2016 Indigenous Rosso Piceno

Let’s say you’ve got yourself a classic Italian country dinner. A plate of antipasti — Prosciutto di Parma, Mozzarella di Bufala, Caponata, and Peperoncini sott’Olio. Or a dish of Pasta alla Norma, a Pizza Quattro Stagioni, or any kind of pasta or pizza! What you want to drink with that is a wine of classic Italian country pedigree. A red wine of deep color and round body, of ripe fruit and soft earth. A white wine of fresh aromatics, ideal as an aperitif but also perfect for the table, of vivacious body and round fruit. You want friendly wines—ones as easy to afford as they are to enjoy. And what you need are some Italian classics– the wines of Le Marche on the Adriatic Sea – Rosso Piceno and Verdicchio.

Rosso Piceno isn’t the name of a grape, but of the largest D.O.C. appellation — Denominazione di Origine Controllata — in the region of Le Marche, a province on the Adriatic Coast of Italy. Wines from Rosso Piceno are primarily made from a grape called Montepulciano. (The Montepulciano grape has nothing to do with the town in Tuscany which produces Vino Nobile from Sangiovese). The grape is formally referred to as Montepulciano d’Abruzzo — Abbruzzo is the province just south of Le Marche —  but it flourishes from the heart of Italy south through Sicily.

Verdicchio is the grape. The name of its appellation is Castelli di Jesi. And the name of its region is Le Marche, a province on the Adriatic Coast of Italy. If you haven’t met Verdicchio before, it’s the most famous wine of Le Marche, where they’ve been making — and drinking! — Verdicchio for 600 years.

My years of drinking many Montepulciano wines with countless Italian country feasts tell me the grape finds its ideal terroir in Rosso Piceno. These are dark, juicy red wines with beautiful bodies of black fruit, fresh herbs, and baking spice. They’re smoky and sweet, with lovely structure, fine tannins, and good acidity.

The wine I’ve got for you today is made by Indigenous Selections, which is owned by renowned winemaker Giorgio Rivetti, and which produces authentic representations of Italy’s classic wines. These wines are true classics of Italy — a classic for Italian country food or Italian country drinking. Easy to get along with. Easy to enjoy. A friendly companion for after office hours or late in the evening. And affordably delicious.

The locals of Le Marche love Verdicchio for its great character, its high quality, and its easy affordability. But mostly they love it because it’s straight-up delicious. Its seaside orchard aromatics, its palate of peach, lemon curd, and Marcona almond, its rich mouthfeel and mouthwatering acidity make Verdicchio the ideal aperitif wine. It’s a lovely companion with mozzarella and tomatoes, canapés of any kind, and all the varieties of fruits of the sea.

Great alfresco dining calls for imminently chuggable wine. Discover the wines of Le Marche, and celebrate straight on through September!