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.

The Pecorino white wine of Le Marche

Pecorino white wine is found mainly in the Le Marche region of eastern Italy though a small amount is also found in Abruzzo, Umbria and Lazio and the grape was nearly extinct by the late 1970s when a few forgotten vines were discovered by a Signor Griffoni. The grape variety is now cultivated in small amounts in the southern area of Le Marche and in some parts of Abruzzo, but is till considered a typical Marche white wine along with Passerina, Falerio and the very well known Verdicchio.
The main area of cultivation is in the area around the town of Offida in southern Le Marche and in the plains close to the Adriatic coast.
The small artisan organic wine producer Vini Centanni  near Montefiore in Le Marche works closely with Vinitours to promote their organic white wines in the UK and their organic Pecorino wine has proved very popular at wine tastings and events in London and Norwich in 2012


Pecorino grapes are thin skinned and so quite difficult to cultivate and this was thought to be one of the main reasons that this variety fell out of favour with growers and producers. The grapes are now grown by dedicated artisan producers and in a lot of cases they are only grown by organic methods, this is leading to a revival in their popularity with wine drinkers both in Italy and now in the UK.
The wines are medium bodied with medium to high acidity, spicy on the nose and has hints of melon, pear and also a slight nutty flavour, it goes well with fish but is even better suited to accompany chicken, pork and veal. Vinitours offers visits to the vineyards and areas where this lovely wine in now produced and tutored tastings and educational tours are available at our partners in southern Le Marche.

The Verdicchio white wine of Le Marche

Verdicchio is the most famous and well known white wine of the Marche region, its presence first recorded in the 14th Century. The while the grape is grown throughout the region it is most widely encountered in the DOC wines of Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi and Verdicchio di Matelica.

The grapes are primarily grown in the two central provinces of Le Marche, Ancona and Macerata while the area of Castelli di Jesi, located around the commune of Jesi in the Ancona province is the larger of the two areas and tends to produce a higher volume, while the wines of Verdicchio di Matelica are located in the nearby province of Macerata.

The Verdicchio grape is most probably indigenous to the Marche region but some believe that it may be genetically related to the Trebbiano grape variety, the clones of trebbiano grown in Lombarday and Soave are very similar. All the white grape varieties in Italy are probably originally genetically derived from the Greco grape type which is why most show some similarities even though barely noticeable in most cases.

The wine has a slightly green or yellow hew and can also be very slightly frizzante or sparkling and is excellent to have with pasta, fish and chicken.  

Vini Centanni Wines

Vinitours is pleased to be involved with the promotion of Vini Centanni which is a small family owned wine producer situated near the beautiful village of Montefiore dell' Aso close to the Adriatic coast in the south of the Le Marche region in Italy. The artisan wine maker Vini Centanni produces wines that are typical of the southern Le Marche region and these are now proving very popular with wine enthusiasts in the UK since the first introduction of limited supplies in the winter of 2012.
The father and daughter team who run the business are totally focused on producing wines that are only made using organic methods of production, and the quality of the wines is a true reflection of the skill and passion involved in their production..

Vini Centanni produces six wines, three whites, two reds and a rosato, these include a red Rosso Piceno, a white Passerina and a white Pecorino, all wines which are typical of this area of the Le Marche region.
The producer also has introduced a new type of stopper, this is made of glass and has two primary uese, firstly glass does not allow even small amounts of oxygen to reach the wine so reduces dramatically the effects of oxidation. Secondly it can allow the wine bottles to be sealed for re use and also the possible re use of the bottles so performing a valuable role in recycling and sustainability.

From the beginning of 2012, Vinitours are now able to offer tours, visits and workshops to this wonderful small wine producer in Le Marche. Vinitours has an in depth knowledge of the region and its small artisan producers, whether for wine or for other produce such as organic olive oils and pasta.
We also hold wine tastings in London and the east of England of many of the Le Marche wines we encounter through our work throughout the region. Our Italian associates who live in different areas of the region are also instrumental in finding small artisan producers such as Vini Centanni and Vini Venturi.

Truffles in Le Marche

In Italy the towns of Alba in Piedmont and Acqualanga in Le Marche are both world famous for their truffles, both for the white and the black varieties.

Acqualanga is a beautiful small town located in the Italian Apennine mountains in the Pesaro and Urbino province of the eastern Italian region of Le Marche, and its national festival that is held each Autumn is considered to be one of the most important Truffle festivals in the world. The area of countryside around the town has a particular climate that is particularly suited to the growth of truffles and this also allows truffles to be harvested all year round.
Acqualagna as a major fine food centre is also closely associated with the Slow Food movement in Italy and is part of the international Cittaslow network. Vinitours has been working in partnership with Slow Food Norwich in the UK for several years which as part of the Slow food movement is now also closely associated with Slow Food in Italy and groups in the Le Marche region.
This part of Le Marche is one of the most beautiful areas of this beautiful and unspoilt region of Italy, with stunning mountains and large remote forests which make up the Furlo Reserve which includes 3,600 hectares of wood, grasslands and mountain peaks. 

