Terralibera Insieme Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico, Marche, Italy 2023

Gian Mario Bongini left a career in finance to pursue one in winemaking, leaving Milan for the rural region of Le Marche. There, Gian Mario organically farms one grape, verdicchio, on two hillside vineyards a half-hour inland from the Adriatic. This white grape makes forgettable wines in many parts of Italy, but in the small area of Castelli di Jesi, it yields one of Italy’s great, crisp coastal whites. Ripe peach, salted almond, jasmine.

As a unique alternative to Chablis, or anytime there are oysters on the table.