As with every region in Italy, the Marche is a world all unto itself. On Italy’s less traveled Adriatic coast, in between Emilia-Romagna and Abruzzo, the Marche is relatively sparsely populated, and largely composed of gently rolling hills, green with agriculture, that end along steep limestone bluffs on the coast. This is the home of the Verdicchio grape, whose name comes from the root verde, describing both the greenish hue of the grapes and the resulting wine.
The vineyards of Colleleva (Colle “hill”, and si Leva, “rises”) lie on the heights of the Marche: about halfway between the Apennine mountains and the coastline of the Adriatic Sea.
The perfume is entrancing—at once fresh and rounded, and typical of the grape. There is absolutely no pretension. Pure Verdicchio, vinified and aged with no makeup, with a bit of prickly CO2 left in the bottle to keep it sprightly. Here is a wine that is screaming value. The juice comes from 30-year-old vines which are established in sandy tufo soils of La Marche, giving the wine more depth than most in its price class. A refreshing and crisp white wine loaded with lime, lemon, apple, and pear. If bitter lime notes from more familiar grapes like Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon and coastal Vermentino appeal to you, this low-alcohol, youthful wine is right up your alley.
