Marche Flashcards
What are the major white grapes in the Marche?
Verdicchio, Pecorino, Passerina
What are the major red grapes in the Marche?
Sangiovese and Montepulciano
What is the major city in the Marche?
Ancona
Who is the most famous American winemaker born in the Marche?
Cesare Mondavi
What are the neighboring wine regions to the Marche?
Abruzzo to the south, mainly Umbria (but also Tuscany and Lazio) to the west, Emilia-Romagna to the north.
What is the source of pecorino cheese?
sheep’s milk
Where is the Rosso Conero DOC wine region located?
just south of the Le Marche capital of Ancona in the mountains
What is the dominant grape in the Rosso Conero DOC?
Montepulciano
What is the climate in the Rosso Conero DOC?
dry Mediterranean climate
What is the soil type of the Rosso Conero DOC?
poor soils of calcereous clay
Where is the Rosso Piceno DOC wine region located?
Surrounds Rosso Conero DOC and extends to Abruzzo border.
What is the dominant grape in the Rosso Piceno DOC?
The wines here must be between 35% and 85% Montepulciano and 15% to 50% Sangiovese. They also allow a maximum of 15 % of other varieties including some white grapes.
What is the climate in the Rosso Piceno DOC?
climate varies due to enormous size.
What is the meaning of word “Verdicchio”?
little green one
Where is the Verdicchio Castelli Di Jesi DOC wine region located?
in the Marche, just west of the city of Ancona and west of the Rosso Conero DOC
What is the soil type of the Verdicchio Castelli Di Jesi DOC?
limestone, clay and calcareous soils
What are the major rivers of the Verdicchio Castelli Di Jesi DOC?
the Cesano and the Esino
What is the signature style of wine from Vernaccia di Serrapetrona DOCG?
a spumante red
What are the Marche DOCG wine appellations?
Conero, Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva, Offida, Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva, Vernaccia di Serrapetrona.
What is the Lacrima grape and where is it found?
Lacrima is a rare red wine grape that is native to the Marche region. It is almost entirely found in the Italian DOC Lacrima di Morro d’Alba.
Where are the most distinguished white wines of the Marche made? and how do they compare with the more commercially successful region growing the same grape?
it is in the mountainous terrain of Verdicchio di Matelica that the most distinguished wines made, with a fuller mouth feel and greater complexity than those from Jesi.
Marche’s dominant soil types
Be familiar with the history of the wines of Castelli di Jesi
The “need to know” grape varieties and their main characteristics
Key figures/producers associated with specific grape varieties
Marche’s principal vine training systems
Where the “need to know” appellations are situated within the region
Be familiar with the main rivers in the “need to know” appellations
The grape varieties and principal wine styles of the “need to know” appellations
The different categories of Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi
The aging requirements of all the DOCGs
What topographical structure dominates throughout the Marche? Which feature is absent?
Hills (69%) predominate. Plains are absent.
What are the factors that influence the region’s climate?
The main factors are the Adriatic Sea and Central Appenines. The orientation of the sea coast also influences the climate as the northern sea coast has a more east-west orientation which results in more exposure to northeasterly winds.
Which mountain range forms the natural western border of the Marche?
Central Appenines
What is the interaction between ocean air and rivers in the Marche?
Rivers channel oceanic air currents up the valleys to the interior.
Who are the Senones?
Celtic tribe that defeated the Piceni in the Marche around 400 BCE
What was the progression of cultures in the Marche up to the Goths? Which had a positive influence on viniculture?
Piceni (first documented settlers 1000 - 300 BCE) Senones (Celtic) Greek settlers (+w) Romans (+w) Monks (+w) Goths
Which grape is the most widely planted in the Marche?
Sangiovese
What are the 3 most widely planted grapes in the Marche?
Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Verdicchio
Which wine appelation surrounds the Monte d’Ancona promontory?
Conero Rosso DOC and Conero Riserva DOCG
Name 3 native grapes to the Marche.
Lacrima, Pecorino, Passerina [not Verdicchio!]
