Italy Panorama

The Piceno area of southern Marche is a great place for some unique wines, and a few that you will find nowhere else in the world. One of these is 100% from a grape with Greek roots that is grown in a small area of the Ascoli Piceno Provincia; Vino Pecorino.

The first time we heard of this wine we thought of the cheese, pecorino, which is a staple of the Italian diet. Pecorino cheese is named for pecore, Italian for sheep, who provide the milk that is used in its production. The pecorino grapes were originally discovered by shepherds tending their flocks in the hills of the Sibillini Mountains and they made these white grapes into a wine which was a part of their regular diet.

Vino Pecorino...a Marche gem

Now the pecorino grapes are grown closer to the Adriatic coast but on north slopes to take advantage of the cooler climate. These particular grapes are then the sole ingredient in Vino Pecorino but are also a component of the local Vino Falerio. They make for a typical hearty Piceno wine with an alcohol content around 14%.

The color and aroma of the wine does remind you of the cheese but this wine is strong enough to stand on its own with any dish.