The two souls, the best red wines white wines of Piceno in 8 labels under 20 euros

Jan 22 2024, 16:44

In Piceno, a region in the southern part of the Marche, indigenous grape varieties such as Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Perocino, and Passerina are cultivated, giving life to excellent wines with a reasonable cost. Here they are.

There are just over 50 kilometers (as the crow flies) that separate the top of Mount Vettore (2476 meters above sea level) from the Adriatic Coast. We are in Piceno, in the southern part of Marche, and this information serves to understand how in an area, all in all, not very extensive, there can be great landscape and consequently, microclimatic variability.

In this territory, whose southern border with Abruzzo is marked by the Tronto River, where the Sibillini Mountains almost seem to struggle to make room for the hills (plains are practically nonexistent), viticulture has always been present. However, it is in the last twenty years (except for some sporadic cases before) that Piceno wines have come under the spotlight of the Italian market first, and then internationally. Thanks to the tireless producers, who, working tirelessly, have managed to increase the fame of their productions.

The rows descending on the slopes of the Piceno hills mostly host indigenous varieties: Montepulciano (who knows if in the Marche they can still call it that, or if they will be forced to use the rather bizarre and unknown synonym "cordisco") and Sangiovese are usually destined for the sunniest slopes. The combination of these two grapes gives life to the "Doc Rosso Piceno," which in a restricted area of the province of Ascoli Piceno can also boast the "Superiore" designation. The "bianchista" soul of the territory is instead represented by Passerina but especially by Pecorino, an indigenous grape contested between one side and the other of the Tronto, as we have often talked about: a DOCG, Offida, protects some of the finest expressions of the grape, produced in Piceno.

Piceno wines with the best quality-price ratio for the Berebene 2024 guide

The following is a short list of Piceno wines: these are the labels reviewed in the Gambero Rosso Berebene 2024 guide that have received ratings above 90 points and cost less than 20 euros.