Wine with Leslie: Underrated wines and cuisines from the Abruzzo and Marche regions of Italy

I cannot recommend Abruzzo and Marche highly enough, not just the underrated wines but also the cuisine

Leslie Williams: "For the fish, we drank pecorino whites and I recommend a bargain version from Dunnes." Picture: iStock.

Sat, 08 Aug, 2026 - 01:00

Leslie Williams has been the Irish Examiner's wine columnist since 2012 and has been reviewing restaurants since 2015.

Just over a year ago, I spent a very happy 10 days in Abruzzo with some excursions into the neighbouring region of Marche. These two regions of Italy are a little less accessible and less popular with tourists (thankfully) and I cannot recommend them highly enough, not just the underrated wines but also the cuisine.

In Abruzzo, I had fresh fish nearly every day straight from the Adriatic, delicious fritto-misto squid and prawns, but also simply pan-fried or steamed white fish. I must have eaten a couple of hundred arrosticini lamb skewers, cubes of mountain lamb simply grilled and seasoned (they usually cost €1-€1.20 each), plus of course al dente pasta with lobster and seafood on fancy days, and with tiny meatballs on the other days.

For the fish, we drank pecorino whites and I recommend a bargain version below from Dunnes. You will find a few pecorino on shelves; Cantina Zaccagnini (‘Twiggy’) and Cataldi Madonna Giula’s versions are both excellent and found in independents. For reds, we of course drank Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, almost always great value and supremely tasty.

The Marche is also a land of mountains and seaside villages with more pork than lamb, so more salami and pâté, plus peasant-style soups and stews.

The excellent shellfish and seafood is best washed down with verdicchio, a grape finally moving beyond the mass-produced folky amphora bottles into something more serious. It ages well (8-10 years) and prices are fair.

Verdicchio di Castelli dei Jesi is the famous version but below is one from the Matelica that abuts the Apennines where wines tend to be fuller and with more acidity.

For Marche reds, watch for Rosso Cònero, fragrant Lacrima di Morro and of course Rosso Piceno, for me one of the most reliable of all Italian reds. Enjoy!

Tenuta Ulisse ‘Pecorino’, Terre d’Abruzzo IGP 2025, Italy, €13.50

New to Dunnes and on special (reduced from €16) this month. Pecorino is the best white grape in the beautiful region of Abruzzo, home to mountains and Adriatic coastal villages. Gorgeously scented with peaches, figs and green apple aromas. Lemony fresh and crisp, lively and taut with lemon zest and green capsicum tang. The Montepulciano d’Abruzzo in the same range is also recommended.

Dunnes Stores

Terre di Valbona ‘Verdicchio di Matelica’, Marche, Italy, €16.95

From the verdicchio-focused Matelica DOC, around 60km SW of Ancona in the foothills of the Apennines, with steep slopes and more continental in climate, the wines have brisk acidity, fine minerality and weight. Floral acacia honey and citrus aromas, lemon-lime zing on the palate, lovely purity, texture and freshness and about as summery a wine as you will find. Another Verdicchio I love is ‘Salta-Tempo’ (MacCurtain, Sheridan's).

JJ O'Driscolls; Fields; Cinnamon Cottage; Bradleys; Nude Wine Co.; Independents.

Ciu Ciu Bacchus Rosso Piceno, Marche, Italy, €17.25

Rosso Piceno is Marche’s best-known DOC and worth remembering, a blend of Montepulciano and sangiovese with structure, soft fruits and exemplary balance. I last featured this organic version in 2023 so time to remind you of its generous red cherry fruits and pleasing weight and suppleness. There is also a herbal zing and a lot of pleasure for a relatively low price.