The Valle Camertina in Italy is stunning. It is a pocket of field, pasture, and vineyard tucked into a fold of the Apennine mountains around the town of Camerino. It is a pocket of agricultural paradise surrounded on four sides by gently rugged mountains. The Marchionni family settled here in the late 1970s to make wine, and in 1998, Fabio Marchionni made his first vintage. After more than twenty five years, he’s mastered the art of making Matelica’s particular sort of Verdicchio. Higher in elevation and more influenced by mountains than the sea, Matelica strikes a different pose than the Verdicchios dei Castelli di Jesi. Here, the wines are generally zestier, less creamy in texture and with a stronger sense of minerality. Collestefano is usually among the  finest of the region, and in 2022 Fabio and family smashed it. Aromas of apricot gelee, orange, rosemary, sage, white rose and white pepper dance and mingle before the palate hit like a freight train full of orange, Mayer lemon, and salty minerals. True to Verdicchio’s form, this wine is outrageously full bodied, singing with acidity, and leaves the palate painted orange, filled with fresh fruits and salt. Verdicchio is famously versatile to pair with food, but this one feels like a picnic wine to us. Try cold salads with strong flavors.