Il Picchio is a wonderfully pure Verdicchio from the experts at Cantina Belisario. It showcases everything Italian wine fans love about this native grape, which produces wines with racy lemony zip, particularly when it comes from the inland, high-altitude Matelica region.

Sandwiched between the Adriatic sea and the Apennines, the Marches is a tucked-away wine region of eastern Italy, certainly worth exploring. It boasts a beautiful landscape of sandy beaches (popular with tourists), which become progressively more hilly and mountainous as you traverse inland. The slopes closest to the Apeninne foothills are where the Matelica subregion is found, best known for its racy, lemon- and lime-fresh Verdicchios, a speciality of the Cantina Belisario winery.

Highly awarded winemaker Roberto Potentini is in charge of the cellar, producing this deliciously fresh, 100% Verdicchio. Citrusy, with a touch of almond and pleasing freshness, it makes a great aperitivo and is also spot on with seafood.

As you pour, share the story behind Il Picchio, Italian for "the woodpecker." This sacred bird is a symbol of the Marche region, with deep historical roots. Historians believe that in the Iron Age, a migrating tribe followed a green woodpecker (picus in Latin), eventually settling in the present-day Marche. They became known as the Piceni, and were known for unifying cultures that previously been divided. Today, the little bird is still represented in the Marche coat of arms and logo.