Pesaro: The perfect kick-off for a visit to Italy's Le Marche

Pesaro, by the seaside, was the perfect place to begin our Le Marche (pronounced Markay) wine country explorations. It's was mid-day when we picked up our car rental in Milan and headed to Pesaro on the Adriatic Sea. Le Marche wine region, on the eastern side of central Italy, is a coastal gem. Our journey to Le Marche was inspired after an introduction to this wine region at a Wine Media Conference (#WMC21) in Eugene, Oregon. After a relaxing stopover on the Adriatic, from there we headed inland to Maiolati Spontini. While in Maiolati Spontini area Verdicchio wine became the primary focus of our vine-filled adventures. 

Pesaro, on the Adriatic Sea © Spaswinefood

We were about to discovered that the Adriatic Sea city of Pesaro, the capital city of Pesaro and Urbino province, was the perfect introduction to the Marche region. In case you are wondering, the Adriatic Sea separates the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. It is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea. Countries, other than Italy, with coasts on the Adriatic include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and Slovenia. Regrettably, our drive to Pesaro from Milan, which should have taken us three and half hours to drive, instead it turned into an over five hour drive because of heavy traffic. Finally, we checked into Gran Hotel Vittoria in city center around 6 pm. Fortunately, Pesaro was the ideal location to unwind for a few days. It was a much needed change of pace for this wine country traveler after attending a wine media conference (#WMC22 in Lake Garda), followed by a post-conference trip to Oltrepó Pavese.

Chilling in Pesaro

Arriving in Pesaro at the beginning of October meant the tourist season had already ended. While we love visiting without the tourists it does have its downside. The downside is some services are only available during the tourist season. Nevertheless, October in Pesaro is most ideal for a relaxing visit.

Beach Side In October, Pesaro © Spaswinefood

Finally Chilling in Pesaro © Spaswinefood

After searching for a restaurant that was open we even managed to find one with an ocean view.

Dining by the Seaside, Pesaro © Spaswinefood

During our Pesaro stay we enjoyed those relaxing walks around city center. 

 Exploring Pesaro © Spaswinefood

 Running Errands, Pesaro © Spaswinefood

I did manage to taste a few Le Marche wines while in Pesaro. Overall,  I was disappointed that the local restaurants offered very few Le Marche wines in the off-season. In most cases we had to order wines from other Italian wine regions.

During our stay we managed to check out a few local restaurants, such as Osteria Marconi.

Osteria Marconi © Spaswinefood

Since Oltrepó Pavese wines were still fresh in our minds from a recent visit we ordered: Cruase Metodo Classico, DOCG Oltrepó Pavese 2018.

 La Piotta Suspir, Cruase Metodo Classico, DOCG Oltrepó Pavese 2018 © Spaswinefood

  Pinot Nero Brut Rosé, Cruase Metodo Classico, DOCG Oltrepó Pavese 2018 © Spaswinefood

This Cruase DOCG Oltrepó Pavese Brut Rosé was a delight on that October afternoon. 

The salad was a big hit for us. 

  Salad, Osteria Marconi © Spaswinefood

Pesaro is a great place to order seafood and John did. If you love seafood Pesaro is the place.

Seafood Platter, Osteria Marconi © Spaswinefood

I ordered a vegetarian pasta.

 

Veggie Pasta, Osteria Marconi © Spaswinefood

It was a lovely late afternoon lunch. Tasty food and great service was what we appreciated.

Lunch, Osteria Marconi © Spaswinefood

We felt very welcomed at this restaurant. The waiter insisted on taking our photo.

CHEERS!  Osteria Marconi © Spaswinefood

After lunch we return to our seaside hotel.

Late Afternoon, Pesaro © Spaswinefood

After a relaxing visit to Pesaro, on the eastern side of central Italy, we can certainly see why it  is considered to be Italy’s coastal gem. From Pesaro we traveled inland to Maiolati Spontini to discover Le Marche wine country.

Why Le Marche?

Our journey to Le Marche was inspired after learning about this region at a Wine Media Conference (#WMC21). Winemaking in Marche dates back thousands of years, being influenced by Etruscans, Romans and Lombards. While Le Marche is best known for its white wines Trebbiano and Verdicchio, it is also home to some big quality reds. Some of Italy’s finest Marche red wines are made with Montepulciano and Sangiovese grapes. We were about to discover that Italy's Le Marche is ideal for making wine discoveries off the beaten path.

