Region: Marche

Zone:

Offida DOCG

Offida is best known for its lace, and from this viewpoint, the small medieval town located in the province of Ascoli Piceno is certainly worth visiting. The techniques are the same used since the 15th century, with the secrets of the craft being passed from mother to daughter.

As previously mentioned, Offida is a small town located West of the coastal town of San Benedetto del Tronto. In addition to lace, the city has always been known for its wine and it is no coincidence that the regional wine fair of the Marche region takes places here.

Until 2001, Offia was under the great appellation Rosso Piceno DOC, but the impact was, however, that the zone’s wines drowned in quantity, thus remaining anonymous.

The solution came in 2001, when Offida obtained its own DOC, the winemakers there finally having the opportunity to highlight the zone’s wines through their unique personality and structural characteristics.

There are some special wines in Offida, for example the elegant white Passerina wine and the deep Pecorino, as well as the red Offida Rosso, which is an interesting blend of Montepulciano and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Unlike other DOC zones in Italy, Offida is divided into different zones, depending on the type of wine: Offida Pecorina and Offida Passerina are produced in 22 municipalities, while Offida Rosso is produced in just 17 municipalities. The district’s Vin Santo is produced exclusively in the municipalities of Offida and Ripatransone.

The white wine Offida Pecorino DOCG is especially interesting, which is not least due to the remarkable and tireless work of winemaker Guido Cocci Grifoni who sadly passed away in the summer of 2010. Not only has he dug the Pecorino grape out of total oblivion but he also managed to document the historical origins of the variety as a native grape in the Marche region.

Read more about the Pecorino's history and, not least, Guido Cocci Grifoni's commendable work on restoring this interesting grape variety.

Finally, don't miss the famous Offida Opera Festival in September (Festival dell'opera di Offida), where some of the world's greatest opera singers visit Offida's old opera. It is highly recommended to tick the calendar for this event, but be sure to book tickets well in advance.

Read more about the wines from Offida DOCG by clicking i the top menu in the right side.