Two Excellent Wines from Chile's Aconcagua Coast DO, where "the vines grow happy and the grapes ripen slowly".

Two Excellent Wines from Chile's Aconcagua Coast DO where "the vines grow happy and the grapes ripen slowly"  

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Montes Alpha Pinot Noir Aconcagua Costa (DO) 2019, 14.5% 

RRP €23.99. The 1601; Martins Off Licence; Sweeney's D3; Higgins Off Licence; Blackrock Cellar; Wineonline.ie

“It is totally coastal influenced. In morning there’s mist and fog and then a shy sunshine from mid day. The vines grow happy. The grapes ripen slowly.” This was Aurelio Montes speaking of the Aconcagua Coast during a 2020 Zoomed masterclass as he sipped a Pinot Noir (Quite possibly this one).

Montes are serious players. According to the Wines of South America, Montes (founded in 1988) is credited for its pioneering work in the Colchagua’s Apalta district, the first to realise its potential as one of the best locations for red wines in Chile and “is among the most important wineries in Chile today”. As a further endorsement, their Alpha “M” (very limited production) is listed as one of the top 20 South American wines to drink before you die.

Bright ruby red is the colour of this 2019 Pinot Noir. It is quite aromatic, full of cherry, blueberry and raspberry, hints of vanilla too, sweet spice in there also. It is juicy and that bit spicy on the palette, hints of its time in oak (integrated), well rounded tannins, and a vibrant acidity helping the balance, keeping it smooth and elegant, as well as interesting, right through to the abiding and perfumed finish.  Very engaging,  totally likeable and Very Highly Recommended.

Montes Alpha wines are elegant and easy to drink, faithfully expressing the variety and terroir. “This has spent twelve months in French oak barrels, 20% new, for structure and complexity.” 

Their website tells us: Just 7 kilometres from the Pacific Ocean and located in the northern part of the Aconcagua Costa winemaking region, Viña Montes is the only winery with vines planted in this new D.O., characterized by cool, cloudy summer mornings, with sun at midday, and afternoons that see clouds reappearing with low temperatures. These conditions favor a slow ripening of the grapes that allow them to develop complexity and powerful aromas.

Importers Liberty Wines add: The proximity of the vineyards to the Pacific coast endows the wine with tremendous freshness, minerality, and cool climate typicity. The granitic soils of the Coastal Mountains have varying percentages of clay, which contributes elegance, creaminess and a unique sense of place.

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Best Value Wines 2022 Under €18.00. With Reviews & Irish Stockists. 

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Montes Classic Series Sauvignon Blanc Aconcagua Costa (DO)  2021, 13.5% ABV, €14.95 Bradleys Cork

Chilean Sauvignon blanc is usually pretty good and good value too, especially at entry level, as is the case here with this engaging Montes from the coastal vineyards of Aconcagua.

Colour is pale straw with green tones. Aromas are quite intense: herbaceous, pineapple, lime, and more. It is much the same on the palate, where a lively acidity comes into play, but you may also notice orange blossom and a light spice. 

No oak used by the way. An everyday wine they say. But a good one and Highly Recommended. Serve at 12 to 13 degrees and you’ll find it goes well with sushi, Caesar Salad, ceviche, garlic shrimp, grilled Mahi-Mahi, pasta primavera, seafood chowder and lemon chicken. 

Don’t think the Mahi-Mahi suggestion will be of much use to you. It is a fish of the Americas, also known as Red Snapper, and not usually available here, though I had it once at an early gastro pub in Passage  (I was told it had been flown in that morning!). You could try bream instead.

I was a regular visitor to that pub and the food was good. One of the best dishes I remember was a Scallop Pie. They must have been relatively inexpensive then for the dish was packed with them. They had a French chef I recall; my mobile phone (an early version) rang out loudly one night and the chef started singing along to the  “incoming call” music, which was the Marseillaise. 

The Montes Classic Series of wines represent the outstanding value Chile can offer for everyday drinking. “Grapes are hand-picked and transported to the winery with the utmost care, to keep bunch damage to an absolute minimum.” You don’t have to stop at this Sauvignon as the Series also include wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, and Chardonnay.

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Top Wines 2022. With Reviews & Irish Stockists. 

