Marche food and wine: wines and typical products to savour

Not only breathtaking landscapes and villages rich in art, but also sweet and savory delights not to be missed.

The wonderful hilly landscape of the Marches is a real panacea for the eyes. But in the breathtaking views made of wooded spots, olive trees and cultivated fields there is much more than just a glance can appreciate. The mineral-rich soils give the vineyards all the nutrients necessary for the production of fine wines, while the land and local farms offer the visitor genuine and tasty ingredients, such as the Acqualagna white truffle . If you want to take a journey to discover Marche food and wine , here are the products not to be missed!

The homeland of the truffle?

There are few places in Italy that rival Alba when it comes to truffles. Le Marche, however, has nothing to envy to Piedmont in this sense. From the White Truffle of Acqualagna - to which autumn fairs are dedicated - to Bianchetto, up to the black truffle, this prized mushroom is a typical ingredient of Marche food and wine, capable of enriching any dish.

Your food and wine itinerary to discover the Marches can start right here: buying some truffles in one of the local shops, looking for them during an exciting organized truffle hunt (especially if you are staying at Casale degli Ulivi or another of our villas near Acqualagna) or savoring it in the culinary preparations of the area, capable of transforming it from a simple land ingredient to an excellence envied all over the world.

You can find its unmistakable aroma in the local oil - another great typical product of the region - or taste it in combination with pastas, risottos and rustic sauces. Or as an ingredient used to flavor cheeses and cured meats.

Marche food and wine: a good meal can be seen in the wine!

As varied in geographical conformation as in the food and wine offer, the Marches are a real jewel for lovers of good food. The particular conformation of the region - made up of hills, valleys, coasts, cliffs and mountains - is responsible for the variety of its finest wines, among which the Lacrima di Morro d'Alba DOC stands out, a red deriving from cultivation of the Lacrima vine. Characterized by an excellent rose scent - due to grape fermentation - Morro d'Alba can also be appreciated in the Superiore version - with more body and intense fruity scents - and Passito, excellent as an accompaniment to a dessert . If, on the other hand, you want to relax with a bottle of bubbly in one of our best villas, you cannot miss the Vernaccia di Serrapetrona DOCG, a sparkling wine characterized by a ruby red colour, an aroma ranging from floral to fruity - with tones reminiscent of those of ripe cherries - and a slightly bitter aftertaste, which gives this wine a gritty character.

Among the white wines, the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi stands out, the production of which is concentrated in the so-called "Zone dei Castelli", between the provinces of Ancona and Macerata. A single sip will be enough for you to appreciate the freshness and elegance of this full-bodied wine, which owes its name to its characteristic greenish hues and its fame to its pleasant organoleptic characteristics: floral aromas which recall the hawthorn and fruity hints of peach, apple and citrus, with a minerality that can be more delicate or more marked depending on the production area.

Finally, honorable mention to Visner, the sour cherry wine, made by fermenting for about 4-5 months the fruits of the same name in red wine, with the addition of sugar. The acidity of the sour cherry and its bitterish aftertaste give life to a sweet liqueur wine, but with a bitter hint that goes perfectly with traditional desserts from the Marche region.

The best cold cuts and cheeses from the Marche region

Every good wine deserves tasty ingredients to be paired with. Marche's food and wine owes a lot to local farms, thanks to which it is able to produce high quality cold cuts and cheeses. Among these, ciauscolo is one of the most appreciated cold cuts from the Marches in all of Italy, endowed with the European IGP mark since 2009. This soft cured sausage ismade with pork and flavored with garlic, pepper and wine (liver in some particular versions) and left to mature for a short period (at least 15 days). In addition to the intense flavor, the ciauscolo is known above all for its particular consistency, which makes it perfect to be spread on stale bread or croutons.

Equally representative of the typical Marche products is the Fabriano salami , made with fine cuts of pork, with the addition of cubed lard. Aged for about 60 days, this salami with a sweet and slightly smoky taste is a territorial excellence not to be missed!

Among the Marche cheeses (in addition to the classic pecorino) the Caciotta di Urbino and the particular Formaggio di Fossa stand out. Caciotta - locally called casciotta - has had the DOP mark since 1996 and is produced from sheep and cow's milk. Sweetish on the palate, it can welcome herbaceous hints in the versions matured in barrels with hay and chestnut leaves. The Formaggio di Fossa on the other hand, owes its name to the particular seasoning to which it is subjected. Also awarded the DOP mark and made with mixed milk, this cheese is produced according to an ancient recipe, which provides for the insertion in sandstone pits in the shape of a flask, where the straw is previously burned. At a depth of at least 3 meters underground, the cheeses - protected by cotton bags which also help their identification - ripen thanks to the bacterial colonies, during a stay of 80-100 days.

The flavors of tradition, including fresh pasta and desserts

If you are staying in one of our apartments, but you don't want to miss a taste of traditional pasta, you can learn how to make them by hand thanks to the lessons of Pasta Academy in villa. Alternatively you can simply sit down in one of the local restaurants and taste a plate of Maccheroncini di Campofilone IGP, an egg pasta dating back to the 1500s (it is said they were offered during the Council of Trent), made with wheat flour tender and durum wheat semolina. The PGI brand indicates the need to carry out each stage of preparation within the reference area, i.e. the territory located within the municipality of Campofilone, in the province of Fermo. The ability of their texture to retain the sauce more than other types of pasta makes them perfect for recipes based on meat sauce or tomato sauce. If, on the other hand, you are looking for something more particular, don't miss the tacconi di fave. Rough, thick and equally suitable for sauces (preferably with a delicate flavour) this pasta is made with broad bean curd and is characterized by a slightly sweet flavour.

Room for dessert? Among the typical Marche products there are also unmissable desserts, coming from the peasant tradition. You can enjoy a slice of lonzino di fico, a soft and fragrant mixture of dried figs, walnuts and almonds, sometimes with the addition of must or mistrà, an anise liqueur. If, on the other hand, donuts are not enough for you and you are looking for something equally good to combine with sour cherry wine, you can focus on cavallucci (so called due to their particular shape). They consist of a thick sheet and an internal filling of grape must, liqueur, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, raisins, and sometimes coffee, cinnamon and dark chocolate. A delicious and nutritious dessert with which to conclude your food and wine itinerary in the Marche region.

Is your mouth watering? Choose an accommodation on Marcheholiday and start tasting the best typical Marche products!