If you ask the AI what the differences between Verdicchio di Matelica and Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, here is its answer:
"Verdicchio di Matelica and Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi are both white wines produced with Verdicchio grapes, but they come from two different areas of the Marche region and have unique characteristics.
Verdicchio di Matelica comes from the hilly area of Matelica, in the province of Macerata. This wine has a mineral and fresh character, with notes of white fruit and flowers. It has high acidity and a long persistence on the palate. It is considered one of the best wines of the Marche region and is often compared with the great Italian white wines.
Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, on the other hand, comes from the hilly area of Castelli di Jesi, in the province of Ancona. This wine has a rounder and more structured character than Verdicchio di Matelica, with notes of ripe fruit and spices. It has moderate acidity and a long persistence on the palate. It is also highly regarded for its versatility in food pairing.
In general, Verdicchio di Matelica is considered more fresh and mineral while Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi is more structured and fruity. Both wines are of high quality and best represent the excellence of the Marche region."
It's all true, it is not a soul who is speaking, but it’s true.
The valley of Matelica, where the homonymous Verdicchio is produced, and the production area of Verdicchio di Jesi are divided by the massif of San Vicino. This natural barrier determines the difference in climate between the two valleys: a Mediterranean climate on the side of Jesi and definitely continental and colder weather conditions on the Matelica side.
The climate determines very different harvest periods: early September in Jesi and early October in Matelica, periods that are getting shorter and shorter.
Since the part of Jesi is very vast, it can be quite difficult to determine which characteristics make the difference, we will have different wines depending on how far we move away from the sea, on the hand of the winemaker, on the exposure of the ground, on the altitude, etc.
Matelica is a much smaller valley, arranged from north to south, we are just a few producers and if we turn around our gaze we can all see each other. But our wines are peculiar and different from each other as each producer applies a bit of his philosophy and this affects the final product .
Generally speaking, we cannot satisfy this curiosity. For sure, even if the grape variety is the same, the Verdicchio di Matelica and the Verdicchio di Jesi are different, very different. For this reason I'm sorry but you have to taste them both to understand how similar and different from each other these cousins are. Furthermore within the same area you are highly recommended to taste different producers to understand which are your favourite. In Matelica, at the Foyer at the entrance of our Theater, you can find the headquarters of our Association with a wine shop where you can taste most of the Verdicchi di Matelica.