Tracie P, Georgia P, and I are in Maiolati Spontini (Province of Ancona), a small village in the heart of Verdicchio country and just a stone’s throw up the road from Morro d’Alba.

On the final leg of our trip, we stayed last night at the humble but sturdy and friendly Hotel La Torre, where we found refuge from the heavy rain and filled our bellies with warm crescia (above), the half-baked and then grill-fired flat bread, a standby of the Marches (Le Marche) and Umbria.

The olive oil-based dish was a perfect pairing for a wonderfully juicy 2010 Lacrima di Morro d’Alba by Lucchetti. A classic expression of this grape, poppy with acidity and fruit, light in body but delightfully chewy.

The bottle — the winery’s upper-tier Guardegno label — was more than reasonably priced and recommended to me by the proprietor, who told me — as she winced at the thought of it — that she doesn’t allow barriqued wines on her list.

We LOVED this wine. And I’m happy to report that it’s available in the U.S. (in at least a handful of states).

We have just one more meeting and tasting before we head to Venice this evening and back to Texas tomorrow.

It’s been an incredible trip for us, the first with our daughter, who taught us that mozzarella and paccheri ai frutti di mare (and pasta in general) are among her favorite foods.

Thanks to everyone for following along with us and sharing the joy of our trip.