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From Castillo Y Leon, a beautiful Tempranillo and an outstanding expression of Sauvignon Blanc

From Castillo Y Leon, a beautiful Tempranillo and an outstanding expression of Sauvignon Blanc

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Finca Menade Sauvignon Blanc (Vino de la Tierra Castillo Y Leon) 2021

€18.35 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Open the cork on this one and you immediately smell gooseberry. It is from Spain, it is organic, gluten free, and vegan friendly and yes, it is Sauvignon Blanc. France and New Zealand are the top Sauvignon blanc growers but Rueda in Spain grows a fair bit and grows it well if this Menade is anything to go by.

The colour is a pale straw. You’ll also note some more exotic fruits such as grapefruit, mango and passionfruit in both the aromas and on the palate, some “local” flavours too like apricot and peach. The grape is noted for its high acidity and low sweetness and that is the case here. 

Importers Le Caveau say this is a “Marlborough style that doesn't travel half as far” and that assertion is reinforced by the acidity and fruit. This youthful and modern expression of the grape is well balanced, with a hint of lime in a long lingering finish. A delight to engage with and Very Highly Recommended. 

Brothers and sister Marco, Richard and Alejandra Sanz run this certified organic estate in Rueda, South of Valladolid. The estate, where Sauvignon blanc has found a home since its 1994 introduction, has 160 ha in production (including 30 ha of pre-phylloxera vines). 

The soil-type consists of sandy clay and is covered with pebbles in most part. Hand-harvesting, natural yeasts and low yields are some of the techniques used to produce the trade-mark Menade style of pure and expressive wines. I enjoyed a bottle of their superb Verdejo in 2021 and you may read the short review here.  

As with Menade Verdejo, each parcel – for these vary widely depending on the soil type and orientation of the vines – is picked and vinified separately, fermentation is on the basis of the grapes’ natural, wild yeasts, and the wine is left briefly on its fine lees. Just one example of the attention to detail. Hand-harvesting, carbonic snow  (instead of sulphur), loveable trees, natural yeasts and low yields are among the techniques used to produce pure and expressive wines.

Sauvignon Blanc, according to Wine Folly, pairs wonderfully with “herb-driven sauces, salty cheeses, light meats and… Asian Food.” 

* This wine is labelled Vino de la Tierra (VdT) and this is the same classification often indicated by IGP (Indicatión Geográfica Protegida.

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Alfredo Maestro Almate (Vino de la Tierra Castillo Y Leon) 2020, 

€17.60 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Dark red, close to purple, is the colour of this Tempranillo, not from Rioja but from Ribera del Duero. Red and darker fruits head up the aromatics and you’ll find some vanilla hints there too.  More of the same in the mouth as the mid-bodied smooth and creamy wine flows across. Tannins are gentle and sweet and indeed, the whole experience is rather gentle. Well structured, well balanced and Very Highly Recommended.

And that is a satisfactory outcome for both the customer and the producer Alfredo whose goal is to make "easy wines with character imprinted with the earth and the vintage, authentic stories transmitted differently each year and not modified by the hand of the man in the cellar.”

I’ve enjoyed a few different vintages over recent years including the 2016 and, more recently, the 2018: “Another well-made wine from the man "known as the magician of the Duero, a prominent exponent of the natural wine movement in Spain.” This is Alfredo’s flagship wine and Spanish Wine Lover rates it “as outstanding within its type and style”.  There is indeed something of a consensus about this excellent well-priced wine and you may confidently add it to your shopping list!

Le Caveau:Viña Almate is the name of the first vineyard that Alfredo planted and gives the name to his bodega and to Alfredo’s entry-level Duero wine. This cuvee is made from fruit sourced from various plots of Tinto Fino (local name for Tempranillo), of varying vine ages, located in Valtiendas at 1,000 m. elevation, as well as Peñafiel, at 700 meters. 

Tempranillo is Spain’s top variety, made famous by the wines of Rioja. It is grown widely in Spain including in Ribera del Duero and Toro. It is grown in quite a few countries, including Portugal, but not in any significant quantity. 

Le Caveau indicates it pairs well with pair with grilled and roasted meats. Wine Folly more or less agrees saying older bolder Temps match with steak, gourmet burgers and rack of lamb. “Fresher styles match well with baked pasta and other tomato based dishes.”

