Umani Ronchi: Native varieties expressing specific terroirs

Umani Ronchi's Verdicchio vineyards in Castelli di Jesi, Italy — Umani Ronchi's new wine, Historical, is a varietal Verdicchio from Classico-grade vineyards in the Montecarotto area of Castelli di Jesi.

(Image credit: Umani Ronchi's new wine, Historical, is a varietal Verdicchio from Classico-grade vineyards in the Montecarotto area of Castelli di Jesi)

Last updated 9 September 2024 In Features

Situated among the hills of Marche in Italy, Umani Ronchi has been a standard-bearer for the wines of the region since its foundation in 1957 by Gino Umani Ronchi.

Experts at working with native varieties, Umani Ronchi has decades of experience producing Marche’s premier wines: Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC and Montepulciano from Conero DOCG. The estate now boasts over 200ha of vineyards and exports to more than 60 countries. Its focus today is on sustainable viticulture, organic farming and a commitment to producing authentic, expressive wines.

At the pinnacle of Umani Ronchi’s range are two small-production prestige wines that take terroir expression to new heights: Campo San Giorgio and Historical. Campo San Giorgio is a single-vineyard Conero Riserva DOCG from 100% Montepulciano, while Historical, a new wine launched in 2023, is a varietal Verdicchio from Classico-grade vineyards in the Montecarotto area of Castelli di Jesi.

Umani Ronchi&rsquo;s Campo San Giorgio vineyard in Osimo, Rosso Conero, Italy — Umani Ronchi’s Campo San Giorgio vineyard is in the Osimo area of the Rosso Conero denomination.

Campo San Giorgio: Single-vineyard Montepulciano at its best

Situated in the Osimo area at the heart of the Rosso Conero denomination, Umani Ronchi’s Campo San Giorgio vineyard is planted to 100% bush-trained Montepulciano. First produced in 2009, the elegant red from this particular vineyard is only made in exceptional vintages – just 6,000 bottles per year, and available only on allocation.

Historical: The greatness of old-vine Verdicchio

Since 2018, the family has also been producing a limited run of 4,000 bottles of old-vine, unoaked Verdicchio from a special site planted in the 1970s. Released after five years of maturation in a mix of cement and stainless steel, Historical is a testament to the complexity and finesse of Verdicchio, one of Italy’s most age-worthy whites.

Umani Ronchi's Historical unoaked Verdicchio

As Umani Ronchi continues to raise the bar for quality in the region, Campo San Giorgio and Historical are compelling demonstrations of site-specific, terroir-focused winemaking in Marche.