Bianchello del Metauro is a denominazione di origine controllata wine made in the province of

Pesaro and Urbino The Province of Pesaro and Urbino ( it, Provincia di Pesaro e Urbino, ) is a province in the Marche region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Pesaro. It also borders the state of San Marino. The province is surrounded by San Marino and Emilia ...

, in the region of

Marche Marche ( , ) is one of the twenty regions of Italy. In English, the region is sometimes referred to as The Marches ( ). The region is located in the central area of the country, bordered by Emilia-Romagna and the republic of San Marino to the ...

, Italy. The DOC was created in 1969.

Geography

The region lies on the eastern coast of Italy, close to

Pesaro Pesaro () is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Marche, capital of the Province of Pesaro e Urbino, on the Adriatic Sea. According to the 2011 census, its population was 95,011, making it the second most populous city in the Marche, ...

, and encompassing the towns of Fano and Senigallia. The wine region completely lies within two larger DOCs:

Colli Pesaresi Colli may refer to: Places of Italy ;Municipalities (''comuni'') * Colli a Volturno, in the province of Isernia *Colli del Tronto, in the province of Ascoli Piceno *Colli sul Velino, in the province of Rieti ;Civil parishes (''frazioni'') *Colli ...

and

Falerio dei Colli Ascolani Falerio dei Colli Ascolani is a denominazione di origine controllata white wine that is located in the region of Marche, in Italy. The DOC was created in 1975. Geography The region lies on the eastern coast of Italy, encompassing the towns of Ci ...

, and shares its southern part with the

Lacrima di Morro d´Alba Lacrima di Morro d'Alba is a denominazione di origine controllata red wine that is produced in the province of Ancona, in Marche, Italy. It is predominantly, if not entirely made from the rare Lacrima grape. The DOC was created in 1985. Histor ...

DOC. The wine region consists of hills running west to east along the Metauro River, in northern Marche. The soil is mostly sandy clay.Joseph Batianich & David Lynch Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines of Italy" pg 417 Clarkson Potter Publishers

History

According to legend, the Roman army defeated a Carthaginian force led by Hannibal's brother,

Hasdrubal Hasdrubal ( grc-gre, Ἀσδρούβας, ''Hasdroúbas'') is the Latinized form of the Carthaginian name ʿAzrubaʿal ( xpu, 𐤏𐤆𐤓𐤁𐤏𐤋 , , "Help of Baal"). It may refer to: * Hasdrubal I of Carthage was the Magonid king of Ancient ...

, due to the vast consumption of Bianchello wine prior to the battle.

Wine

Bianchello del Metauro is unique because it is made almost completely with the Bianchello (also known as Biancame or Biancuccio) grape. According to the regulations for the DOC, Bianchello must consist of at least 95% of the blend.

References

{{reflist Italian DOC Wines of Marche Province of Pesaro and Urbino