Falerio dei Colli Ascolani (often just Falerio) is a DOC of the Marche wine region, on the east coast of central Italy. It covers the Ascoli Piceno province referred to in the title, more specifically the Colli Ascolani (the hills of Ascoli). These hills are the foothills of the central Apennines, which are known as the spine of central Italy. The DOC's precise location seems to have been the subject of some confusion, with at least one reputable wine reference source illustrating it as overlapping with Bianchello di Metauro. The DOC laws stipulate simply that it corresponds precisely with the boundaries of the Ascoli Piceno province, excluding particularly humid areas and those areas more than 2300ft (700m) above sea level.
The Falerio title was created in 1975 to cover the local white wines, which are now made from regional varieties Passerina (the local name for Bianchello) and Pecorino, and the ubiquitous Trebbiano. The wines are typically crisp, tangy whites, which can offer mineral depth if well made.
The climate of southern Marche is similar to that just across the regional border in neighboring Abruzzo (the Colline Teramane are just a short drive from Ascoli Piceno town): warm, relatively dry and of Mediterranean type. It is measurably different from the more continental climate found in the northern Marche, which partially explains the preference for white wines over red here.
