Marche & Abruzzo

Marche and Abruzzo occupy a stretch of Italy's eastern seaboard where the Apennine Mountains descend sharply to the Adriatic Sea. This dramatic geography — steep hillside vineyards, cooling sea breezes, and well-drained soils — creates ideal conditions for wines of both freshness and concentration.

Marche is the more northerly of the two, its vineyards clustered around the Conero promontory and the rolling hills of the Castelli di Jesi.

Abruzzo lies to the south, wilder and more rugged, where Montepulciano thrives in the heat and Pecorino has been rediscovered after centuries of near-extinction.

Together they represent one of Italy's most exciting and undervalued wine corridors — producing wines that rival Tuscany and Piedmont at a fraction of the recognition.

Marche's two great appellations are built around contrasting grapes and terroirs.

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC/DOCG covers the inland hills west of Ancona — a vast zone producing Italy's most versatile white grape. At DOC level it delivers crisp, mineral-driven whites for everyday drinking. At Riserva DOCG level, wines like Plenio develop extraordinary complexity, weight, and ageing potential.

Conero DOC and Conero Riserva DOCG centre on Monte Conero — a limestone promontory rising from the Adriatic south of Ancona. Montepulciano grown here produces some of Italy's most structured and age-worthy reds, with Cùmaro and San Lorenzo as the benchmark expressions.

In Abruzzo, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC is the workhorse appellation — producing everything from easy-drinking everyday reds to serious, concentrated wines. Pecorino IGT is the rising star — an ancient variety rescued from obscurity that now produces some of central Italy's most characterful whites.

Umani Ronchi's current releases span three distinct vintages — each telling a different story about the Adriatic coast's growing seasons.

2021 — The Reds
A warm, dry summer across Marche delivered exceptional concentration in the Conero reds. Diurnal temperature swings between the Apennines and the Adriatic preserved freshness and aromatic precision alongside the vintage's natural power. Pelago and Cùmaro Conero Riserva are both drinking beautifully now — structured, layered, and built for another five to eight years in the cellar.

2022 — The Riservas
A balanced growing season with well-timed rainfall and good acidity retention made 2022 an outstanding year for both Verdicchio Riserva and the Conero reds. Plenio shows the vintage's hallmark freshness alongside its characteristic weight and complexity. San Lorenzo and Jorio deliver the dark fruit and clean tannins that define a classic Montepulciano year. Drink now through 2028.

2024 — The Whites
A cooler vintage along the Adriatic coast preserved natural acidity and aromatic intensity in both Verdicchio and Pecorino. Villa Bianchi is at its most vibrant and floral — a textbook expression of Castelli di Jesi at its freshest. Vellodoro Pecorino shows the mineral clarity and persistent freshness that makes this ancient variety so compelling. Both are best enjoyed now through 2026.

Founded in 1957 in Osimo, in the heart of the Marche, Umani Ronchi has spent seven decades defining what the region's wines can be. Under the Bianchi-Bernetti family, the estate has grown from a local cooperative into one of central Italy's most respected producers — without ever losing its connection to the land.

Pelago, their Cabernet-led Marche Rosso IGT, announced the estate's international ambitions when it won the Best Red Wine Trophy at the International Wine Challenge on its debut in 1997. Cùmaro established Conero Riserva as a world-class appellation. Plenio redefined what Verdicchio could achieve at the top level.

Today Umani Ronchi farms across both Marche and Abruzzo — bringing the same rigour and ambition to Montepulciano and Pecorino that they brought to Verdicchio and Conero. Every bottle in this selection reflects that commitment.