Verdicchio (Marche, Italy)

Verdicchio is a grape that honestly, I have not thought about for a while. But, while thinking about some other wines and googling to understand better some of what we customarily drink, I happened upon thoughts from several sommeliers that have Verdicchio on their list of most underrated grapes. And, what better day to drink an excellent white wine than one that is forecast to be one of the hottest on record in large swaths of the country.

To find this grape in its purest form, we go to its home in Marche, one of the twenty administrative regions of Italy on its eastern (Adriatic) coast just to the south of the tiny principality of San Marino. While we are here to enjoy the wine, its worth noting that Marche is home to some of the finest leather production in the world. When we think of fine footwear, we often think of Italian shoes and when the Italians think of the finest, they head to Marche. In addition, it was one of the homes of Renaissance art, birthplace of Raphael (the artist, not the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle). And, it is named for the many medieval marches that went through the region.

Geographically, the region is quite diverse, although mostly quite hilly even near the seaside with the tallest peaks towering upwards of 2200m/7300 feet. So, the climate varies as we might expect -- temperate, almost Mediterranean near the sea, but much cooler with heavy winter snows in the mountains. And, inland, the area gets quite a bit of rain, but there is far less along the sea. Most of the Verdicchio is grown closer to the sea. And, the Adriatic, being quite salty in nature, gives the wine a bit of salinity, much in the nature of Assyrtiko.

Upon opening a bottle of Verdicchio, perhaps the first thing we notice is the sweet bouquet. Think ripe Georgia peaches just waiting to be made into a warm peach pie. For the locals to Atlanta, imagine grabbing the fried version at The Varsity.

On the palate, it's different from most other wines we have been fortunate enough to sample on this journey; it has a quite oily texture as you first taste it (for this reason, it's often the base of many Prosecco and various apertifs). And, not surprisingly, this wine is brimming with peach, but also hints of lemon and perhaps a few salty, oily almonds. It's dry and light, and fairly acidic.

It pairs well with a well thought out salumi plate, particularly with the cured meets of Italy. Think Prosciutto di Parma, Bresaolo, Soppresatta, or Mortadella. And, don't be afraid to add some delicious Marcona almonds, some oily local olives, and some mozzarella cheese.