Housed in an old monastery half an hour from Italy’s Adriatic coast in the region of Le Marche, Colleleva’s cellar is the source of one of the country’s greatest overachievers: this Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi. With its notes of lime, anise, and sea breeze, it is a perfect match for all kinds of dishes.

The vineyards of Colleleva (Colle “hill”, and si leva, “rises”) lie on the heights of the Marche: about halfway between the Apennine mountains and the coastline of the Adriatic Sea. The combination of eastern sun exposure and the cooling winds from the Adriatic provide an optimal microclimate for balancing ripeness with fresh acidity in the grapes. Verdicchio, also known as Trebbiano di Soave, has been cultivated in the Marche for many centuries. It is capable of making vibrantly fresh and crisp white wines that are a wonderful accompaniment to seafood. The Riserva bottlings can age gracefully. From Colleleva we have a wine in the former camp. During a tasting trip in the Marche, their stainless steel tank vinified Verdicchio was one of the stars among many, many wines tasted. The perfume is entrancing—at once fresh and rounded, and typical of the grape. There is absolutely no pretension.