The 6 hectares of the San Nicolò vineyard are located in the heart of the Verdicchio D.O.C, 200 meters above sea level. The varietal has been vinified in this area since the 15th century.

Having produced excellent Verdicchio for three generations, the Brunori family has achieved a perfect balance of tradition in the vineyard (no chemicals, hand-harvesting, respect of the sandy soils) and innovation in the cellar (soft-pressing and microfiltering). The result is a wine of structure and fleshiness, with beautiful aromatics and a lovely, nutty finish.

This is also a wine for aging – 5 to 8 years – taking on more complex layers of aromas and textures.

Regional History
The Marches were part of a territory that extended inland along the eastern bank of the Tiber River and up north all the way to the Po Valley. The Umbri and the Picentes occupied the area during early Paleolithic times.

Colonized and organized by the Romans in the 3rd century B.C., the area was invaded by the Goths after the fall of the Roman Empire. In the 6th century, the northern part of today’s Marches came under Byzantine rule. In the 8th century, the region was donated to the papacy in two steps, first by Pepin the Short, the first Carolingian king of the Franks, in 754 and then by his son Charlemagne in 774.

Today’s region reaches from the eastern slopes of the Apennines to the Adriatic Sea. Among the reds, the Rosso Conero and the Rosso Piceno are particularly appreciated. The limestone-rich soil of places like the Mount Conero, combined with the dry maritime climate, give the Montepulciano grape their characteristic flavor.

The Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi wines complement perfectly local dishes such as rich seafood stews.

Regional Foods
Two distinct cuisines have evolved in Le Marche, as they have in other regions along the Adriatic: a coastal one based on fish and vegetables, and an inland one based on lamb, pork and mushrooms.

The tremendous variety of fish, shellfish (including Lobster, which is unknown elsewhere in Italy), vegetables and herbs has produced hundreds of simple dishes whose intent is to highlight the immediacy and freshness of these ingredients, e.g.: Brodetto marchigiano (fish stew with white wine and saffron) and muscioli all marinara (steamed mussels dressed with olive oil, herbs and lemon).

Pig is king in the foothills of the Apennines and mushrooms are hunted from April to December. Porchetta (suckling pig), sausages, salami and local prosciutti abound.

© Moore Brothers Wine Company

The Marra family has been growing fruit in Salento for over 40 years. Young Francesco Marra and his friend Francesco Winspeare began estate-bottling small quantities of wine in the late eighties. There are over 100 acres under vine, with the best sites and fruit reserved for the estate wines. From 100% Negroamaro, the Santa Medici Rosso exhibits bright currant and black-raspberry aromas that are accented by a natural, sweet spice. Cool, stainless-steel fermentation and aging allow the pure fruit of this unique vinifera variety to show through.

Regional History
Puglia, in the boot heel of Italy, is named for the Apuli tribe who settled the region over three thousand years ago. Despite constant occupation from the Byzantines to the Bourbons, Puglia, (also known as Apulia) has been Italy’s most bountiful source of wine and olive oil. Currently the region is among the most productive in the world, with the ripe soft grapes finding their way into wines from as far away as Tuscany.

The traditional red grapes for the Salento region are Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera. A more recent addition is Montepulciano. The rare, old traditional white varieties (Bianco d’Alessano, Bombino, Impigno) have given way to Garganega, Trebbiano, and, of course, the ubiquitous Chardonnay.

Regional Foods
In the narrow region of Puglia, mountains and plains meet and run along the coastline, forming an extremely productive agricultural landscape; wheat, olives and wine grapes all grow in profusion. Sheparding in the hills provides sheep’s and goat’s milk for cheeses (cacioricotta, canestrato, scamorza) and lamb (often grilled over fires of foraged wood, herb twigs and nut shells).

Access to the sea provides fish for grilling and Greek-influenced stews. Mussels, octopi, and oysters farmed in the Gulf of Taranto, are raised in the same way they were when destined for the tables of the Roman Senators. From the wheat grown on the fertile plains around Foggia come breads and a vast array of hand-made pasta. This artisan pasta-making tradition uses many of the concentrated, aromatic vegetables to create some of Puglia’s most distinctive dishes: garganelli with asparagus, orechiette (a particular favorite) with broccoli rabe, and cavatelli with arugula.

© Moore Brothers Wine Company