In mid-March 2024, Emanuele, the owner of Clara Marcelli, a winery in the Marche region of Italy, came to Japan. We had visited his winery in 2018 and stayed there for about three days, so I couldn't resist meeting him! We headed from Akita to Tokyo.
His wines are always in our celler, but we had the chance to taste the new vintages all at once, and once again realized how delicious their wines are!
For white wines, they use local varieties such as Passerina and Pecorino, which are fresh and full of minerality, for red wines, they produce Montepulciano and Sangiovese, which are representative of the Marche region.
Emanuele loves Japan and has visited many times, but this was his first visit in seven years. I am so happy to be able to meet him again and see him looking healthy and well. 
At the Tokyo tasting event
The restaurant where my husband previously worked in Tokyo was an Italian restaurant that tended to specialize in classic wines.
While many customers were looking for wine with a standard taste, Emanuele's wines have a taste that expresses a classical Italian flavor that will satisfy even traditional wine lovers.
Of course, the cultivation and winemaking are both natural, and the wine is popular with a wide range of customers. 
They produce a wide range of wines, from casual wines to special wines with limited production.
Of particular note is the top cuvée, "Ruggine".
The 2014 vintage was even selected as "Sole" (a wine that impressed the tasters the most) by the Italian wine rating book "Veronelli", which is awarded to only 10 wines out of 17,000 bottles...
Ruggine 2014
Their mineral white wines are perfect for the upcoming season, and their red wines are perfect with meat dishes.
The quality of Italian wine really comes out when paired with a meal.
Please give it a try!
[Producer information]
The Marche region, which is blessed with the bounty of the sea and mountains, is number one in Italy in organic agriculture and local grape cultivation. The wonderful nature and climate of the Marche region are evident in the fact that a number of natural wine producers are being born.
Clara Marcelli's vineyards are located in the village of Castorano, in the province of Ascoli Piceno, in the southernmost part of the Marche region.
A very beautiful small artistic town with medieval architecture and vestiges of the time still remaining.
His vineyards are 14km from the sea, 15km from the Apennine Mountains, and located at an altitude of 250 to 280 meters, and have long hours of sunlight and large temperature differences during the day, making them ideal conditions for grapes.
This farm, which has been passed down for generations, is now run by the genius brothers Emanuele and Daniele.
They named "Clara Marcelli" after her mothers name.
In addition to their work on the farm, the two also work as architects, promoting rural life, protecting the environment, and revitalizing the local area.
They have converted old farmhouses in the Marche region into agritourism properties and also design the interiors of shops and restaurants.
They say they pursue "real wine and deliciousness" that will not change over time.
"Have your own style and create valuable things"
This is the commonality between architecture and winemaking, and the dream that these genius brothers strive for.
Photo: Visited in 2018
The beautiful cellar they designed 
Tasting wines aging in barrels 
Dinner at a local restaurant
Beautiful vineyards 
The adorable cottage we stayed in was also designed by them.
★ Husband's faviorite
Corbu 2019
This is a popular red wine that was indispensable to the wine list when I was a sommelier. It goes great with meat dishes!
☆Wife's faviorite
Irata 2020
The salty mineral nuances that remind you of the sea are appetizing. This is the wine that made me fall in love with Pecorino, a local variety from the Marche region!