Two Lovely Whites from the southern half of France

Two Lovely Whites from

 the southern half of France

Terroir Feely “Luminosité” 2016, 13.5%, €19.00 Mary Pawle

The fruit for Luminosité is grown and the wine’s bottled by Sean and Caro Feely in Saussignac in Bergerac (next door to Bordeaux). They pack a fair bit of info onto the label: Vin de France sec, Sauvignon blanc 50%, Semillon 50%, zesty fruit, luminosity of nature, organic and biodynamic, hand-harvested, indigenous yeast, unfined, vegan friendly.

Light straw colour. Aromas of quince and gooseberry. Zesty flavours on the palate, quite intense, with a pleasant astringency, lovely mouthfeel too (has this been on its lees for a spell?), and a persistent finish. What’s not to like?

This Irish-South African couple “are passionate about the environment” and I think you can taste the difference here, without any funky stuff in either aroma or flavour. Highly Recommended. Find out more about the Feelys here - they have quite a lot to offer if you are visiting the area. 

Jacques Frelin “La Marouette” Chardonnay Pays D’Oc (IGP) 2018, 13%, €13.30 Mary Pawle

Colour of this organic Chardonnay from the South of France is a light straw. Pleasant floral aromas of modest intensity. This is a fresh one, peach and citrus flavours with a lively acidity to help at the table. Ideal as an aperitif or with a few grilled sardines. The label also indicates a match with shellfish and sole meuniere. Serve at 8-10 degrees for best results. 

For over thirty years now, Jacques Frelin has been at the forefront of the organic wine movement in France. While organic is often associated with small, this is not the case with Frelin who has vineyards all over the country including the Languedoc where this wine comes from, “very popular with our customers” says importer Mary Pawle and I can see why. Highly Recommended. Well priced too.

Delicious Duo From The Blaye Countryside By the Gironde Estuary

Fine Red And White Duo From Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux 

Château Peybonhomme-les-Tours “Les Cousines” Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux (AOC) 2017, 12.5%, Mary Pawle Wines

Colour of this one hundred per cent Merlot is mid to dark ruby. Raspberry along with plum and black cherry are among the aromas (hint of clove too) and also appear in the mouth. Quite smooth and rounded and a fair bit of acidity too makes this a lively and flexible companion at the table. Soft tannins and a soft finish as well. This easy drinking wine, aromatic and fruity, is Very Highly Recommended. A great match with lamb dishes.

Blaye wines, as if they aren’t deemed good enough, are often forgotten about when discussing Bordeaux. It's all too easy to consign an area to the also-rans with a generalisation. Yet, as Clive Coates said in his Wines of Bordeaux (2004), “Generalisations..can be quickly exploded by samples”. And Les Cousines is both a sample and an excellent example of the very good in this particular area.

Château Peybonhomme-les-Tours “Le Blanc Bonhomme” Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux (AOC) 2018, 13.5%, €24.90 Mary Pawle

I tend to like my Bordeaux whites better if there’s plenty of Semillon in the blend and that is the case here, fifty/fifty with Sauvignon Blanc. The classic Bordeaux white will contain at least 25 percent Sauvignon Blanc, to ensure a certain aromatic freshness. For a richer style, a higher proportion of Semillon is used. Muscadelle is the third possible grape in the blend but many Bordeaux whites do not include it.

Bright straw is the colour of this biodynamic wine. Modest aromatics with delicate floral notes. Nothing shy about the flavours though with a ripe citrus spearheading the rich progress on the palate, excellent mouthfeel too. Persistent fruity finish too, drier towards the finalé. Well made (it has been 40% barrel fermented), well balanced, delicious and Highly Recommended. 

Well done again to Guillaume Hubert and his team here. And, speaking of recommendations, the suggested food pairings are Foie gras ravioli, marinated trout, cooked cheeses.

If you’re among the many Irish that have holidayed in or near Royan, then you’ve probably come across the wines of Blaye on sale in markets and so on on that side of the Gironde estuary. Blaye has a gentle rolling pastoral landscape while neighbouring Bourg  is more hilly.

The vineyard has been biodynamic since 2000, pruning in double guyot, spontaneous winter grassing, tillage in spring. Treatments combining Bordeaux mixture in small quantities with herbal teas such as horsetail and nettle are used.

