s top end of the verdicchio range, from the highest elevation and lowest yielding vines (2.5 tons/hectare). There’s a distinctive late harvest-like richness here; the nose is powerful and ripe, full of custard pear, vanilla-poached pear, succulent ripe white peach and plenty of honeyed nuances, while the palate is viscous and dense, with a vague impression of sweetness firmed up by a streak of acids and a certain stony-mineral note. This is a verdicchio of real stature and class; try with luxury shellfish.
The aging of fine wine is not necessarily restricted to reds only either. Fine Burgundy white wines are known to age for decades. I remember a producer in Austria who has in his cellar a Sylvaner 1947 that is still alive. Fine Mosel Rieslings are known to age for decades and we are not even talking about sweet wines that can have even longer longevity- I tasted 1909 Sauternes a few years ago and it was still singing! I know of some Tuscan producers who make white wines lasting for a couple of decades. Recently, I was in Ancona where we had a vertical tasting of Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, the signature white grape of Marche. The 2000 vintage was very much alive and getting better (of course, like human romantic relationships, one cannot be sure how long it will keep up).
Last year a scientific study identified the chemical interactions that happen inside your mouth after each bite of food and sip of beverage. The tests demonstrated how certain pairings actually improve the lingering taste of food in your mouth. Some foods were even better with wine than with water. Fish is deceptively tricky to pair with many wines because of how fish oils hang on your taste buds. Beyond just the choice of fish, the sauce and fish preparation affects what tastes best when pairing wine with fish. Fin fish can be characterized into 4 major groups by texture and flavor. As a general rule white wine pairs well with most fish, but certain white wines go better with certain types of fish. - Lean and Flaky Fish - Mild flavored white fish with filets that are usually thin. Sea Bass, Branzino, Black Sea bass, Flounder, Perch, Porgy, Sole, Fluke, Tilapia, Wild Striped Bass, Pollock, Haddock
Wine with Flaky Fish - Look for zesty and refreshing whites to balance the delicate fish flavor. Grüner Veltliner Vermentino (Italy) Pinot Grigio (Italy) White wines from the South of France Champagne Vinho Verde (Portugal) Muscadet (Loire) Greek Whites Portuguese Whites Albariño Cava Sauvignon Blanc (Loire, France) Sauvignon Blanc (Washington) White Bordeaux Verdejo (Rueda, Spain) Chardonnay (Chablis, France)
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Spanish and Swedish engineers from the Polytechnic University of Valencia in Spain and Sweden's University of Gävle have created an electronic nose with 32 sensors that can distinguish pears from apples, which contain similar chemical compounds called esters. The researchers said the technology could eventually be used to distinguish the quality or type of grape or recognize a wine's vintage.
Via Ma Cave En France
Tenuta di Tavignano Misco Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva 2009 $35 Wonderful wine. Deep yellow colour shows some age, and the rich, complex bouquet has oatmeal, honey and poached-fruit nuances. Oak aging shows. Full-bodied, rich and dry yet soft in the mouth. Great length and harmony. 14%alcohol. 93/100 - Food: stuffed calamari
Harmonious, fruity and endlessly pleasing—if we could bottle a languid summer afternoon and the casual conversation between good friends, this would be the result. It's made from at least 60 percent Sangiovese (the Chianti grape), plus some of Marche's native Montepulciano and, optionally, small amounts of the local red grape Passerina and the white Trebbiano.
The Brewery Birrificio dei Castelli is a small company, a laboratory in continuous evolution with the objective to develop a refined, unique product with respect for tradition.
Long processing times and maturation, attention to detail and patience to preserve its fragrance and taste. - Color: Clear medium to dark amber orange colour with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white head.
- Aroma: moderate to heavy malty, caramel, moderate to heavy hoppy, orange - citrus, grapefruit.
- Flavour: moderate to heavy sweet and bitter with a long duration, hoppy, fresh, peppery hops, wood notes.
- Body: medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft.
- Pairing: cheese and jams, sweet tarts and sweet jam.
- Ingredients: water, barley malt, hops, yeast, sugar.
- Alcohol: 6.3%
- Grado Plato: 14.5 ° P
- Serving temperature: 9-11 ° C
- Bottle: 0.75 Lt
See the many different types of wine on this visual guide. This infographic shows the intricate web of the various types of wine. In the beginning, all wine starts with the grapes then the infographic organizes 200 different types of wine by flavor to simplify and discover new wines based on your preferences.
This museum was conceived in 1987 by the art critic Professor Armando Ginesi. It is located in Cupramontana, the heart of Verdicchio wine region, which is especially conducive to our endeavors. The museum is not only intended as a international repository of wine labels but to encourage an appreciation for this art form. Over the years, the museum's endowment has been enriched with almost 100,000 labels from around the world.
The 2012 Colle Stefano Verdicchio di Matelica is an outstanding white wine from the Marche, Italy. Colle Stefano is an organic winery from Central Italy. The winery that is located in Matelica, which is part of the Marche region, has dedicated itself to the production of just one white wine. Their annual production of 80.000 bottles of Verdicchio di Matelica DOC is rather small. I have previously reviewed the 2011 vintage of the Colle Stefano Verdicchio di Matelica. Follow this link to read that review. The Verdicchio from Colle Stefano is a regular winner of the 3 glasses Gambero Rosso award.
