DRINK ITALIA!

© Enrico Caracciolo/Cubo Im ages

D’Abruzzo grape varieties, both of which flourish in the region. Montipulciano especially so – it loves the warm climate of le Marche, soaking up the sun until late in the season, when it’s finally harvested and blended with the earlier-ripening Sangiovese to produce wines that can either be lighter, fruiter and destined to be drunk young, or firmer, more tannic and crafted to have great levels of depth and complexity – wines that can age and which will reward the patient wine-lover over time.

the ability to age for a few years, during which time they will broaden and become intensely fruity. Thankfully, because the volume of red wine from le Marche is relatively low, the quality is – for the most part – reasonably high. And because the wines are not well known, their prices remains sensible, bringing them well within the budgets of most. Indeed, as you’ll discover over the page, there are producers making wines with depth and flavour, using entirely organic practices, that are being

There are producers making wines with depth and flavour that are being sold in the likes of Tesco and Waitrose for less than £5.

Of course, these grape varieties will be known to those of you who appreciate fine Italian wine – Sangiovese is used extensively across the country, and the Montipulciano D’Abruzzo is used, well, in Abruzzo to make some of the best wines from that particular region. But there are grape varieties in le Marche that are virtually unknown outside the region itself. There’s Lacrima, for instance, a strange vine type that’s grown only around the village of Morro d’Alba. At present only 30 producers are working the 102 hectares of vineyards here, experimenting with this truly ancient grape variety to make wines that vary in style. What they all have in common is a subtle aroma of violets and springtime flowers, a slightly earthy, mulchy taste and

sold in the likes of Tesco and Waitrose for less than £5. If you like to push the boat out then you’ll find excellent wines for less than £10 – something you can rarely say about wines from Piedmont or Tuscany, for example. Problem is finding them, though. Yes, Tesco and Waitrose have a red Marche wine each, as does Oddbins. But beyond this the high street is bare of reds from this region. So I would encourage you to pick up the phone or log on to the internet to order some Marche reds from the specialist wine importers we’ve sought wines from for this issue’s tasting notes. I’m convinced that you’ll enjoy wines of real quality, at absolute bargain prices. I !

June 2006 ITALIA! 79