Wine & other beverages

The regional red wine we know best is the Rosso Piceno, a blend of Sangiovese and Montepulciano (sometimes also with more varieties). You can taste and buy this wine in many different qualities and price categories.

The Rosso Conero (DOCG) is the red we particularly like. Just like the rosso piceno this is a blend of Sangiovese and Montepulciano, but this one comes only from a dedicated small area (Monte Conero near Ancona), is always made of only these two varieties with a dominant role for the Montepulciano  (85%). The dominance of the Montepulciano makes this wine very powerful.

The Lacrima di Morro d’Alba is more difficult to buy in our district. We tried it once, but were not positively impressed. It is a red wine made mainly of the Lacrima grape (85%). This grape is grown on a small scale in the small Morro D’Alba area in the Ancona district.

By far the most special local red wine is the Vernaccia di Serrapetrona (DOCG). The only red DOCG sparkling wine in the whole of Italy and truly delicious! This wineis made of the vernaccia nera grape, grown in Serrapetrona, a community at half an hour drive from Villa NuMoViv! There are 2 verisons of his wine: a dry and a sweet one. The dry red is usually drunk in between meals (but does go very well with toasted meat) and the sweet one (which is really not that sweet) with desserts. The production process of the wine is a special one, during which part of the grapes is hung up or laid down to dry for a couple of months. Serrapetrona organizes an annual vent that is completely dedicated to this great sparkling wine and it special production process. It ususally takes place in November.

The other day we also tasted a red non sprakling wine (San Ginesio Rosso) which was a blend of vernaccia nera, sangiovese and cabernet sauvignon, so apperently this grape is also starting new adventures!

Then there is also the Novello, launched in November of each year. A young, light red, similar to the French beaujolais primeur. This wine is actually also very tasty when drunk slightly cooled in summer.

The most famous white wine from Verdicchio, made from the grape with the same name. This wine is also produced in our district in a village called Matelica (a trip can be combined with a visit to the Metalica based Armani outlet, on the way to the Frasassi Caves).

But Le Marche produces couple of very nice other white wines: Pecorino, Falerio, Ribona (only in Macerata!) and Passerina. We are a big fan of Pecorino and Ribona! Falerio and Passerina are also tasteful (light) wines, great with e.g. a nice fish lunch, such as  fritto del mare, at the beach.

Obviously Le Marche also produces sparkling white wines. When you try to Google what is the difference between Prosecco, Frizzante and Spumante, you will hit many different stories. Le Marche does not produce Prosecco, as Prosecco is made of the prosecco grape which grows in another region. Prosecco can be either a ‘Frizzante’ or a ‘Spumante’.

Frizzante is a sprakling wine with a light bubble  and has another fermentation process than Spumante, the spumante having a stronger bubble. The bottles of Frizzante usually have a screw cap or a small cork with a wire. The bottles of Spumante come with the champagne cork, because of the higher pression. Spumante therefore comes closer to Champgane and is also more expensive than frizzante. Le Marche does produce Frizzante and Spumante of different grapes. We know for instance the Pecorino spumante and the Passerina Spumante.

Vino Cotto or ‘boiled wine’ of ‘is a dessert wine, mainly produced in Abruzzo and the southern part of Le Marche. It is produces both by professionals and by people at home! The wine is made by boiling the juice of freshly pressed grapes (most) in a copper kettle. After boiling it needs to ferment in a wooden barrel and mature for a long time. The wine is usually drunk after an extensive meal, with cantuccini or other dry pastry. Really delicious and not too sweet! The wine has an alcohol degree of around 14%.

Close to Villa NuMoviv you can find a village called Loro Piceno (20 minutes), which is famous for the vino cotto production. Annually in August the ‘Sagra del Vino Cotto’ takes place here. A culinary event around the Vino Cotto. There is even a Vino Cotto museum!