Vernaccia di Serrapetrona: a unique DOCG wine from the Marche
3 minutes
From north to south, viticulture thrives across every province of the Marche, producing high-quality wines that bring the authentic flavour of tradition to the table. These are true gems of Italian winemaking that deserve to be discovered.
A red sparkling wine made from Vernaccia Nera grapes is produced in the area of Serrapetrona, a medieval village in the province of Macerata. The history of this place is closely intertwined with that of the local grape variety and the winemaking tradition passed down through the centuries.
In recent years, Vernaccia di Serrapetrona has been rediscovered and appreciated anew, with growing interest in this unique variety, whose virtues have been praised by well-known writers such as Mario Soldati and respected figures from the world of food and wine.
Vernaccia, a sparkling wine of great prestige
Vernaccia di Serrapetrona has been rooted in the Marche since the fifteenth century, and local wineries continue to produce it with the same skilled expertise, handed down through the generations.
This sparkling wine from the Marche stands out for its use of a native grape variety of the same name - Vernaccia Nera - cultivated in a specific area of the region that includes the entire municipality of Serrapetrona and parts of Belforte del Chienti and San Severino Marche.
The excellence of this natural red sparkling wine, unique in the world, stems from a distinctive harvest method. Only part of the grapes is vinified immediately. The remaining portion (at least 40%) is left to dry until mid-January. The must obtained from the dried grapes is then added to the wine from October, triggering a second fermentation and forming the base sparkling wine. After maturing, a third and final natural fermentation takes place, creating a sparkling wine with surprising aromatic complexity, whether sweet or dry.
Due to this particular winemaking process, production has always been very limited, making this wine all the more special and rarer.
Exquisite flavour from Vernaccia made in the Marche
Vernaccia from the Marche holds two important distinctions: it is the only red sparkling wine of its kind in the world, and the only one produced through three fermentations.
Since 2003, Vernaccia has also been recognised as the first DOCG in the Marche reserved for both sweet and dry sparkling wines. The production regulations are among the few in Italy to require not only that the native grape variety and vineyards be located within the Serrapetrona area, but also that both the winemaking and bottling processes take place locally.
The history of this wine is inseparable from that of Serrapetrona, a medieval village perched in the hills at around 500 metres above sea level, with a population of roughly 1,000. According to tradition, even in ancient times, guests in this area were served polenta made with maize and dressed with “sapa”, a sweet syrup made from cooked grape must, alongside sparkling Vernaccia.
Anyone visiting Serrapetrona simply must try Vernaccia with dessert. It pairs beautifully with dry pastries and biscuits. Today, the dry version is also gaining popularity, especially when served with spicy or semi-mature cheeses, rich meat dishes, boiled meats with sauces, and fruit mostarda.
Let yourself be carried away by the aromatic scent of Vernaccia, with notes of very ripe red fruit, jams and spices... pure magic!
Appassimenti Aperti: an event dedicated to discovering Vernaccia
Every November, Serrapetrona celebrates Vernaccia Nera with the event “Appassimenti Aperti”, two weekends during which producers open their doors to showcase the appassimento process - the technique used in producing wines, particularly dessert wines, that involves drying the grapes to concentrate their sugars, aromas and pigments.
If you visit this area in autumn, do not miss the chance to visit one of the local wineries and admire the beauty and charm of the appassimenti. After harvesting, the grapes are left to dry in special spaces such as drying lofts or on racks, where the air can circulate freely and the water evaporates. The result is a magical atmosphere best enjoyed slowly, camera in hand.
The ability of the producers to share an ancient story that renews itself with each passing season is what has made this event so successful. It has become one of the unmissable dates in the regional wine calendar.
