Marche, Italy

100% Verdicchio

Racy and mineral, but with some body. Tangerine and green apple. A thirst-quenching, easy-going, versatile white wine for those who want something with all the refreshment of but more character than yet another Pinot Grigio.

Verdicchio is the white wine of the Marche (central Italy, along the eastern coast). It’s our response to the ocean of Pinot Grigio that has washed up on U.S. shores: refreshing, versatile, glug-able, but with the real character that most Pinot Grigios lack. The wine is made by Cantine Belisario, a high-quality co-op in Matelica. The vineyards are on top of a Jurassic-period raised sea bed, near saltwater springs called le salse (from sale / salt.) The high altitude of the raised valley (450 meters), its north-south orientation, and the distance inland from the sea combine to block off the tempering coastal influence and result in large day / night temperature differences.