Verdicchio is native to which wine region?
Veneto (aka Trebbiano di Soave)
What is the only Italian DOCG that only produces red sparkling wine?
Vernaccia di Serrapetrona
What is the primary grape used in Terre di Offida DOC? What styles are produced?
Passerina based; spumante, passito and vin santo [not still dry]
The woodpecker is the symbol for which Italian region and why?
Marche. The Piceno tribe came to the Marche under the guidance of a woodpecker that showed the founders the way.
Describe the contribution of Sangiovese and Montpulciano to wines in the Marche.
Often blended together, Sangiovese dominates in the north and Montepulciano dominates in the south.
What is the proportion of red and white wine in the Marche?
Nearly balanced, slightly more red wine is produced.
What is the significance of Conero Riserva DOCG?
cru for Montepulciano
What vinicultural change was responsible for the improvement in quality of Verdicchio wine style starting in the 1950’s?
the grapes were no longer fermented with skin contact.
What is the significance of Fazi Battaglia?
first producer to bottle Verdicchio in a green amphora-shaped bottle [P]
Which grape varieties are allowed in Offida Rosso DOCG?
Montepulciano and Cabernet Sauvignon (less common now)
What is the significance of organic viticulture in the Marche?
20% of the vineyards in the Marche are organically farmed, representing an outsized 7% share of the organic viticulture in Italy.
What is the geographic region of the classico district of the Verdicchio Castelli Di Jesi DOC?
Esino River Valley
What Marche wine appellation is the largest and most productive?
Verdicchio dei Castellei di Jesi DOC
What are the important synonyms for Verdicchio?
Turbiana and Trebbiano di Soave
What was the progression of cultures in the Marche after the Goths? Which had a positive influence on viniculture?
Goths Byzantines Lombards (Southern, then Northern control) Charlemagne Papal States Local nobility/Maritime republic/comuni (+w) Papal sovereignty Kingdom of Italy
Where is the Offida winegrowing area located?
southeastern corner of Marche
What rivers from the border of Offida?
Aso River northern border, Tronto River southern border
What is the UNESCO site in the Marche?
Urbino
Why was Verdicchio spared the triple plaque in the late 19th century in the Marche?
sheer number of vines and reputation for good wine
Wine in the Marche improved starting in the 1960’s due to what factors?
end of mezzadria and introduction of DOC system
What is the significance of theEsino River?
linked to Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio DOCG
Compare the Battle of Trasimeno and the Battle of Matauro.
Trasimeno (Umbria) - Hannibal ambushed the Romans in 217 BCE; Matauro - Hasdrubal (Hannibal’s brother) was defeated by Romans 207 BCE after Carthaginians got drunk on Marche wine
What is wine quality pyramid in Marche?
35/30/35
What is the “elbow of Italy”?
Shift in coastline at Ancona, Marche
What are the need to know appellations of the northern Marche?
none
What are the need to know appellations of the central Marche?
Conero Riserva DOCG, Rosso Conero DOC, Lacrima di Morro, Verdicchio Castelli Di Jesi DOC, Castelli Di Jesi Verdicchio DOCG; Verdicchio di Metalica DOC; Verdicchio di Metalica Riserva DOCG, Vernaccia di Serrapetrona DOCG; Serrapetrona DOC [CVS Market: Cx2;Vx4;Sx2]
What are the need to know appellations of the southern Marche?
Offida DOCG; Terre di Offida DOC; Rosso Piceno DOC
What are the two main rivers associated with Verdicchio Castelli Di Jesi DOC?
Ensino (south) and Misa (north)
What grapes are associated with Vernaccia di Serrapatrona DOCG?
Vernaccia Nera
What is origin of Vernaccia Nera?
debatable, IWS: Marche vs. Robinson: Spain (greater clonal diversity in Spain)
Describe the spumante style of Vernaccia di Serrapatrona DOCG?
3 fermentations: fresh grapes, dried grapes, mixed in tank; results in dry or dolce