Three Highly Recommended European Whites

Three Highly Recommended European Whites

Catarratto. Vintage 2019

Baglio Bianco Catarratto Terre Siciliane (IGP) 2018, 11%, €19.55 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

A few days of skin maceration gives this its amber colour. Colour is not the only result from the three or four days of skin contact, as you’ll note. The nose is rich too, apple and cinnamon in the mix. The palate also is rich and textured. It’s full of flavour and a bit spicy too and it’s dry all the way to the long finish. Highly Recommended.

Bianco is certainly a bit of a misnomer here as this is most definitely an orange wine, a cloudy deep amber in colour, unfined and unfiltered. And Le Caveau say it is a “fantastic introduction” to orange, “both from a flavour and price point of view”.

Orange wines also have a higher level of tannins, more like red wines, and indeed can match foods where previously red would have been the only choice. Some orange wines can be tough going if you’re not used to them but this one is quite easy-drinking. 

Pairings suggested by the importers are free range pork with apple sauce; a herby roast chicken; and cheeses such as Durrus. Catarratto, by the way, is Sicily’s, and Italy’s, most popular white wine grape. Baglio also produce a red from the Nero D’Avola grape. Their organic Rosso is fresh and fruity and also a delicious easy drinker.

Millet Sauvignon Blanc Côtes de Gascogne (IGP) 2019, 11.5%, €12.95, Wines Direct

Colour is a very pale straw.  The fresh vibrancy of the aromas (floral notes, pear) make an immediate impression, a good one, and that follows through onto the lively palate where citrus fruits and an invigorating acidity go all the way through to the decent finish. 

Quite a lovely wine from Armagnac country where much of the grape harvest goes to the distilleries to make the local brandy (don’t ever ever call for a Cognac around here!). Millet themselves say they are devoted to “the production of Armagnac”. A very enjoyable wine and Highly Recommended. Must try and remember this for Sauvignon Blanc Day next year.

Millet recommend serving at 9 ° C, alone as an aperitif, or with a meal. “It harmoniously accompanies starters, goat cheese, Landes asparagus, fish and shellfish.” Importers Wines Direct point in the direction of Rich Fish, Light Fish and Shellfish, Hard Cheese, Fresh Greens

Esteban Martin “Viña Canal” blanco Cariñena (DOP) 2018, 12.5%, €* Wines Direct

This blend of Chardonnay and Macabeo has a light straw colour. Pleasant, if delicate, aromas with both floral and fruity notes. Lively and fruity (tropical hints), good acidity as well and a decent finish. Excellent aperitif and should go well with fish and shellfish. Versatile and Highly Recommended.

Cariñena is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines produced in the area of the same name which is in the province of Zaragoza (Aragón, Spain). It was awarded DO status in 1932. 

€* Bought in mixed case.

Impressive Whites from the Languedoc and Bergerac. Fruity, French and Fabulous.

Well-known in Bergerac!

Impressive Whites from

 the Languedoc and Bergerac

Château Petit Roubié Picpoul de Pinet, AC Coteaux du Languedoc 2018, 12.5%, €14.10 Mary Pawle

Picpoul de Pinet is becoming a star wine, according to Grapes and Wines (2015). 

Picpoul is the grape name and it is found in the Languedoc and the best of it seems to be from the village of Pinet, on the edge of the Med and about 90 minutes east of Carcassonne. It is a very old grape variety and the name means lip—stinger (after its high acidity).

It has a pale gold colour. Aromatic for sure - citrus, melon and floral. Rounded and abundant fruit flavour (apple, lime, grapefruit), generous mouthfeel (close to creamy), a perky acidity and a decent finish. Highly Recommended and Very Highly Recommended with seafood. Serve at 8 degrees seems to be the official line but mine is one or two below that!

Importer Mary Pawle introduces this 2018 as a dry white, with a green-gold hue. Crisp and apple-y. “Often referred to as the Muscadet of the South, it is excellent with oysters and most shellfish.”

Château Petit Roubié has been practising organic farming since 1985. Floriane and Olivier Azan have owned the estate since 1981 and have developed, thanks to a judicious choice of winemaking, a very attractive range indeed. 

Their lands are in a historic area; if you visit, you can still see vestiges of the Via Domitia (the Roman road) in their scrubland. And those Roman engineers were building on top of an even older “road”. The wine, I’ve read, is presented in a Neptune bottle though that, as far as I know, has nothing to do with the Roman god of the sea.

