Marche is located in central Italy, on the eastern side of the Apennines. It has a long Adriatic coastline which borders to the north with Emilia Romagna and to the south with Abruzzo. The major vineyard areas are situated inland, in zones sheltered by the mountains. The climate, which is strongly influenced by the vicinity of the warm Adriatic Sea, is mild and ideally suited to viticulture. The top grape varieties are Verdicchio for white wines and Sangiovese and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo for reds. Other minor varieties include Bianchello, Trebbiano and Vernaccia di Serrapetrona.

The region has 11 DOCs, the most important of which are the two Verdicchio denominations (Verdicchio di Jesi and Verdicchio di Matelica) and the red Rosso Conero and Rosso Piceno. The region has acquired a growing reputation for the quality of its wines in recent years, in the wake of the modernisation of both vineyard management and vinification. A total of 30,000 hectares are dedicated to vineyard in the region, which produces around 500,000 hectolitres of wine a year.