A Wine Enthusiast’s Guide To The Winemaking Regions Of LeMarche And Abruzzo, Italy
July 21st, 2009. Published under Wine and Spirits. No Comments.
If you’re planning a dinner party or wine tasting, consider serving wines from some of the most historic winemaking regions in the world. This article looks at two favorite regions of Italian wine club associations — LeMarche and Abruzzo, Italy.
LeMarche
LeMarche is a remote area between the Adriatic Sea and the Apennine mountains, a quiet region with inhabitants who drink more wine per capita and live longer than other Italians live. Its pre-Christian inhabitants were the Piceni, assimilated by the Romans. The Greeks established its coastal capital, Ancona. In the Middle Ages, the region marked the southern boundary of the Holy Roman Empire, from which it got its name ‘LeMarche,’ or ‘boundary.’ In the 15th Century, Urbino became one of the leading cultural centers of Europe and its Palazzo Ducale is one of Italy’s most beautiful Renaissance palaces. Ascoli Piceno is almost as extraordinary with its Piazza del Popolo. The smaller towns of San Leo and Urbania are also remarkable medieval monuments. Travelers often visit LeMarche for its beaches on the coast and skiing on the peaks of Monti Sibillini.
The Castelli di Jesi DOC zone in the hills west of Ancona is the home of Verdicchio, which has dramatically increased in quality in the last decade, so much so that many now consider it central Italy’s best wine for fish. However, wine club associations emphasize consumers should not confuse Verdicchio with the unrelated Verdeca, Verdone, Verdello, or Verduzzo whose names all refer to their green skins. Verdicchio di Matelica, grown at a higher altitude, can have even more intense flavors. The wines from both DOC zones also make fine sparkling wine. Other whites such as Bianchello del Metauro and Falerio dei Colli are also good with seafood.
Abruzzo
Abruzzo has its fair share of art and architecture throughout its hill towns and mountain villages, but the Apennine Mountains dominate the region, taking up two thirds of the area and attracting hikers and skiers to resorts. The vast Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo is one of Europe’s most important nature preserves. Descendants of various hill tribes who settled the region in the Bronze Age, the Abruzzesi were difficult to unite, although the Greeks, Romans, Swabians, Aragonese, and Bourbons all tried. Before the advent of modern transportation, the inhabitants were isolated in hill towns and villages clinging to the sides of mountains. After the 12th Century, a succession of dynasties based in Naples to the south ruled the Abruzzesi. As a result, their diet, speech, and customs are more similar to their southern neighbors than to their neighbors to the north or west.
The hills in the region are highly favorable for grapevines. The two classified wines are Trebbiano and Montepulciano, not to be confused with the town of that name in Toscana where they make Vino Nobile. When grown on the lower hills, Montepulciano has an irresistible character, full bodied and smooth with the capacity to age. In the higher areas, the vines produce a lighter version, Ceraruolo, which is a sturdy, cherry-colored rose’. Often described as a phantom vine since its origins are unclear, the white Trebbiano d’Abruzzo develops a Burgundy-like complexity after four or five years of aging.
Consider offering the wines of LeMarche and Abruzzo at your next dinner party or wine tasting and share the colorful history of these regions to enhance the taste of the wine.
Kent Campbell is an author for the popular wine of the month club, Celebrations Wine Club. Celebrations Wine Club is one of the few red wine club associations offering the wines of Italy and California (http://www.celebrationswineclub.com).