Discover this sweet wine from Marche with marcheholiday!
This typical product of the Marche tradition, with a limited production, is so precious and appreciated as to be considered a national treasure.
Perhaps you noticed during your Marcheholiday holiday that the beautiful Marche region is home to renowned and excellent wines and beverages, and among these you will surely find the special Vino di Visciole!
It is a sweet alcoholic beverage (14°) based on visciole, a variety of wild cherries, dark red in color and with a sour taste, similar to sour cherries, which grows spontaneously on the hills of this beautiful region.
These cherries are harvested by hand between the end of June and the beginning of July. Perhaps you will find them during your relaxing nature walks close to your country holiday home, surrounded only by rolling hills and cultivated fields! In the historic recipe, the cherries are left to macerate with sugar throughout the summer and then added to the must for fermentation. The vines for the must are preferably red grapes such as Montepulciano and Sangiovese, widespread in the Macerata area (take a look at one of our wonderful villas in the area), but also with white grapes such as Verdicchio.
Like many other excellences from the Marche region, Visciole wine was already known in the past: starting from the Middle Ages and then in the Renaissance it was appreciated by the nobles in the courts, first among all Federico da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino; moreover, the monks were great producers (and consumers!) of this delicious drink in their abbeys and convents.
But the most curious thing about Vino di Visciole is the fact that it was banned for decades, as it was considered an adulteration of wine and therefore the farmers used to hide flasks of Vino di Visciole in the barns and stables and consume it during family celebrations. Its production and marketing was only legalized in 1993.
The Vino di Visciole is mainly produced in two areas of the region, the province of Pesaro and the hinterland of Ancona in the territory along the river Esino.
The municipality of San Paolo di Jesi hosts a special event every autumn: the "Festa del Vi' de Visciola", a unique fair of its kind! On this occasion, this typical product and other local specialties are celebrated through concerts, shows and menus dedicated to tradition with original sour cherry-based recipes.
Speaking of cooking: thanks to its sweet taste, Vino di Visciole is best appreciated with desserts such as tarts with wild berries but also the classic donut from the Marche region or dry pastries (Cantucci and Vino di Cherries are a terrific combination!). It also goes well with aged cheeses, but as a meditation wine it can be drunk alone without accompanying any food.
An extra tip for you: enjoy a magical evening in your holiday home immersed in the quiet of the countryside, sharing a glass of Visciole wine with your sweetheart, family or friends!
And why not take the opportunity to organize a special dinner with a private chef in the villa? You will certainly keep a unique memory of the Marche and its local products.