Pecorino

Pecorino, not to be confused with the Italian cheese of the same name, is an ancient grape variety native to the region of Marche. It's a hardy grape and naturally low yielding. However, yields can be inconsistent from year to year, which may explain why Pecorino was virtually extinct by the 1970s.

Thankfully Pecorino was saved from extinction by a winemaker called Guido Cocci Grifoni in the early 1980s. Guido needed a white grape variety that ripened at high altitude as the widely grown Verdicchio grape didn't thrive in his area of Marche. Pecorino fitted the bill. Whilst other winemakers in Marche didn't follow Guido's lead, the Pecorino grape was widely adopted in the region of Abruzzo.