   

Italy's Marche Wine Country © Spaswinefood

The Marche region is divided into five provinces: Ancona, Ascoli Piceno, Fermo, Macerata, and Pesaro and Urbino. Within each of the provinces there is much to discover. 

Why Le Marche, Italy © Spaswinefood

While sometimes Le Marche is overshadowed by its neighbors Abruzzo to the south, and Umbria and Tuscany to the west, this wine region produces great wines. It is home to 15 DOCs and 5 DOCGs.

Marche Wine Appellations © Spaswinefood

Later in Le Marche's Maiolati Spontini area we explored Verdicchio dei Castilli di Jesi wine country. Discovering Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi became the primary focus on our recent Le Marche wine travels.

Maiolati Spontini, Le Marche © Spaswinefood

 Maiolati Spontini © Spaswinefood

After leaving Pesaro it was a pleasant drive from the coast inland to wine country. We loved our vine-filled explorations in Le Marche's Verdicchio dei Castilli di Jesi DOC. Time to relax in Pesaro and those special Le Marche welcomes along the way added so much to our travel memories of Italy.  I am happy that after our first introduction to these wines we made plans to go to Le Marche wine country. Undoubtedly that Wine Media #WMC21 session Le Marche, the "new Tuscany" in Central Italy certainly was a hit for us. It prompted us to head to Italy's Marche. We have since discovered that not only are there great wines but some of Italy's best cheeses are in Le Marche. Le Marche was absolutely the perfect introduction to making wine discoveries off the beaten path in Italy. Wine travelers who discover this region will be impressed by the charm of its towns and wineries. I so look forward to sharing more on our Italian vine-filled explorations. I invite you to join me in my wine travels in Italy at Wine Travels with Dr. Sharon, and at Spaswinefood on Twitter and Facebook. 

CHEERS!

Sharon 

October 2022

Marche, Italy 

© Spaswinefood

Pesaro by the Seaside © Spaswinefood

October Seaside Walk, Pesaro  © Spaswinefood

Why Visit Le Marche © Spaswinefood

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Getting to know Umbria: Gastronomic adventures in Todi

Italy provides amazing opportunities for gastronomic adventures. We certainly found this to be the case during our Umbrian wine country travels. We managed to secure accommodations in Izzalini village, close to the medieval city of Todi. From there each day we set out to explore Umbrian wineries and local cuisine. This post will highlight a few of our culinary adventures in Todi. 

City of Todi, Umbria © Spaswinefood

Adventures in Todi, Umbria 

Todi is both a town and a municipality in Perugia province, in the Umbrian region of central Italy. It is perched on a double crested hill overlooking the east bank of the Tiber River, with distant views in every direction. This historic city is surrounded by three concentric walls: the outermost wall is medieval, the middle wall is Roman, and the innermost wall is partly Etruscan. Most of Todi's main monuments are medieval (the Todi Cathedral Duomo, the Palazzo del Capitano, the Palazzo del Priore and the Palazzo del Popolo. They all front on the main square (Piazza del Popolo) on the lower part of the hill. The piazza is often used as a movie set. What a backdrop it was for our gastronomic explorations!

Todi, Umbria © Spaswinefood

While in an earlier post I focused on Izallini, within the municipality of Todi, this post is primarily on the city's historic center. We were most fortunate to go there a number of times during our week in Umbria. 

Historic Plaza, Todi © Spaswinefood

Cuisine, Wine and More

Umbrian Cuisine has its origin in Etruscan times, and is characteristically simple, relying heavily on seasonal ingredients. Umbrian cuisine is very rustic, often described a cucina povera (peasant cooking), which means it is built on traditional dishes created with minimal ingredients, and is prepared using mainly local products (grains, vegetables, fresh herbs, and of course olive oil (Umbria’s liquid gold). Umbrian traditional dishes have been handed down through generations but still maintain the principles of simplicity and freshness. The Etruscans not only influenced the development of regional cuisine but also were the first to produced wine in Umbria.

Our visits to Todi was an opportunity to sample Umbrian wines. Orvieto DOC (Trebbiano grape) is the region's largest appellation. Umbria while noted for its crisp, iconic white wine, the region also makes intriguing reds. It is home to native red grape Sagrantino, as well as Sangiovese, Colorino and other indigenous Italian varieties. Some international grapes, namely Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are also grown. Best known is the region’s flagship red wines, Montefalco Sagrantino and Torgiano Rosso Riserva (both are complexity and age worthy), while Montefalco Rosso and Rosso di Torgiano are overall more approachable. Umbria Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) wines are mostly made with international grapes; these wine typically range from easy drinking to full-bodied, complex wines.

