Italian Wine of the Month by Marty Piazza

The Wines of Le Marche

One of the most beautiful regions of Italy is Le Marche. Located to the east of Umbria, it is as beautiful as Tuscany but with fewer tourists and lower prices. These lower prices also apply to the wonderful wines of this little known region.

The whites are produced from the grapes Verdicchio, Pecorino, Passarina, and Trebbiano, and they are most appreciated for their refreshing simplicity. The reds are dominated by the two grapes San Giovese and Montepulciano (which has nothing to do with the Tuscan town of the same name). The blends of these two grapes vary by name around the region, but the most famous and impressive is known as Rosso Piceno. This is a Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) wine that comes from the southeastern half of the region with the blending requirements of 35%-70% Montepulciano, 30%-50% San Giovese, and up to 15% of other local red varietals.  The word Piceno must come from the town of Ascoli Piceno, which is the capital of the province, my favorite in all of Italy. And Rosso, of course, means “red”.

Tenuto Rio Maggio

One of the most enjoyable winery visits I made in Italy last month was to the property of Simone and Tiziana Santucci that is named Tenute Rio Maggio. What gracious hosts they were, and we spent a few hours together trying their wines and touring the estate. In true Italian fashion a few of their local friends stopped by to join us, and the conversation widened to life in general.

Rio Maggio is located in the new province of Fermo, north of Ascoli Piceno but still within the DOC. They make many fine wines, but only two are available in Ohio: a white blend called Telusiano, and their very special Rosso Piceno Vigneto Contrada Vallone. It is the 2007 of this red that I am recommending to you. It is a blend of 70% Montepulciano and 30% San Giovese from the Contrada Vallone vineyard. Relatively low in acidity by Italian standards, this is a soft rich red with deep notes of dark cherry and a long finish. It pairs well with most Italian meats and tomato based pasta sauces, and is particularly good with rabbit, a local specialty. And all of this for around $20 a bottle. Enjoy!


Marty Piazza is recognized as one of the foremost experts on Italian wines in southwestern Ohio.  Last spring he captivated a sold-out crowd at School Amici's Salute! class, a three-part series on Italian wine at the Mercantile Library.  Feel free to call on Marty's expertise anytime through-out the year at Piazza Discepoli, the Madiera location.