($24, Empson USA):  The Bucci family, farmers in the region from the 18th century, started bottling their wines only in 1983.  They’ve rapidly shown themselves to be of the DOC’s top producers.  Reasons why the wines are formidable is the age of the vines — mostly 40 to 50 years — and their parsimonious yields, which run about half of the quantity allowed by DOC regulations. … Read more

($16):  Verdicchio di Matelica, the smaller and lesser known than Verdicchio di Castelli Jesi, is landlocked, unlike its more famous sibling.  Despite its location, paradoxically, its wines have a more marine influence because this valley in the Apennine mountains was underwater in ancient times. … Read more

($21): Verdicchio di Matelica, the smaller and lesser known region for this variety by comparison to Verdicchio di Castelli Jesi, is landlocked, unlike its more famous sibling.  Despite its location, paradoxically, its wines have a more marine influence because this valley in the Apennine mountains was underwater in ancient times. … Read more

($15, Enotec Imports):  Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi is one of Italy’s great white wines that flies under most peoples’ radar.  Italian wine regulators awarded the top category, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Riserva, DOCG status, showing the potential of the region. … Read more

($40):  In 2010, Italian wine regulators created a new DOCG by adding a Riserva designation to the Verdicchio dei Castelli Jesi DOC for wines that have been aged slightly longer and have been made from riper grapes.  To emphasize the importance of place instead of the grape, the official name became Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva DOCG. … Read more

($20):  This is a quintessential Pecorino, displaying verve, salinity and pleasant hint of lemon or a grapefruit rind bitterness in the finish.  This lively and energetic wine is great for balancing the pepperoncini that finds its way into the linguine and clam sauce.… Read more

($16):  So you’re not familiar with the Colli Maceratesi DOC or the Ribona grape?  Join the club.  Ribona, more commonly known as Maceratino Bianco, takes its name from the city (Macerata) in the western part of the Marche region.  The Colli Maceratesi DOC, comprising only about 600 acres, does not produce a lot of wine, which explains why we in the U.S.… Read more

($18): It’s easy to understand why Sartarelli, one of the region’s top producers, calls the wine Tralivio, which means around the olive trees, instead of using the tongue-twisting name of the DOC.  Wines made from Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi are undergoing a renaissance as producers realize that the focus should be on quality over quantity. … Read more

($49): A tiny — just over 350 acres — DOCG, Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Classico Riserva was carved out of the larger Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC in 2010. (They changed the name — putting the geographic name, Castelli di Jesi, before Verdicchio, the name of the grape — a year later, in 2011.)… Read more

($18, T. Edward Wines): Pecorino is also a grape, not only a cheese.  And one that is capable of producing lively white wines with refreshing vibrancy, such as this one.  This light wine delivers a precise cutting edge without being aggressive. … Read more

($36, Montcalm Wine Importers, Ltd): A blend of Montepulciano (70%) and Sangiovese, Le Caniette’s Morellone has weight and convey an alluring dark cherry fruit quality.   Nicely polished, it retails a hint of charming rusticity in the finish, which frankly, adds to its appeal. … Read more