The Dezi winery has a range of two white wines and three red wines from €8 to €25 a bottle. The two reds – Solo and Regina del Bosco – are the most expensive price point and both are delicious, although we finally settled on Solo as our favourite. Of the two whites, Solagne is the cheapest and the drier wine, while P. is a syrupy honey coloured blend. We preferred Solagne after much deliberation. So, after lots of wine tasting ( it’s no problem for them to open all the bottles for you) we bought a box of mixed wines and were given some lovely bottles of their own olive oil to take away.
Thalia 2012
Thalia, our Igt red is our international red blend. It is named after the god of comedy as I think we all take wine just a bit too seriously and it should inspire laughter instead of wrinkles on our forehead from over thinking. This year, as in 2011, it is made up of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Syrah and 8% Merlot. [...] Aurai-2012
This is our Docg Pecorino wine named after the goddess of the cool wind which we are lucky enough to experience most days. 2012 was a wild and crazy year starting with an Easter freeze which wiped out about 40% of our Pecorino buds and followed with 8 "anticyclones" affecting our weather during the summer, arriving from Africa. This meant a hot and dry summer with just 2 rains during the growing season, just enough to keep the vines alive, although in the heat we had, the vines shut down as a protection against water loss. [...]
A last note: as I always have said, we make honest wines made from organically grown grapes, so while some may be distressed by the fact we fine and filter, I will say that both these wines were pretty stable before clarifying, so we used very little bentonite to stabilize the wine against certain precipitates. These wines don't have the time in oak as do our others and we want to make sure the wines you buy from us are free from defects.[...]
Along the superhighway of Italian wine, Le Marche is a side road. Set at the eastern end of central Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea, Le Marche is a quiet place where few travelers venture beyond Urbino, its Renaissance-rich town, and its beaches. But while its region is relatively unheralded, even the casual wine drinker is aware of its major white wine, Verdicchio; and the more dedicated wine lover knows the surprising pleasures of its reds. Many of those pleasures emanate from Umani Ronchi. Founded in the late 1950s and still owned by the Bianchi- Bernetti family, its wines epitomize what can be created from the region’s own grapes — Verdicchio for whites and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo for reds. [...]
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The Wine Tourism Movement, born in 1993, is a nonprofit association that includes approximately 1000 of the most prestigious cellars in Italy
On the last week end of May, the 1000 member wineries of Italy’s Wine Tourism Movement are open to the public with a variety of entertaining initiatives . An invitation to the many wine enthusiasts and tourists to a responsible approach to wine tasting.
In the link below you can get connected with the page of the Wine Tourism Movement with all the useful addresses to organize your visit in Le Marche.
More than 80 different wineries have joined the initiative in the Region.
Visit the official site of Cantine Aperte Marche 2013
Verdicchio is a crisp Italian white grape that makes wines with “considerable personality”. You’ll find it in the Marche region along the Adriatic coast. Unlike most Italian whites, it’s known for its ability to age, and the best offer a nutty, buttery complexity. Conti Leopardi, acclaimed at the 2011 International Wine & Spirit Competition, was crafted by a noble family who have made wine in the Marche since 1500.
The Leopardi's vineyards are located more than 1,100 feet above sea level, where brilliant sunshine, the cooling influence from the Adriatic and low-yielding ancient vines produce aromatic, intensely flavored Verdicchio grapes. Thanks to its proximity to the sea, the Marche is a top spot for fresh seafood. So locally, this elegant white — with notes of citrus, minerals, almonds and fresh herbs (which will also develop a subtle nuttiness over time) — would be enjoyed with simple grilled white fish, shrimp or calamari.
Le Caniette is a historic winery of the Marches, though it didn’t start out that way: when Raffaele Vagnoni purchased the property in 1897 and moved in with his family, they did make wine, among other things, but also concentrated upon animal husbandry, raising stud bulls of the Razza Marchigiana. His son Giovanni planted their first vineyards in the 40s, while his grandson Raffaele decided to shift the farm’s emphasis to winemaking, replanting most of their 11 hectares of land to vineyards in the 60s. [...]
...drive to San Savino Winery in Offida, Piceno. We were greeted by Paola and Simone Capacci…organic farmer, winery owner and wine maker. We did have an extensive winery visit highlighted by the barrel sampling of the 2012 vintage San Savino Ciprea made from the Pecorino grapes indigenous to the Marche. These grapes have a 500 year history in this area and even after grape growing and wine making was nearly abandoned here, they found Pecorino grapes growing in the wild in the woods on Oak trees. This wine, even though it was cloudy and unfinished, we could tell that this wine is going to great…then on to the tasting room for a lunch of breaded and fried, stuffed olives, fresh raw fennel wedges, locally made proscuitto and pecorino cheese, fresh bread and green olives. We tasted through 3 other white wines with lunch… 2012 Falerio, and Tufilla, 2011 Ciprea. For red wines, we had… 2012 Rosso Piceno, 2010 Picus and Fedus, 2011 Picus and 2008 Quinta Regio.[...]