Vinitours together with our partners and associates in Italy are pleased to be able to offer from the autumn of 2011, a range of visits, tours and truffle hunts in this beautiful and fascinating area of  the Le Marche region.

From January to March the common black truffle is predominant, from April to June it is the summer black truffle, July to September the white Marzuolo truffle and then from October to January it is the most highly prized truffle of all, the white truffle, tuber Magnatum Pico.

There are three truffle fairs held each year in Acqualanga, the regional fair in February, the regional summer fair in August and the most important and prestigious, the national truffle fair held in the last two weeks of October.

Vinitours is very pleased to work closely with our friend and associate Andrea Tomassetti from Le marche to offer personalised truffle hunts in the countryside near the Adriatic resort of Senigallia, these tours cater for smaller groups who also may wish to visit the mill where Andrea produces his wonderful Montedoro range of olive oils and also the local organic wine producers.

We are also pleased to now be involved with one of the premier producers of truffles in Le Marche and based in the area of Acqualagna,and we can offer larger group tours and visits to this area. The tours in Acqualagna include taking part in tutored tastings and hunts with their truffle experts with accommodation being provided should this be required.

Le Marche wine producers

Vinitours has been very proud to promote wine producers from the Le Marche region of Italy because we have been involved with this beautiful region of Italy for nearly twelve years.
We have an in depth knowledge of the region and have associates, friends and contacts both in central and southern Le Marche in the areas near Ancona and Senigallia and in the south near Fermo and Grottamare.
Le Marche produces some wonderful wines which are nearly totally unknown in the UK and hardly known outside the region, even in other parts of Italy and we are working hard on changing this so that a wider public in the UK can be introduced to the lovely white and red wines of Le Marche.

The typical red wines of the Le Marche region include the Rosso Conero and Lacrima di Moro d'Alba,  from the area around Ancona and the fine Rosso Piceno which is mainly produced in the south of the region.
White wines include the famous Verdicchio di Castelli di Jesi and also the much less well known Falerio, Passerina and Pecorino wines.
Other wines produced in Le Marche include the sparkling Vernaccia di Serrapetrona and the dessert wine Vini di Visciole which is produced from cherries.

The wine producer who is a particular favourite of ours is the Azienda Agricola Mognon which is located just inland from the beautiful Adriatic resort of Senigallia in central Le Marche. The Azienda is owned and run by Floriano Mognon who is passionate about the production of organic wines and also other organic produce from his small estate.
The wines are typical of this area of the Le Marche region, but he also makes a truely memorable Rosato which is very popular with his clients and he exports a small amount of his wines to the UK but quite a lot of his production to both Germany and Japan. His wines do have names that are slightly unusual in that they are named after the various members of Sig Mognons family, including Riccardo, Irene and Floriano,and aslo includes the names of his daughter and wife.
Sig Mognon works closely with Vinitours and Frantoio Montedoro to offer tastings and tours of both the olive oil mill and groves together with wine tastings and workshops at the Azienda Mognon.

Azienda Vinicola Venturi

Vinicola Venturi is a small artisan wine producer which is based in the village of Castellone di Suasa in the central Le Marche region of eastern Italy. The extensive vineyards which make up this small estate are situated in this beautiful part of the Le Marche region, being only a few kilometres from the Adriatic coast and the coastal resort of Senigallia.
The idea for a commercial vineyard came after many years of wine making on a small scale by the father of the current owner. The vineyard was established in the late 1990s with the sole idea of producing superb wines which are all typical of the Le Marche region.
Working where possible using both the old established methods and the more modern techniques of production they believe that they make wines which show the true qualities and potential of the white and red wines from Le Marche.

The current producer, Roberto Venturi has recently completed an extensive upgrade and has enlarged the capacity of his vineyard in order to increase both the quantity and also improve the overall quality of his superb range of wines.
These wines include two white Verdicchio wines, a Marche bianco, Marche rosato, a Marche Sangiovese and a Rosso Piceno. He also produces two Grappa, a Grappa di Vinacce di Verdicchio and a Grappa di Vinacce di Aleatico which are much prized and quite rare.
Vinitours together with its UK based food and market company Sagraitalia can now offer tours and tastings at the Azienda, either as a stand alone visit or as part of a longer tour which can also include other wine makers in the area or even in other parts of the Le Marche region.
We can also incorporate visits and tastings to these wine makers with tours to olive oil producers, pasta and salami makers and other specialist food producers as well, each tour is completely bespoke and designed to fit the needs and requirements of the group or individuals  wishing to take part.