Lacrima di Morro d'Alba is a denominazione di origine controllata red wine that is produced in the province of

Ancona Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic S ...

, in

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 Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. It is predominantly, if not entirely made from the rare Lacrima grape. The DOC was created in 1985.

History

According to legend, in 1167

Frederick Barbarossa Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (german: link=no, Friedrich I, it, Federico I), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death 35 years later. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt on ...

became a fan of the wine after taking over the Castello di Morro d'Alba following the siege of Ancona.

The Lacrima Grape

Lacrima is an ancient and local grape that is rarely found outside of the town of

Morro d'Alba Morro d'Alba is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Ancona in the Italian region Marche, located about west of Ancona. Morro d'Alba borders the following municipalities: Belvedere Ostrense, Monte San Vito, San Marcello, Senigallia ...

. The wine is only produced by a handful of estates. The grape's name (meaning "tear" in Italian) is derived from its tear-like shape, or, alternatively, its thin skin that allows tear-like drops of juice to drip from the grape.

DOC Regulations

According to the DOC laws, Lacrima di Morro d'Alba must contain at least 85% Lacrima. According to Joseph Bastianich, the wine is a soft, dolcetto-like red wine that some locals think could be important in the future.Joseph Batianich & David Lynch Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines of Italy" pg 249 Clarkson Potter Publishers

References

{{reflist Italian DOC Wines of Marche Province of Ancona