Terroir Feely “Sincérité” Vin de France 2018, 13.5%, €22.20 Mary Pawle

You find out much about this 100% Sauvignon Blanc, in shorthand, on the label: Zesty fruit. Memories of the sea. Sincerity of nature. Hand-harvested. Indigenous yeast. Unfined. Vegan friendly. Organic. Biodynamic. Demeter.

In the glass, it has quite a light straw yellow. Gooseberry and citrus feature in the aromas. Lively and zesty attack, amazing flavours (more or less tracking the aromas) from then right through to the long finish, flavours are not at all extreme though, and with matching acidity, all’s in harmony here. A delicious refreshing wine, with minerality, perhaps from the limestone soil, and Highly Recommended!

Chateau Feely is in Saussignac (well-known for its sweet wines) in the Bergerac region but its wines are labelled ‘Terroir Feely’ because most Feely organic, biodynamic and natural wines are bottled under the ‘Vin de France’ label and in France, Feely tell us the word ‘Chateau’ is reserved for AOC wines.  “Since vintage 2014 our wines fit the natural wine standard defined by SAINS a French natural wine association”.

Why is it called Sincérité? “A pure Sauvignon Blanc originally named ‘sincere’ as a play on words with Sancerre due to the minerality and the pure Sauvignon Blanc character. It is a wine that is direct and acidic with a purity and freshness that is like sincerity.”

Serve at 7°-8°C with Fish and seafood, Fresh goat cheese and Salads.

Springtime Gems in O'Briens March/April Promotion

Springtime Gems in O'Briens March/April Promotion

Loron “Château de Fleurie” Fleurie (AOP) 2018, 13.5%, 15.95 (19.45) O’Briens Wine

You may know that I’m a Beaujolais fan and, in particular, of its crus, Fleurie (and Morgon of course) are perhaps my favourites. So I was quite confident opening this 2018, by top Burgundy producer Maison Jean Loron. The Gamay grapes for this wine come from a single 13 hectare estate covering some of the best terroir in Fleurie.The Gamay grape just loves pink granite and the salmon pink coloured granite soil here is just the job!

This 2018 Loron has an attractive robe of garnet. Aromas are rather complex with floral and fruit elements. Bright cherry and raspberry fruit flavours feature in the rich and rounded palate, a fresh acidity too, and gentle tannins plus the bonus of a sustained finish.

That acidity enhances its pairing capability. Serve at 15 degrees and suggested matches include lightly grilled lamb, medium flavoured vegetarian dishes, creamy cheeses, pork, cold meats, and roast chicken. This pure and juicy medium-bodied wine is Very Highly Recommended.

Jean-Marc Brocard Petit Chablis  (AOC) 2018, 12.5%, €17.95 (22.95) O’Briens Wine

Colour of this unoaked Chardonnay is a light gold, very bright in the glass. The more exotic fruits (lime, grapefruit) feature in the inviting aromas. Quite an intense palate, fresh and full of crisp apple, a backbone of minerality and then a lingering and very satisfying finish. Very Highly Recommended.

Haven’t seen a serving temperature but I reckon ten degrees or a little less. Too cool will be better than too warm. Pair with oysters and other shellfish, fish, snails, vegetable salads and terrines, chicken, turkey and rabbit. Just at the time of writing, I’ve seen 12 to 14 degrees recommended. From my own experience though, I’d prefer to stick with the 10.

Domaine Jean-Marc Brochard is “one of the first wine producers in organic farming in Chablis and Burgundy”. Today they have 60 hectares certified organic farming and biodynamic 40 hectares. They started on the organic way in 1997 but are still gaining experience: “A learning every day for the domaine and its teams.” The winery itself is ultra modern, everything is stainless steel, and this Chardonnay gets some lees ageing.

More Tips from the Promotion

Les Secrets de Sophie  (12.95, was 16.95) - This Sauvignon Blanc from the Touraine is recommended in Wilson On Wine 2020. This comes under the Crisp Refreshing White style and is light with a snappy dry finish. John Wilson suggests trying it with a goat’s cheese salad, tomato salad, or Greek salad. “Sauvignon loves salads.”

