Verdicchio

For a long time, this fresh Mediterranean white led a shadowy existence in the hinterland of the Marche. Yet hardly anything goes so well with seafood and fish as this fragrant, racy and mineral wine from central Italy. Verdiccio wine is said to have been known to the ancient Etruscans, and it gave the Visigoths strength to storm Rome. Its first documented mention is in the 14th century, in the Marches, no wonder. It is there that it is still and mainly cultivated. Although it is also found in Umbria, Abruzzo and Sardinia, no other region produces a wine like that of the winegrowers in the Marche hinterland: Best quality dry wines, racy, full-bodied and crisp. For the sake of completeness, it should be noted that wine researchers place the grape in the Greco-Trebbiano family. Although the crisp white is probably the best partner for all table-ready water creatures, it does not grow on the coast but in the hinterland, in the foothills of the central Italian Apennines. Here the climate is mild and balanced, with warm days and fresh nights. This is due to the sea breezes coming from the Adriatic Sea. The Marche are situated between the sea and the mountains, bordering Emilia Romagna and the Republic of San Marino to the north, Abruzzo to the south and Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio to the west. There are two Verdicchio denominations: Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi and Verdicchio Matelica. Castelli di Jesi is the better known area, about 90% of Verdicchio wines are grown here in the rolling hills that stretch from the Adriatic coast to the first higher mountains. Here, picturesque hamlets adorn the hilltops like little crowns, sleepily scattered around the town of Jesi. Here, in this moderately dry climate, the late-ripening grape feels at home, the long and dry summers allow it enough time and time to fully ripen and it thanks you with wines with lots of juicy fruit. Less extensive, on only about 450 hectares and therefore rather rare to find is the Verdicchio di Matelica. In the high mountain valley, deeper inland and with no connection to the sea, the climate is harsher and more continental. The mountain winds of the Apennines can be bitingly cold at times, with snowy mountain peaks towering in the distance. Here the nights are crisp and the grapes ripen slowly, taking more time for the vines to warm enough. But in the cool nights they form extractives and fine acidity for it. Good Matelica wines are more aromatic and mineral than other Verdicchios, but also more light-bodied. Both have in common a fine, elegant bitter note reminiscent of sweet almonds. And the wines have a strong acidity, are full-bodied and present a fresh fruit bouquet with apple, pear and peach aromas. Verdicchio comes to market primarily as a young wine, but it can also age beautifully. For treasure hunters, Verdicchio is a stroke of luck: it always scores top marks in ratings, but word of its quality and finesse has not yet spread to the "wine normalo". Therefore, we vehemently think: a top wine with exciting prices.