La Valle del Sole Marche Offida Passerina IGP '22

Producing wine in the southern Marche is no easy task. It is quite warm, and many of the wines from the area can be overblown and alcoholic. It takes a lot of hard work in the vineyard and skill in the winery to produce wines with balance. Hailing from 11 hectares of certified organic vineyards in historic Offida, La Valle del Sole is a fourth-generation family estate led by Silvano di Nicolò and his daughters Alessia and Valeria. Alongside Alessia is her husband, Alessandro d’Angelo, whom you can often find working in their beautiful vineyards. 

Cultivating native varieties like Pecorino, Passerina, and Montepulciano with vines aged between 20 and 60 years, they’ve honed an approach rooted in listening to the land—organic, hands-on farming that started in earnest in 1990. The Passerina vines are planted on clay soils, and the vineyard parcels range in age from 15 to 60 years old. The fruit is manually harvested, with 12 to 24 hours of cold skin maceration before fermentation, and gently pressed. Fermentation and élevage are carried out in large concrete tanks on the lees.

The nose shows aromas of pear, white peach, and ripe lemon, with notes of chamomile, beeswax, and fresh green herbs. The acidity is moderate plus, and the finish has a touch of green-olive brininess. A great pairing for fish grilled with lemon and fresh herbs, or pasta with zucchini, ricotta, and basil.