Collection: Verdicchio

Verdicchio is an Italian white grape variety that has found its natural home in Marche in central Italy. The name comes from the Italian verde, meaning green, a nod to the greenish berries, and the grape is documented in Marche as far back as the 15th century. Our selection reflects exactly this: all the wines come from Italy, and every one is rooted in Marche, the homeland where Verdicchio truly shows its worth.

In Marche you encounter the grape above all through two classic DOC areas. Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi typically gives lighter and more floral wines, while Verdicchio di Matelica usually has higher acidity, more body and a little more alcohol. They are two expressions of the same grape, and the difference is a good guide if you want to know what awaits you in the glass. Both are built on a variety with high tartaric acidity that ripens late and evenly, with the harvest stretching all the way into October.

Beyond Marche, Verdicchio is also grown in Veneto, Umbria, Lazio, Toscana, Lombardia, Sardinia and Abruzzo, among others, and DNA profiling has shown that it is identical to Trebbiano di Soave. In Soave and Gambellara it is part of blends with Garganega, but Verdicchio often appears in blends rather than as a pure varietal. The dry versions are considered the most interesting, even though the grape is also made as a sweet wine and as a mousserende vin.

The variety is known for its adaptability, not least on clay-rich soils, and for an unusually good affinity with barrel ageing compared with other Italian white grapes. The fresh acidity means that good examples can age for ten years or more, and that they pair beautifully with food. If you want to explore, start with a light and floral Castelli di Jesi for lighter dishes, and move on to a fuller Matelica when you fancy more substance and length in the glass. That way you get a sense of just how versatile this marchigiano classic really is.