300 monkeys

Happy New Year to you all!
As you may know, I spent the holiday season in Le Marche and while I was there I was told about the new cool place in the area: 300 monkeys.

I don't know if you are familiar with the term 'silent disco'; well, I wasn't, so it was a complete discovery for me. A silent disco is a club where people dance to music they hear through wireless headphones. There are 2 DJs and the audience can choose between the 2 types of music they play. There's no music or a quieter background music for those with no headphones.

Sunflower fields forever

Paraphrasing what one of my favorite Italian authors (Severgnini) once wrote, if seasons had a passport, the fall would be British, the winter would be Russian, spring would be American, but summer would be Italian without a doubt, because summer -like Italians- is exaggerated, emotional, noisy, lively.
I agree 100% with this. Summer is my favorite season but the Italian summer is my favorite of them all. People are in a better mood, days are longer, warmer, everyone is counting the days for the holidays, there's a relaxing atmosphere everywhere and, my favorite part, everywhere you go in the countryside you find the beautiful sunflower fields.
A couple of weeks ago we were in Le Marche, enjoying the Italian summer and relaxing in its beautiful hillsides, here are some pictures:

Pappafò

A couple of weeks ago while visiting Le Marche we decided to have lunch at Pappafò, a cozy country house between Castelraimondo and Camerino. It's been open for some years now and everytime we eat there we are happy so it's a safe choice and this time was as expected.

Pentolaccia time!

If you ever happen to be in Le Marche (maybe shopping around the outlets and shoe factories), you must stop by Civitanova Marche, a town in the Adriatic, famous also for its shoe market which takes place on Saturdays in the main square and neighboring streets. The shoes you find there are very good quality because some of them come directly from the factories in the area and the prices are also good!

But the main purpose to come to Civitanova Marche is to have a pentolaccia. What? Pentolaccia is a delicious seafood dish that consists in mixing different kinds of shellfish (mussels, clams, oysters), shrimps, squids, crabs, etc. with handmade pasta and a delicate tomato sauce (optional).
The best place I have eaten it at is called L'Oasi and it is located in the southern promenade of the town (lungomare sud), it's right by the sea, they also have sunbeds and umbrellas in the beach during the summer. The atmosphere of the place is relaxed, it has windows overlooking the beach, air conditioning and friendly service.

Reds: Lacrima di Morro d'Alba

It's been a while since the last wine post, right? So here's another one!
Some time ago while driving around the Marche hillside, we got to Morro d'Alba, a nice little town between Ancona and Jesi, you might pass by while outlet shopping  in the area. We got to taste this delicious red wine with a particular aroma of berries, yummy! After a while, I got to taste an equally delicious risotto made of Lacrima wine, it made my love for Lacrima grow even more (one day I'll try to cook it, promise!).

The Lacrima di Morro d'Alba has been known since ancient times, its first historical mention was by Federico Barbarossa, in 1167, during the siege of Ancona. The inhabitants were forced to give the emperor their best possessions, including the famous juice of Morro d'Alba grapes. It became a DOC in 1985. 

Whites: Verdicchio di Matelica

Ah, Le Marche, my home away from home! It is not only beautiful because of its landscapes, the warmth of its people and its delicious food, as you may have read in my post about Rosso Conero, it produces also great wines. Like the Verdicchio di Matelica.
It is a white wine produced with Verdicchio grapes. Its name was first used by a notary in 1579 but it became a DOC wine in 1967.
It is produced in the area surrounding the town of Matelica (Camerino, Castelraimondo, Cerreto, Esanatoglia, Fabriano and Gagliole). The effects of the weather in this valley (high variations of temperature from day to night and from summer to winter) give the grapes its unique aromas, extracts and polyphenols, therefore the wine has a great attitude to aging and a strong body.
 The Consortium for the Protection of the Verdicchio di Matelica is the association that regulates its production and it has only nearly a dozen wineries that can produce this wine.

Grape(s): Verdicchio 100% (another white grape might be added max. 15%)
Production area: near the Apennines, valley surrounding the town of Matelica.
Terroir: clay soils.
Features: strong-bodied, staw yellow color with greenish reflections, fresh, fruity aroma.
Food pairing: Seafood, starters, pasta, lasagne, ciauscolo (typical cold cut from the area), semi-aged cheeses.
When to drink it: Normally young, but if it's a good production it can age without losing its freshness and fragrance

My top 2:


- Verdicchio di Matelica Collestefano (Collestefano)
- Cambrugiano Verdicchio di Matelica DOC Riserva (Belisario)

cover image of Collestefano's website