La Catina Del Mercataccio

During one of the visits we ate lunch at La Catina Del Mercataccio.

La Catina Del Mercataccio, Todi © Spaswinefood

Naturally we were excited to checkout the local food and wines over lunch.

La Catina Del Mercataccio © Spaswinefood

For wine we decided on a local producer, Agricola La Segreta, a charming small estate in the heart of the Umbrian countryside along the Tiber River Valley. Everything at La Segreta (The Secret) is done by hand, and all of the crops are certified organic. 

Agri Segretum, Marmocchio, DOC Todi Sangiovese 2013 

Agri Segretum, Marmocchio, DOC Todi Sangiovese 2013 © Spaswinefood

Marmocchio, DOC Todi Sangiovese 2013 © Spaswinefood

The 2013 Marmocchio (the rascal) is 80% Sangiovese, blended with the estate’s local Umbrian grape variety, Sagrantino 20%, which adds structure and style to the wine.

Our appetizer option was cauliflower in wine. It was a tasty choice.

Cauliflower in Wine, La Catina Del Mercataccio © Spaswinefood

We choose pasta for our main plates.

Meat Pasta, La Catina Del Mercataccio © Spaswinefood

A Closer Look, La Catina Del Mercataccio Pasta © Spaswinefood

Vegetarian Pasta, La Catina Del Mercataccio © Spaswinefood

It was a most delightful lunch. 

When we left we said goodbye to the two wonderful pets at the restaurant.

Greeter, La Catina Del Mercataccio © Spaswinefood

Newest Addition, La Catina Del Mercataccio © Spaswinefood

After a most delicious lunch we explored the historic center around the plaza, and then returned to Izzalini.

John's Restaurant

One of our countryside outings took us to John's Restaurant, just on the outskirts of historic Todi.

 John's Restaurant, Todi © Spaswinefood

Despite it being a busy Sunday afternoon we did manage to get a table.

Over lunch that day we enjoyed a bottle of Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG wine from a local wine producer.

Montefalco Sagrantino in the Glass, John's Restaurant © Spaswinefood

Let's take a peek at the inviting salad.

Loving the Salad, John's Restaurant © Spaswinefood

The food at this was so delicious. Here are our main dishes.

Lunch, John's Restaurant © Spaswinefood

I ordered a truffle decorated pasta. Many of the dishes here are decorated truffles.

Pasta with Truffles, John's Restaurant © Spaswinefood

John ordered a meat plate.

John's Lunch, John's Restaurant © Spaswinefood

Dessert was spectacular. Not only did it look good but it was so tasty.

Loving the Dessert, John's Restaurant © Spaswinefood

Dessert Details, John's Restaurant © Spaswinefood

Of course having lunch out is always a great option in Umbria. We were very happy exploring lunch options in Todi.

Restaurants and Alleys, Todi © Spaswinefood

Whenever we visited we enjoyed exploring historic Todi.  Driving on those narrow streets in the historic center proved to be quite interesting at times. 

Finding Way, Todi Streets © Spaswinefood

Navigating Historic Todi © Spaswinefood

A Small Car is a Must in Todi © Spaswinefood

Eventually the streets got a little wider.

Parking in Todi © Spaswinefood

Further Along, Historic Todi Streets © Spaswinefood

Indeed, it is was fun doing gastronomic explorations in Todi,

Municipality of Todi, Umbria © Spaswinefood

On our way back to Izzalini I always loved to see the city of Todi in the distance.

A Closer Look: Todi, Umbria © Spaswinefood

Our week in Umbria passed too quickly as we visited its historic towns and checked out wine country's gastronomic offerings. Umbria is a region with a proud history and age-old tradition for winemaking. Moreover, the area can rival anywhere in the country for its natural beauty. Earlier articles focused on Izzalini,  and winery visits to Orvieto and Montefalco wine country. I invite you to join me in our wine travels in Italy and elsewhere at Wine Travels with Dr. Sharon, and at Spaswinefood on Twitter and Facebook. I am so looking forward to sharing our future vine-filled explorations in Italy. 

CHEERS!

Sharon 

October 2022

Todi, Umbria

Italy 

© Spaswinefood

Todi's Historic Center © Spaswinefood

Municipality of Todi, Umbria © Spaswinefood © Spaswinefood