Chances are that if you’ve visited Le Marche or Abruzzo in central Italy, you’ll have drunk a glass or two of a local white wine called Pecorino. Lively and fresh with notes of luscious, ripe fruit, herbs, and sea salt, it’s the perfect pairing for a wide range of foods or to serve solo as a pre-supper aperitivo. An ancient regional varietal, it’s lowyielding, which meant it never gained a high profile outside the region; its main use was in blends with other white wines, adding body and texture. Largely forgotten and replaced by more productive varieties, it was only as recently as the 1980s that Pecorino experienced a revival. Innovative Le Marche and Abruzzo winemakers revisited this local grape, producing single-varietal wines of excellent quality. Its reputation is beginning to spread internationally now, with Pecorino wines much more widely available at various price points depending on age and winery.