Marche, Italy

Marche is a region on the eastern side of central Italy, most readily associated with white wines from the Trebbiano and Verdicchio grape varieties. Due to the influences of the Apennines, the Adriatic and the region's rivers, there are various climates at work in Marche. Therefore wine producers in the region work in both warm and cool viticultural zones with calcareous, clay and limestone-rich soils. The vineyards cover around 25,000 hectares and produce almost two million hectoliters of wine annually. Marche is best known as a white wine region, although it is also home to some reds of very high quality. The leading white varieties here are the ubiquitous Trebbiano (in various forms) and Verdicchio.