Le Marche: Italy’s Best-Kept Secret
Le Marche: Italy’s Best-Kept Secret
by Anthony Lynch by Anthony Lynch
6-Bottle Sampler 6-Bottle Sampler
Le Marche: Italy’s Best-Kept Secret
Le Marche: Italy’s Best-Kept Secret
A walk through the vines of La Marca
The countryside of Le Marche
Verdicchio grapes
Le Marche, shaded in green
Italy | Le Marche
Shipping included with sampler purchase.
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Normally $148.00 SPECIAL SAMPLER PRICE $118.00 (a 20% discount) |
This item does not take further discounts
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 Appennine 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. Best of all, it remains under the radar, meaning fewer crowds for travelers and, crucially, great value to reward curious palates.
With this sampler of wines from Le Marche, we hope to let you in on the secret. Two Verdicchios showcase the region’s star grape variety, whose mouthwatering verve and food-friendly nature shine across a range of styles. The red wines—and one breezy rosato—feature Montepulciano and some Sangiovese, with terroir-driven expressions distinct from their respective counterparts in neighboring Abruzzo and Tuscany. Finally, the heady Lacrima perfectly highlights the charm of Le Marche in a singular and delightfully aromatic way.
2024 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi • Colleleva $16
One of our greatest white wine values. Scented of zesty lime, almond, and fennel, it finishes on a snappy note that cuts right through fried appetizers and perfectly complements seafood and salads.
2024 Rosso Piceno • Colleleva $17
A chewy blend of Montepulciano and Sangiovese, this is Italy’s answer to your everyday Côtes-du-Rhône. The bold dark fruit and hint of spice make it the ideal partner to red sauce pastas and meatballs.
2024 Lacrima di Morro d’Alba • Colleleva $25
The Lacrima grape is a rare specialty of Le Marche: a fragrant red reminiscent of wild roses and juicy berries. Savor it chilled with pizza, Indian curries, or a BLT.
2024 Vino Rosato “La Fuga” • La Marca di San Michele $29
A delicate dry rosé of Montepulciano, brisk as a strawberry popsicle infused with impressions of sea salt and chalk.
2022 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva “Passolento” • La Marca di San Michele $34
White Burgundy, is that you? No, this is indeed a Verdicchio, but its rich, creamy texture might have you fooled. This luxurious cask-aged white will pamper your taste buds and seamlessly complement a seafood or mushroom risotto for a most sophisticated treat.
2021 Marche Rosso “Bastian Contrario” • La Marca di San Michele $27
Pure Montepulciano grown on limestone hillsides at high elevation: savory, smoky, and full of country charm.
A walk through the vines of La Marca
The countryside of Le Marche
Verdicchio grapes
Le Marche, shaded in green
Le Marche 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.
Shipping included with sampler purchase.
|
Normally $148.00 SPECIAL SAMPLER PRICE $118.00 (a 20% discount) |
About The Region
Le Marche
Le Marche’s reputation as a producer of fine wine is relatively recent, as the region is very much off the beaten path for tourists and tasters alike. And yet, early Etrsucan and Roman civilizations grew grapes here, a tradition that persists and continues to gain momentum in this undulating land where the Apennines descend to the Adriatic.
In between the warm coastline and the cool, rugged mountainous border with Umbria lies a landscape of calcareous rolling hills that provide ideal conditions for viticulture. The zingy, green-tinged, citrus- and pine-scented Verdicchio is king here, producing delightfully crisp whites that perfectly complement the fresh fish and seafood stews of the Adriatic, in addition to the pork-based dishes that are staples inland. Around the towns of Jesi and Matelica, the grape takes on an additional dimension and is even capable of significant aging under the right conditions.
While our involvement in the region is recent, the two producers we represent demonstrate that Le Marche is capable of producing whites of serious interest, which often come at great value.
More from Le Marche or Italy
2021 Marche Rosso “Bastian Contrario”
La Marca di San Michele Italy | Le Marche
2024 Rosso Piceno
Colleleva Italy | Le Marche
Spumante Dosaggio Zero Col Fondo “Numerosei”
La Marca di San Michele Italy | Le Marche
2021 Barolo “Marassio”
Giulia Negri Italy | Piedmont
Vino Spumante “Cuvée dei Vignato”
Davide Vignato Italy | Veneto
2024 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi
Colleleva Italy | Le Marche
2024 Valle d’Aosta Petite Arvine
Château Feuillet Italy | Valle d’Aosta
2016 Venezia Giulia Malvasia “Selezione”
Kante Italy | Friuli
2024 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Capovolto”
La Marca di San Michele Italy | Le Marche
2022 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva “Passolento”
La Marca di San Michele Italy | Le Marche
2024 Bardolino “Le Fontane”
Corte Gardoni Italy | Veneto
2024 Lacrima di Morro d’Alba
Colleleva Italy | Le Marche
2021 Marche Rosso “Bastian Contrario”
La Marca di San Michele Italy | Le Marche
2024 Rosso Piceno
Colleleva Italy | Le Marche
Spumante Dosaggio Zero Col Fondo “Numerosei”
La Marca di San Michele Italy | Le Marche
2021 Barolo “Marassio”
Giulia Negri Italy | Piedmont
Vino Spumante “Cuvée dei Vignato”
Davide Vignato Italy | Veneto
2024 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi
Colleleva Italy | Le Marche
2024 Valle d’Aosta Petite Arvine
Château Feuillet Italy | Valle d’Aosta
2016 Venezia Giulia Malvasia “Selezione”
Kante Italy | Friuli
2024 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Capovolto”
La Marca di San Michele Italy | Le Marche
2022 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva “Passolento”
La Marca di San Michele Italy | Le Marche
2024 Bardolino “Le Fontane”
Corte Gardoni Italy | Veneto
2024 Lacrima di Morro d’Alba
Colleleva Italy | Le Marche
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
For the wines that I buy I insist that the winemaker leave them whole, intact. I go into the cellars now and select specific barrels or cuvées, and I request that they be bottled without stripping them with filters or other devices. This means that many of our wines will arrive with a smudge of sediment and will throw a more important deposit as time goes by, It also means the wine will taste better.