onte Conero, a mountain of unusual formation that overlooks the city of Ancona, appears to have derived its name from the Greek word for the "arbutus" (strawberry tree) or marine cherry, which grows spontaneously and in considerable abundance on the slopes of this promontory of the Marches.
There are various hypotheses about the geological formation of Monte Conero, which rises to an altitude of 572 meters above sea level. Some insist that it is all that remains of the ancient Adria, a sort of Atlantis that once extended as far eastward as Dalmatia and that sank into the Adriatic. Others regard it as a localized protuberance resulting from tectonic forces. What is certain is that vines have grown on the slopes of the hill since remote times.
The first citation of the wines of Ancona is found in the "Historia Naturalis" of Pliny the Elder, who, in listing the numerous wines produced in his day in Italy, mentioned those of Ancona as among the best known products of the Adriatic shore. That citation was echoed by his nephew Pliny the Younger in his "Letters," which represent a fundamental literary source for an understanding of life in imperial Rome.
Afterward, there were many literary and poetic references to the red Rosso Conero. Among the most illustrious of those citing the wine was Andrea Bacci, physician of Pope Sixtus V and professor of botany at the University of Rome, who in his book published in 1596 confirmed Pliny's references to the pretuziani wines (the Pretuzi were a Sabine people that the Roman Emperor Augustus united with the Picenes or Marchigiani) and explicitly mentioned the wines of the Conero. The wines of the area and especially the Rosso Conero were clearly on the mind of the celebrated 19th century poet of the Marches, Giacomo Leopardi, when he wrote his little-known collection of thoughts on wine and drunkenness.
The wine, which was admitted to the ranks of DOC products in 1967, is made primarily from the Montepulciano variety, the origins of which have not been determined. The variety is grown in central-southern Italy and especially in the Marches and the Abruzzi. While it has the same name as the town in southern Tuscany, the grape is considerably different from those used in the production of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
