A number of interesting tales are attached to Rosso Piceno wine. The best involves Hannibal on his way south from the Alps. The General apparently needed to refresh his troops and found an aged 'rosso piceno' was the perfect 'pick me up'.

Pliny the Elder also mentioned the widespread fame of the Picenum vine and reminds us that the wine pre-dated Roman times having been extensively cultivated by the Piceni tribe.

The slopes of the Monte Sibillini are where the grape grows best. Its longevity and popularity might also be attributed to Sibilla who was given the gifts of immortality and the ability to be in a number of places at the same time by the god Apollo.