Friday read: The Verdicchio Renaissance

By Abbie Bennington

Published: 03 November, 2023

The white wines made from Verdicchio in Italy’s central Marche region were once famous for lining the supermarket shelves in its recognisable hourglass shaped bottle. Often considered generic in style, the varietal has undergone a renaissance in recent years. Is it time to revisit verdant Verdicchio in all its forms?

A recent trip to the Marche showed a very different story for this varietal as the potential for the grape continues to unfold. This is thanks to combined work of the regional chamber of commerce (LINFA), along with FIVI (The Italian Federation of Independent Winegrowers) and a new wave of experienced young winemakers. A grape variety that expresses many styles from a high acid dry wine, to fuller bodied white, to a myriad of different sparkling wines including Pet Nat.

Having met with many smaller, regional producers of Verdicchio it was clear that they all had one goal in common; to promote the variety in its diversity and quality.

“The English are in love with prosecco, I hope that one day when the bubbles have evaporated, they realise that there is a great white wine waiting for them, a wine that has been born in the largest organic district in Europe, a wine that is not scared to be compared to others, because everyone falls in love with Verdicchio,” says Luca Cruciani, owner of Metalica-based artisanal producer Casa Lucciola.

Cruciani goes onto express his take on the revived interest in the varietal outside of Italy’s own consumers and why.

“Today I see a new generation of young people who have worked abroad returning… bringing new techniques and fresh ideas. I also see new producers coming from outside the region to the Marche to invest in Verdicchio by renovating old vineyards and planting new ones. I see that compared to the early 2000s, wineries have almost doubled, many of them are small and led by young people under 40.”

Certainly, European and worldwide buyers on the trip were looking to this variety with fresh eyes for consumers in restaurants and bars.

Andrea Eby, importer for Canadian-based Vinsanity, said: “I think Verdicchio is well positioned to take advantage of modern drinking trends, it has a versatility to it that can appeal to a wide range of wine consumers.

“You can have winemakers that choose to embrace the more reductive fresher winemaking and I find that lovers of Sauvignon Blanc really appreciate that style. Or if you choose as a winemaker to incorporate more oxygen and higher temperatures into your winemaking it can make a richer style that can work spectacularly with food.”

But where can it stand in a crowded white wine market? Eby believes consumers will be enticed by “embracing the cultural side of the variety and the beauty of where this grape comes from – I think Verdicchio has entered a new era, one where younger winemakers are trying to make wines that appeal to consumers and make wines that have sense of place”.

Perhaps the proof of the continued and growing interest in Verdicchio stems from outside of the Marche region, those which showcase the varietal in restaurant and bar wine lists.

“The proof of the growing interest in Verdicchio is given by those who come to invest from outside the region, and also by the Italian restaurants outstide our region who have Verdicchio on [their lists]. Things are changing, albeit slowly, and more and more people, especially the most patient and willing to wait for the wine to show itself, understand the potential of this grape,” Cruciani believes.

With so many styles available these wines can fit into more modern dining trends. These include an increased appetite for more artisanal wines, with many producers working with sustainability and organics at the heart of their production.

Eby goes on to say: “I believe Verdicchio offers almost unparalleled versatility on a wine list. The ultimate bonus is that the longer the wines take to sell, the better they get. Verdicchio has such great aging potential that even the less expensive examples have the capacity to develop gracefully in the bottle.”

A wine that can be both reasonable in price and have capacity to age if not sold immediately leaves on and off trade businesses in a strong position when it comes to listing Verdicchio.

Eleonora Berluti, one half of sibling run winery La Calcinara, produces mainly red but also a Verdicchio as an IGT. She says: “It’s the most important white variety of the region and in the last year the interest in Verdicchio has increased a lot. It’s a fine wine able to compete with the great wines on a global level.”

This could make a winning combination for a variety once viewed as a simple wine. Now it seems to many to be anything but.

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