Volé Volé Trebbiano (13.95, was 17.95) - I very much enjoyed this dry refreshing organic white a few months back.Very light straw colour, clean and bright. Aromas are of light intensity, more floral than fruity. Lightly apple flavoured (more citrusy if it warms up a bit in the glass) with a noticeable acidity, it is light and crisp and easy to drink. Light seafood dishes are a suggested match. Perhaps with a Goatsbridge trout salad.

Casa de Uco Organic Malbec (16.95, was 19.95) - Purple is the colour of this organic wine from a high altitude vineyard in the Mendoza region of Argentina. The rich aromas of ripe dark fruit rise to meet you. And on the palate the big flavours (plum, dark cherry and blackberry) are matched by an excellent acidity, a harmony relayed to the decent finish (not overly long). An immediately engaging wine.

Astrolabe Pinot Noir (21.95, was 25.95) -  From Marlborough comes this excellent Pinot Noir. Aromas are cheerful, ripe fruits (cherry and berry). Full bodied, flavours of plum and brambly fruits, well balanced, the oak (11 months of it) harmoniously integrated, supple and silky in a long and totally satisfying finish.  

Stores opening times: 18th March to 26th April. Current hours 12.00pm-8.00pm daily; 12.30pm-8.00pm Sun. Subject to change - check before you go or order online.

A Duo of Highly Recommended White Wines: Sauvignon Blanc and Verdicchio

A Duo of Recommended White Wines: Sauvignon Blanc and Verdicchio.

Jacques Frelin “Les Carrons” Sauvignon Blanc Touraine (AOP) 2018, 13.5%, €16.60 Mary Pawle

For over thirty years now, Jacques Frelin has been at the forefront of the organic wine movement in France. While organic is often associated with small, this is not the case with Frelin who has vineyards all over the country from the Languedoc (where he is headquartered) to the Loire.

The Touraine appellation covers the centre of the Loire Valley. With Tours, its main city in the middle, it stretches from Blois in the east to close to Saumur in the west, with independent appellations (such as Chinon, Bourgueil and Vouvray) situated within its boundary. While some Chenin Blanc is planted here, Sauvignon Blanc is the most widely planted white and this Les Carrons (hand harvested grapes and matured on its lees) is rather special.

Light straw is the colour. Citrus notes in the aromas of moderate intensity, more exotic fruit too plus floral notes. Vibrant and fruity on the palate, impressive mouthfeel also, no shortage of acidity either. All in all, quite a harmonious organic wine, another excellent drop from M. Frelin. Very Highly Recommended.

Food pairings suggested include serving it as an aperitif or with a warm goats cheese salad or guinea fowl with truffles. Serve 10-12 degrees.

Belisario 'Vigneti del Cerro' Verdicchio di Matelica (DOC) 2016, 12.5%, €24.99

Fallon & Byrne; Cinnamon Cottage; Wineoline.ie

Verdicchio may not immediately spring to mind when thinking of white wine grapes but it has a long history in Italy. According to legend, the invading Visigoths, on their way to sack Rome at the start of the 5th century, drank barrels of it to enhance their courage. There are two areas in the Marches (central eastern Italy) that are well known for their Verdicchio wines, the Jesi and the smaller more inland Matelica. The wines of Jesi are the better known, more popular. But I’ve a grá for the Matelica version and it continues with this one! It would be nice to have an in-depth simultaneous tasting of both.

But back to the bottle at hand. This 100% Verdicchio is honey coloured, with orange and green tints. Beautiful aromatics, citrus notes prominent. Apple and zingy lemon on the palate, refreshing and lively acidity too along with a mineral character, harmonious all the way to the finalé. Soft mouthfeel too. Great balance of power and elegance and Very Highly Recommended.

The label confused me  a little:  "At 12 degrees celsius it is better, with all that is not red.” I think you can take it that the suggestion is that the Cerro goes well with white meat and fish dishes! Liberty Wines suggest hot appetizers, first courses or fish and the winery itself indicates it pairs well with Mussels and shallots.

This wonderfully fresh wine is produced by the Cantine Belisario, a co-operative founded in 1971 and the biggest producer of Verdicchio in Matelica. The climate here is more continental than in Castelli di Jesi and the combination of warm days and cool nights gives a longer growing season, and lovely aromatic qualities to the wines.