Saturday 28 July 2012

Rosso Piceno wines of Le Marche

The Le Marche regions white and red wines are still relatively unknown in the UK,other parts of the world and also in many parts of Italy, this is a great pity as the region produces some excellent wines and the red Rosso Piceno is one such wine.
The red wines which are mainly produced in the region are the Rosso Conero, Rosso Piceno and Lacrima di Moro d'alba plus a small amount of the lovely red sparking Vernaccia di Serrapetrona which is produced in the centre of the region.
Rosso Piceno is a DOC wine and was the first DOC in the Marche region. The wines are usually produced in the south of the region, in the areas around the towns of Offida and Riptransone, but the grapes are also grown and some excellent wines produced in the central area of Marche closer to the regional capital of Ancona.
Rosso Piceno Superiore is produced in much smaller quantities and is only allowed to be produced in only 13 small areas or municipalities. The wines differ from the normal Rosso Piceno in that they are aged in wood to give them more character and more pronounced flavours and aromas.





Sangiovese and Montepulciano are the two main grape varietes which are blended to produce Rosso Piceno along with smaller quantities of  Trebbiano and Passerina, but these will only normally will only be present in a maximum quantity of  up to 15%.
Rosso Piceno and Rosso Piceno Superiore are wonderful wines for drinking on their own as they are not too  complex on the palate, but fruity and easy to drink. This is not always the case with the Rosso Conero or the Lacrima wines as they tend to be more complex and much more suited to accompany food.
But as with most wines, Rosso Piceno and Rosso Piceno Superiore are normally at their best when they accompany a meal, and very suited to red meats such as lamb and pork and also game, but also go well with chicken and some fish dishes.





Vinitours works closely with small producers of both Rosso Piceno and Rosso Piceno Superiore wines, where possible we try to make sure that most of the wines are produced organically. We then promote the wines and the also the Le Marche region in London, Oxford, Cambridge and also Norwich.
The events that we organise are often accompanied with tutored tastings of the Rosso Piceno and also the Rosso Piceno Superiore wines, where we also offer tours with accommodation in Le Marche to interested individuals and also larger groups.