🍇 Verdicchio

Verdicchio (Verdicchio bianco) is a white wine grape that in Italy is linked above all with the Marche region. According to the PDO single document, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi has a pale straw-yellow colour, a delicate almond scent and a dry, harmonious taste with a pleasant slightly bitter finish; total acidity is at least 4.50 g/l expressed as tartaric acid.

The Castelli di Jesi zone is 22 communes of the province of Ancona and 2 communes of the province of Macerata in the Esino river basin; the maximum yield is 14,000 kg/ha, and for "Classico Superiore" 11,000 kg/ha. The Matelica zone covers the communes of Matelica, Esanatoglia, Gagliole, Castelraimondo, Camerino and Pioraco in the province of Macerata and Cerreto d'Esi and Fabriano in the province of Ancona; the yield is up to 13,000 kg/ha. In both zones still, sparkling and straw (passito) wines are made, and Verdicchio is the main variety.

According to VIVC, in Italy in 2000 the variety covered 3,561 ha. Its wines are dry and fresh, with an almond note and a slightly bitter finish, and the zones also produce sparkling Verdicchio.

VIVC lists 86 synonyms of Verdicchio, among them Trebbiano di Soave, Trebbiano di Lugana and Peverella: outside the Marche the variety is known under other names.

Why it matters to you. On the label look at the zone: Castelli di Jesi or Matelica are different communes with different yield limits (14,000 and 13,000 kg/ha). A bitter almond finish is the norm under the specification, not a fault.