Verdicchio (, also , ) is a white

Italian wine Italian wine is produced in every region of Italy. Italy is the world's largest producer of wine, with an area of under vineyard cultivation, and contributing a 2013–2017 annual average of 48.3 million hl of wine. In 2018 Italy accounted fo ...

grape variety This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried ( raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see ...

grown primarily in the

Marche Marche ( , ) is one of the twenty regions of Italy. In English, the region is sometimes referred to as The Marches ( ). The region is located in the central area of the country, bordered by Emilia-Romagna and the republic of San Marino to the ...

region of central Italy.J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes'' pg 195 Oxford University Press 1996 The name ''Verdicchio'' derives from ''verde'' (or "green") and refers to the slight green/yellow hue that wines made from the grape can have.J. Robinson ''Vines, Grapes & Wines'' pg 54, 190, 241 Mitchell Beazley 1986 Verdicchio is the principal grape behind two ''

Denominazione di Origine Controllata The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: * ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English: “designation of origin”), * ''Indicazione geografica tipi ...

'' (DOC) wines produced in the provinces of

Macerata Macerata () is a city and '' comune'' in central Italy, the county seat of the province of Macerata in the Marche region. It has a population of about 41,564. History The historical city centre is on a hill between the Chienti and Potenza r ...

and

Ancona Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic ...

, Verdicchio di Matelica and Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi. In addition to producing still wines, Verdicchio grapes are also used to make

sparkling wine Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While the phrase commonly refers to champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that term for products exclusively produced in the Champagne regi ...

and

straw wine Straw wine, or raisin wine, is a wine made from grapes that have been dried to concentrate their juice. The result is similar to that of the ice wine process, but is a much older process and suitable for warm climates. The technique dates bac ...

.Oz Clarke & M. Rand ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 272 Webster International Publishers

History

Verdicchio has had a long history in the Marche region of central Italy with documents noting its presence there since at least the 14th century. Despite its sensitivity to climate conditions and propensity to produce variable yields of variable quality wine, Verdicchio was a very popular planting in central Italy with an estimated 65,000

hectares The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100- metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is ...

planted in the mid-1980s. These figures made Verdicchio the 15th most planted variety of any grape in the world, ahead of well-known varieties like

Chardonnay Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new ...

Pinot noir Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French words for ''pine'' and ''black.'' The word ''pine ...

Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...

and

Sangiovese Sangiovese (, also , , ) is a red Italian wine grape variety that derives its name from the Latin ''sanguis Jovis'', "the blood of Jupiter". Though it is the grape of most of central Italy from Romagna down to Lazio (the most widespread grap ...

. While

ampelographers Ampelography ( ἄμπελος, "vine" + γράφος, "writing") is the field of botany concerned with the identification and classification of grapevines, ''Vitis'' spp. Traditionally this has been done by comparing the shape and colour of the ...

believe that Verdicchio is probably

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

to the Marche, there appears to be a genetic relation to

Trebbiano Trebbiano is an Italian wine grape, one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the world. It gives good yields, but tends to yield undistinguished wine. It can be fresh and fruity, but does not keep long. Also known as ugni blanc, it ...

and Greco grape varieties. In particular, the clones of Trebbiano grown in

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and Soave show very close similarities to Verdicchio while genetic evidence has shown that Greco was probably an ancestor vine to nearly all of Italy's native white grape varieties.J. Bastianich & D. Lynch ''Vino Italiano'' pg 244–246 Crown Publishing 2005

Wine regions

While Verdicchio is widely grown throughout the Marche,

Umbria it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , ...

and

Lazio it, Laziale , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

regions, it is most often encountered in the DOC wines of ''Verdicchio di Matelica'' and ''Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi''. Castelli di Jesi, located around the commune of

Jesi Jesi, also spelled Iesi (), is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Ancona in Marche, Italy. It is an important industrial and artistic center in the floodplain on the left (north) bank of the Esino river before its mouth on the Adriatic ...

in the Ancona province, is the larger of the two areas and tends to produce a higher volume of wine. In Matelica, located in the nearby province of Macerata, the yields for Verdicchio are more restricted under DOC regulation with the best vineyard locations situated along hillsides of the

Esino The Esino (, la, Aesis) is a river in the Marche region of central Italy. Geography The source of the river is east of Monte Penna in the province of Macerata near the border with the province of Ancona. The river flows east past Esanatoglia and ...

valley.

