Le Marche occupies the central slice of the Adriatic coast of Italy. It is bordered to the north by San Marino and Emilia-Romagna, to the east by the Adriatic, to the south by Abruzzo, to the south-west by Lazio, to the west by Umbria, and to the north-west by Tuscany. It forms the knee of the Italian boot, between the aforementioned Adriatic to the east and the higher Apennine Mountains to the west. In terms of surface area, Le Marche is Italy’s 6th smallest region.
The name: Le Marche is the only Italian region with a plural name. ‘Marche’ or Marches derives from the German term for a border area.
Provinces: Ancona (AN). | Ascoli Piceno (AP). | Fermo (FM). | Macerata (MC). | Pesaro e Urbino (PU – previously PS).
Wine regions
DOCG (5): Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva DOCG. | Cònero DOCG. | Offida DOCG. | Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva DOCG. | Vernaccia di Serrapetrona DOCG.
DOC (15): Bianchello del Metauro DOC. | Colli Maceratesi DOC. | Colli Pesaresi DOC. | Esino DOC. | Falerio (Dei Colli Ascolani) DOC. | I Terreni di San Severino DOC. | Lacrima di Moro or Lacrima di Moro d’Alba DOC. | Pergola DOC. | Rosso Cònero DOC. | Rosso Piceno or Piceno DOC. | San Ginesio DOC. | Serrapetrona DOC. | Terre di Offida DOC. | Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC. | Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore DOC. | Verdicchio di Matelica DOC.
IGP: IGP Marche.
Wine production: 2018 Valoritalia’s Annual Report April 2018 estimated Le Marche wine production at 706,000hl. | 2014 Le Marche produced 915,000 hectolitres (down 12% on the previous year) of which 51.9% (475,000hl) was white and 48.1% (441,000hl) was red. However, the average production over the previous five years was between 880,000 and 890,000hl. Nearly half (45%) of the production (418,000hl) was taken by Vino da Tavola. DOC wine accounted for 35% (328,000hl). IGT wine accounted for 18.4% (169,000hl). | 2013 Le Marche produced 1,039,000 hectolitres (ISTAT). | 2012 Le Marche produced 918,000 hectolitres (ISTAT). | 2011 Le Marche produced 741,000 hectolitres (ISTAT). | 2010 Le Marche produced 927,000 hectolitres (ISTAT). Of this 427,194hl was DOC/DOCG wine (Federdoc). | 2009 Le Marche produced 782,000 hectolitres (ISTAT). Of this 385,816hl was DOC/DOCG wine (Federdoc). | 2008 Le Marche produced 871,000 hectolitres (ISTAT). Of this 437,293hl was DOC/DOCG wine (Federdoc). | 2007 Le Marche produced 757,000 hectolitres (ISTAT). Of this 427,049hl was DOC/DOCG wine (Federdoc). | 2006 Le Marche produced 1,090,000 hectolitres (ISTAT). Of this 463,385hl was DOC/DOCG wine (Federdoc). | 2005 Le Marche produced 1,206,000 hectolitres (ISTAT).
Bibliography
Attilio Scienza & Serena Imazio, Native Grape Odyssey Vol.1, p200 (Positive Press, 2019).
Burton Anderson, The Wine Atlas of Italy, Mitchell Beazley, 1990 p171-179.
David Gleave, ‘The Wines of Italy‘ (Salamander Books, London, 1989).
Dr Ian D’Agata, Native Wine Grapes of Italy, University of California Press, 2014. Richard Baudains, ‘Local hero’, Decanter, April 1997, p73-76.
Italian Wine Guide (Touring Club of Italy, 1999).
Native Grape Odyssey, Europe. Quality. Wine. Vol 1. (2019, Positive Press).
Aggiornamento Marzo 2019 as reported by Valoritalia Annual Report April 2018.