When colleagues and I visited Domaine Marsanne one Saturday in June 2023, we wondered if our appointment hadn’t slipped the family’s mind. There wasn’t a soul in sight to greet us, but after nosing around a bit we spotted Madame Marsanne, Jean-Claude’s mother, sitting discreetly under the shade of a giant linden tree. She was separating the blossoms from the branches to dry for herbal tea. She told us that her granddaughter Clémence, who works alongside Jean-Claude, was eagerly expecting us but with the heat what it was, and the vineyards growing so fast, she was still up in the hills...

Italy is full of treasures, and we’ve scoured its backroads to bring you great wines from up and down the boot. So, to claim that Le Marche is the country’s best-kept secret is not something I take lightly. But this central region, tucked between Apennine peaks and Adriatic waters, has everything one could ask for: a long coastline dotted with gorgeous beaches and bustling villages, pristine scenery in its mountains and bucolic rolling hills, an irresistible cuisine with specialties from both land and sea, and, of course, delicious wines galore…