DOC regions

The following is a list of DOCs that include Verdicchio as a permitted grape variety, along with other grapes that may be included in the blend in varying percentages that are regulated under the DOC label. The wines for which Verdicchio must account for a majority of the blend are in bold.P. Saunders ''Wine Label Language'' pp. 137–214 Firefly Books 2004 *

Cerveteri DOC Cerveteri () is a town and '' comune'' of northern Lazio in the region of the Metropolitan City of Rome. Known by the ancient Romans as Caere, and previously by the Etruscans as Caisra or Cisra, and as Agylla (or ) by the Greeks, its modern na ...

(Latium) – Primarily

, Romagnolo,

Moscato Giallo Moscato Giallo or Yellow Muscat is a white Italian wine grape variety that is a member of the Muscat family of grapes. Known for its large deep cluster of loose, deep-yellow berries and golden colored wine, Moscato Giallo is grown mostly in nort ...

and

Malvasia Malvasia (, also known as Malvazia) is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world. ...

with up to 15% of Verdicchio permitted along with Friulano,

Bellone Bellone is a white Italian wine grape variety that wine historians believed was cultivated in Roman times. By 1990, nearly of the variety was still being cultivated and eligible to be blended in the wines of several Latium ''Denominazione di o ...

and/or Bombino. * Circeo DOC (Latium) – Primarily Trebbiano with up to 15% of Verdicchio permitted along with other local white varieties. * Colli Maceratesi DOC (Marche) – Primarily Maceratino with up to 30% of Verdicchio permitted along with

, Incrocio Bruni,

Pecorino (grape) Pecorino is a white Italian wine grape variety that grows in the Marche, Abruzzo (wine), Abruzzo, Tuscany (wine), Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio regions of Italy. Ampelographers believe that the grape is likely native to Marche, where the soil destin ...

, Trebbiano, Malvasia and

Grechetto Grechetto () or Grechetto bianco is a white Italian wine grape variety of Greek origins. The grape is planted throughout central Italy, particularly in the Umbria region where it is used in the ''Denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC) win ...

. In addition to the still wine, Verdicchio is permitted in the blend of the ''spumante'' and ''passito'' wines as well. * Colli Martani DOC (Umbria) – Primarily Trebbiano and/or Grechetto with up to 15% of Verdicchio permitted in these

varietal A varietal wine is a wine made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label.The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2000.winepros.com.au. ...

ly labeled wines along with

Garganega Garganega (, ; meaning "from Gargano") is a variety of white Italian wine grape widely grown in the Veneto region of North East Italy, particularly in the provinces of Verona and Vicenza. It is Italy's 6th most widely planted white grape. It for ...

and Malvasia. * Colli Perugini DOC (Umbria) – Primarily Trebbiano with between 15 and 35% of Verdicchio and/or Grechetto and Garganega. * Colli Pesaresi DOC (Marche) – Can be made primarily of Verdicchio but can also be blended with Biancame,

Pinot gris Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio (, ) or Grauburgunder is a white wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot Noir variety, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name, but the gra ...

(w/o any maceration prior to

fermentation Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food p ...

), Riesling Italico, Sauvignon blanc,

Pinot blanc Pinot blanc is a white wine grape. It is a point genetic mutation of Pinot noir. Pinot noir is genetically unstable and will occasionally experience a point mutation in which a vine bears all black fruit except for one cane which produces white ...

, Chardonnay and Trebbiano. * Colli del Trasimeno DOC (Umbria) – Primarily Trebbiano with up to 40% of Verdicchio permitted along with

Verdello Verdello ( Bergamasque: ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Bergamo, Lombardy, Italy. It has a population of 6,494. Twin towns — sister cities Verdello is twinned with: * Balaruc-les-Bains, France Transportation * Verdello-Dalmine railwa ...

, Malvasia and Grechetto. * Controguerra DOC – Primarily Trebbiano and Passerina with up to 25% of Verdicchio permitted along with other local white varieties. In the sparkling ''spumante'', Verdicchio, Pecorino and Chardonnay are blended with Trebbiano. *

Esino DOC The Esino (, la, Aesis) is a river in the Marche region of central Italy. Geography The source of the river is east of Monte Penna in the province of Macerata near the border with the province of Ancona. The river flows east past Esanatoglia and ...

(Marche) – 50–100% Verdicchio with other local white varieties permitted up to 50%. * Falerio dei Colli Ascolani DOC (Marche) – Primarily Trebbiano with up to 15% of Verdicchio permitted along with Passerina, Malvasia, Pinot blanc and Pecorino. * Lacrima di Morro d'Alba DOC (Marche) – Primarily Lacrima (grape), a red wine, with up to 15% of Verdicchio permitted. *

Marino DOC Marino is a DOC wine that is produced on the western edge of the Alban Hills, south of Rome, and next to the town of Marino. The DOC was created in 1970. Marino wine is similar to the blend found in Frascati, and is primarily composed of Trebbia ...