From 67 Wine: This is the third of Natalino's 5 Verdicchio labels... none of which see wood, and all of which are completely different. The natural weight and 'oily' texture (at times almost reminiscent of a Riesling texture) and nutty nature of this varietal can give the impression that it has seen barrel aging, however this is never the case with Natalino. The beautiful citrus acidity combined with this 'nuttiness' and weight make it a varietal, that similar to the diverse cuisine of Le Marche, make it a white wine that can pair with fish as well as meat. This incredible expression of Verdicchio is possible only with the particular terrior and climatic conditions of these hills, it is an easy variety to fall immediately in love with. Certified Organic.
- Year 1 bottling: 1995
- Common area and production: Castelli di Jesi, Montecarotto (AN)
- Grapes: 100% Verdicchio
- Name: Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore
- Name / extension of the vineyards: Vigna delle Oche San Lorenzo (Montecarotto)
- Exposure: south-west
- Altitude: 380 meters s.l.m.
- Soil type: mixed - sandy and clay
- Average age of vines: 10 years
- Fermentation in stainless steel
- Yeasts used: indigenous
- Duration of aging in wood: it does not
- Tion dell'affi Duration: 12 months on the lees in stainless steel, 4 months in bottle
- Alcohol: 13.5% vol.
- Organic and / or biodynamic: Biodynamic
- Number of bottles produced: 14.000
It’s a lot easier to drink wine in the winter; cold weather and heavy food dictate staying in by a fire in the company of a big dinner party. For the warmer months, however, we turn to amazing lighter wines to aid in our quest to defend against the heat…but we also need a sturdy red to stand up to our BBQs and dinners on cool summer nights. So today I wanted to share an easy drinking Italian white from Le Marche [...]
Sartarelli Verdicchio Castelli di Jesi Classico $17.71
The Sartarelli estate is located in the classical area called Castelli di Jesi, the best area for Verdicchio in Le Marche. Ideal for the summer, Sartarelli Verdicchio delivers a clean, crisp, elegant and simple wine for the everyday. The fruit and green grass on the nose marries perfectly with the fresh minerality and bright acidity on the palate, ideal for light lunches and snacks by the pool.
The winery was initiated with the goal of producing intense, exciting, world class wines.
Ascoli Piceno province in the Marches is perfectly located for this challenge with a wonderful climate typical of many of the world's greatest wine growing regions. With this in mind we chose grape varieties and clones both traditional and unique to this area in order to make exceptional niche wines.
From the very beginning, we decided to use organic farming methods, despite the increased work and costs involved, out of respect for our land, our vines and the local ecosystem.
Our choice of varieties includes approximately half traditional and half international and experimental varieties. All have adapted well to our vineyard's soil, exposition and climate yielding wonderful results even in the first year's harvest. From an inky dark Montepulciano and highly perfumed Pecorino to a complex bordeaux blend and individually bottled Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, we have been incredibly pleased with the quality of our wines. A beautiful Syrah, which is aged 2 years in french oak and Bruni 54, which makes a beautiful Passito, complete the list.
Our work in the vineyard is almost non-stop from January to August when we get a bit of a breather before the harvest. Each plant is tended by hand from the pruning and tying to the leaf removal and green harvest. Careful analysis of the grapes' maturity allows us to optimally choose the dates of harvest with each of the 8 varieties harvested by hand and transported rapidly to the winery in 20kg containers. [...]
Believe it or not, red wine has more antioxidants than açaí juice. Discover the health benefits of red wine and how much you should consume to live well.[...]
"I Bronzi" Bianchello del Metauro Doc La Morciola, Colbordolo PU This pleasant wine is produced from the vine of the same name grown high in the Metauro river valley, through careful grape selection and the application of modern vinification technology. It has a pronounced straw yellow colour and has a fresh and floral bouquet, with a fine, fruity and mineral flavour, which lingers beautifully. It pairs well with fish risotto and pasta dishes, full-flavoured fish dishes and white meat.
Enotria, the land of vines, was the ancient Greek name for Italy and a very appropriate one at that. Today much of Italian white wine is dominated by a handful of white wine varieties, yet it remains full of local, indigenous varieties that offer subtly different and unique expressions of a time and place.
With spring slowly arriving, and summer threatening, we all tend to slowly switch over to drinking more white wines. With so much variety, you can spend the entire spring and summer exploring these wines 2011 Capestrano Verdicchio di Matelica
In the Verdicchio di Matelica region, the wines produced in the local mineral rich hillside vineyards tend to be rather focused and crisp, with prominent flavors of peaches and an assertive, almost salty minerality.
This smells of big ripe peach and stinky volcanic soil all covered in a bit of cheese ring. A bit tense and firm in the mouth, this opens with assertive earthy, mineral notes followed by gentle white fruits suspended on a rather angular frame. There's plenty of cut on the palate, with a hint of tannin that drives the medium length, dusty dry and refreshing finish. Not a fruity wine, this is a bit simple and subtle but beautifully built. A really fine food wine. 87 points 13% $11 [...]
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