Marche occupies a roughly triangular area. Its longer sides are formed by the Apennine Mountains in the west and the Adriatic Sea in the east. Emilia-Romagna and Abruzzo are its neighboring regions to the north and south respectively, and it is separated from Umbria only by the Apennines.
The finest expressions of Verdicchio are found in the DOCGs Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi and Verdicchio di Matelica. These green-hued, refreshingly crisp, green-tinged white wines are characterized by lively acidity and subtle herbaceous undertones, and are an excellent food match for Brodetto di Pesce, a rich seafood stew made locally.
Another notable white wine from Marche is Bianchello del Metauro, made from Bianchello (also known as Biancame) grapes grown around the Matauro river valley. Other widely planted white grape varieties include Pinot Bianco, Malvasia Toscana and Pecorino.
Among the red wines of Marche, the finest are generally made from the Montepulciano grape and/or Sangiovese. The duo dominate central Italian red and here make the intensely fragrant Rosso Conero Riserva. They are backed up by Ciliegiolo, Pinot Nero, Lacrima di Morro and notably Vernaccia Nera. The latter is used in the sparkling DOCG wine Vernaccia di Serrapetrona.
Supporting these fine reds are DOCs Rosso Conero (only the riserva can carry the DOCG status) and Rosso Piceno. These firm, tannic wines add a degree of diversity in the sea of Marche's white and lighter reds. Another pair of promising DOCs are Terreni di Sanseverino and Lacrima di Morro d'Alba. The latter is an aromatic red wine based on Lacrima (di Morro), a variety peculiar to the commune of Morro d'Alba. It is usually dry but sweet passito versions are also bottled.