(Latium) – Primarily Malvasia and Trebbiano with up to 10% of Verdicchio permitted along with other local white varieties. * Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC (Marche) – A minimum of 85% Verdicchio with Trebbiano and Malvasia permitted to fill in the remaining portions of wine. In addition to a still version both a sparkling ''spumante'' and

sweet Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, ketone ...

''passito'' style are produced in the DOC from Verdicchio. *

Verdicchio di Matelica DOC Verdicchio (, also , ) is a white Italian wine grape variety grown primarily in the Marche region of central Italy.J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes'' pg 195 Oxford University Press 1996 The name ''Verdicchio'' derives from ' ...

(Marche) -A minimum of 85% Verdicchio with Trebbiano and Malvasia permitted to fill in the remaining portions of wine. In addition to a still version a ''spumante'' and a ''passito'' style are produced in the DOC from Verdicchio.

Wine styles

Verdicchio can produce wines that are virtually colorless with noticeably high

acidity In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a ...

that can come across on the palate with

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...

notes. According to wine expert

Jancis Robinson Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, ComMA, MW (born 22 April 1950) is a British wine critic, journalist and wine writer. She currently writes a weekly column for the ''Financial Times'', and writes for her website JancisRobinson.com, updated daily. She ...

, well made examples from favorable

vintages Vintage, in winemaking, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product—wine (see Harvest (wine)). A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certa ...

can have flavors of lemons and slight bitter

almond The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree. Within the genu ...

notes. Robinson also notes that the naturally high acidity of the grape makes it a good base '' cuvee'' variety for producing sparkling wine. According to

Oz Clarke Robert Owen Clarke (born 1949), known as Oz Clarke, is a British wine writer, actor, television presenter and broadcaster. Early life Clarke's parents were a chest physician and a nursing sister. He is of Irish descent and was brought up Roman ...

, the quality of Verdicchio wines has improved since the later half of the 20th century as producers limit yields even beyond DOC regulation to produce fuller flavored grapes that can better balance its high acidity. Clarke goes on to note that the subtlety of Verdicchio flavors allows it to pair very well with a variety of foods.

Clonal variation and plantings

Trebbiano d' Abruzzo grapes before veraison

The Verdicchio grapevine is very susceptible to clonal mutations with several sub-varieties of the grape known to exist in central Italy under various synonyms ''(see section below)''. Like with many varieties of Italian wine grapes, this makes an exact cataloging of the number of plantings difficult. In her book, ''Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes'', Robinson reports in 1996 that there were nearly of Verdicchio found mostly in the provinces along the

Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to the ...

coast. That number is dramatically reduced from the number of plantings of Verdicchio in the mid-1980s when there was an estimated 65,000 hectares (all in Italy). However, some wine experts, including Jancis Robinson, speculate that it is likely that some of those plantings were actually

Synonyms

Over the years Verdicchio and its wines have been known under various

synonyms A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are ...

including Boschera bianca, Giallo, Maceratese, Maggiore, Marchigiano, Mazzanico, Niuivres, Peloso, Peverella, Peverello, Peverenda, Peverise bianco, Pfeffer, Pfeffertraube, Terbiana, Torbiana, Trebbiano di Lugana, Trebbiano di Soave, Trebbiano verde, Trebbiano Veronese, Turbiana, Turbiana Moscato, Turbiano, Turviana, Uva Aminea, Uva Marana, Verdello duro persico, Verdicchio bianco, Verdicchio Dolce, Verdicchio Doratel, Verdicchio Doratello, Verdicchio Giallo, Verdicchio Marchigiano, Verdicchio Marino, Verdicchio Peloso, Verdicchio Scroccarello, Verdicchio Seroccarello, Verdicchio Straccione, Verdicchio Stretto, Verdicchio Verdaro, Verdicchio verde, Verdicchio Verzaro, Verdicchio Verzello, Verdone, Verzaro and Verzello verde.Verdicchio Bianco

Vitis International Variety Catalogue The Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) is a database of various species and varieties/ cultivars of grapevine, the genus ''Vitis''. VIVC is administered by the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding (''Institut für Rebenzüchtung ...

, Accessed: September 23, 2017

References

{{Wines White wine grape varieties Wine grapes of Italy