• Wines of Le Marche: Verdicchio

Wines of le Marche: Verdicchio

The Verdicchio Grape

You can’t say to have tasted le Marche wines without having tried one Verdicchio. This is the most famous grape variety of the region. Verdicchio grapes made for an excellent white wine that has finally got the attention worldwide. Verdicchio literally translates as greenish. This name probably relates to the color of its grapes or it might be based on a hue of color that this wines tend to have.

In the (sometimes) complex history of Italian vines, Verdicchio is no exception. We know its an old grape variety, but experts still aren’t sure if this grape it’s coming from 8th century, or its a distant relative of other green grapes vines introduced in Le Marche region by Veronese winemakers in 1400.

A curious fact about this wine of le Marche is indeed the way it was bottled and it was marketed outside Italy. In the fifties, to catch the public attention a producer of Verdicchio decided to bottle it in a anfora shaped bottle. This marketing decision made it stand out of the competition, there are still some wine makers who use this type of bottle but nowadays is more common to find Verdicchio wines in the usual Bordolese bottle.

Types of Verdicchio wines of le Marche

There are two types of Verdicchio wines of le Marche:

  • Verdicchio dei castelli di Jesi DOC

Located in the geographical basin of the Esino river, in the territories of 22 Municipalities of the Province of Ancona and 2 of Macerata historically called “Castles” because in medieval times they were linked with the city Jesi which in 1194 gave birth to Frederick II of Swabia.

  • Verdicchio di Matelica DOC

Mostly located in the province of Macerata (8 municipalities) and a part in the province of Ancona (2 municipalities). The area is decidedly internal and far from the environment and marine influence, in fact it is an internal alluvial plain that includes all sections of the river and torrential valley floor, within the Marche region.

The characteristics of Verdicchio

Apart from the terroir of each winery we can talk broadly about the main difference between the two denominations.

  • Verdicchio dei castelli di Jesi DOC

A Structured, tending to full-body, elegant wine. Straw yellow color with greenish hue. Quite lively and zesty freshness. Scents of flowers and then move on to a fresh fruity aroma of peach, apple and slight hints of citrus. Unmistakable finish characterized by the aftertaste of bitter almond.

  • Verdicchio di Matelica DOC

A wine with a lot of structure, savory and characterized by stronger aromas. It’s cultivated on calcareous soils, which give the wine finesse. Straw yellow in color with unmistakable greenish reflections, in the mouth it is dry, persistent and warm with hints reminiscent of ripe fruit with the almond aftertaste typical of Verdicchio.

Source of information:

Assovini

Quattrocalici

Verdicchio grape variety

Personal tasting experience 🙂

Follow us