The Macerata Hills stretch across the heart of the Marche region, between the Adriatic Sea and the Sibillini Mountains, encompassing the entire province of Macerata and the municipality of Loreto. It is a hilly landscape shaped by the rivers Chienti, Potenza and Musone, where vineyards, woods and arable land form a distinctive agricultural mosaic. Altitudes and exposures vary considerably, creating a succession of environments with different soil and climate characteristics.
The climate is warm and temperate, with dry summers, generally mild winters and rainfall concentrated mainly between autumn and winter. The influence of the sea contributes to the ventilation of the hills closest to the coast, whilst inland areas exhibit a more continental climate, accompanied by daily temperature variations that promote aromatic balance and gradual ripening.
The soils derive from pre-Apennine sedimentary rocks and include calcareous soils, calcarenitic-pelitic substrates, clay soils and colluvial or torrential deposits in the smaller valleys. This complex geology offers favourable conditions for both white and red grape varieties, with Maceratino – locally known as Ribona – at the heart of the local winemaking tradition. Alongside it, Verdicchio, Tuscan Trebbiano, Pecorino, Chardonnay, Sauvignon and other white varieties find expression, whilst among the red grapes, Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Vernaccia Nera, Lacrima, Ciliegiolo and some French grape varieties stand out.
The appellation encompasses white wines, red wines and Sangiovese, alongside sparkling, passito and Riserva styles. Production techniques include white and red vinification, natural refermentation, prolonged ageing, grape drying and, for certain wines, carbonic maceration. The history of winegrowing dates back to Roman times and was consolidated thanks to the work of medieval monasteries, the sharecropping tradition and the long process of selecting the grape varieties best suited to the area.