What wine is Montepulciano?

Montepulciano is a classic, Italian wine grape and one of the most wide widely planted grapes in the country. The grape makes deeply red wines and is adaptable to traditional or modern winemaking styles. Montepulciano makes the famous wine Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, the rustic, medium-bodied red wine of central Italy.

What wine is Montepulciano similar to?

Montepulciano is deeply colored, similar to Syrah, and with very bold tannins, although some producers will blend it with other grapes to round out the flavor. Supposedly, there are less than 100 acres of this grape growing outside of Italy.

Is Montepulciano a red or white wine?

Montepulciano (“mon-ta-pull-channo”) is a medium-bodied red wine grape that is supposed to have originated in central Italy. Montepulciano wines are commonly confused with Vino Nobile de Montepulciano, a regional name for the Sangiovese-based wine in Tuscany.

Is Montepulciano a Chianti?

Let's start with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Think of it as Chianti's lesser-known cousin. It's made mainly from the same grape, Sangiovese, and usually blended with other reds like Caniolo Nero, among others. It is aged for two years, although many winemakers extend that timeframe to even out the wine even more.

What kind of wine is Montepulciano d Abruzzo?

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is an Italian red wine made from the Montepulciano wine grape in the Abruzzo region of east-central Italy. It should not be confused with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, a Tuscan wine made from Sangiovese and other grapes.

Montepulciano Wine 101

Is Montepulciano a dry red wine?

Montepulciano is almost always produced as a dry wine, and the alcohol content hovers in the low to moderate range — usually 11.5-13.5% alcohol by volume (ABV).

What does Montepulciano wine taste like?

Montepulciano is known for its deep color, powerful tannins, and fairly high amount of acidity. With strong aromas and flavors, the most notable flavors of Montepulciano include hints of oregano, pepper, tobacco, and black fruits. However, the taste of this rustic wine can be dramatically influenced by how it is aged.

Is Sangiovese the same as Montepulciano?

Montepulciano is also the name of a grape, one that's different from Sangiovese. It's grown in the Abruzzo region of Italy, where it makes a wine called Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. This hearty red is more of a value wine (try versions from Illuminati and San Lorenzo).

What is the difference between Montepulciano and Sangiovese?

Thoughts: Like Chianti and Brunello, Montepulciano is a Sangiovese-based wine. The difference is how much Sangiovese. Brunellos must be 100% Sangiovese, whereas Chianti can blended in up to 20% of other grapes. Montepulciano can be blended up to 30%.

Which is lighter Sangiovese or Montepulciano?

Montepulciano is deeply colored, but has the lighter palate weight of the two grapes and adds a certain roundness to the blend. The soft fruit flavors of Montepulciano marry well with the more expressive, earthen and rustic flavors of Sangiovese.

Is Montepulciano Cabernet Sauvignon?

Cabernet - Merlot - Montepulciano Wine

Cabernet Sauvignon is revered for its ability to add structure and color to wines along with its unmistakable blackcurrant flavors and herbaceous notes.

What is the difference between Montepulciano and Montepulciano d Abruzzo?

Montepulciano is both a grape variety and the name of a village. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is the wine produced from the Montepulciano grape when grown in the Abruzzo region. On the other hand, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is produced with Sangiovese grape in the Tuscany region.

What does Montepulciano smell like?

(2012a) the fruity character attributed to the aroma of Montepulciano wines is mainly related to apple, pear, and cherry notes. In fact, esters are a group of volatile compounds, arise from yeast metabolic activity, that impart a mostly pleasant smell (Capozzi et al., 2015).

Why is Montepulciano so cheap?

But Montepulciano d'Abruzzo has a longer tradition of juicy, inexpensive wines that are uncomplicated and cheap. Often, these wines were made by the large cooperatives that dominated the region.

What does Montepulciano mean in Italian?

Noun. Montepulciano (countable and uncountable, plural Montepulcianos) An Italian red wine made from grapes cultivated in the Marche, Abruzzi and Apulia regions.

What is the most popular wine in Italy?

Which is better Montalcino or Montepulciano?

Montepulciano is larger and so has more restaurants, but with only 3 nights you will find plenty of good restaurants in both towns. Montalcino is less steep, and so easier to walk around.

Is Montalcino the same as Montepulciano?

The reds from Montalcino are pure Sangiovese, whereas in Montepulciano a minimum 70% Sangiovese is stipulated for both the Vino Nobile and the Rosso. The other permitted grapes are Canaiolo (up to 20%), Colorino and Mammolo.

What is the Italian equivalent of Pinot Noir?

In Italy, where Pinot Noir is known as Pinot Nero, it has traditionally been cultivated in the Alto Adige, Collio Goriziano, Oltrepò Pavese and Trentino regions to produce Burgundy-style red wines.

Is a Chianti a Sangiovese?

Grapes and classification. Since 1996 the blend for Chianti and Chianti Classico has been 75–100% Sangiovese, up to 10% Canaiolo and up to 20% of any other approved red grape variety such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Syrah.

Is Brunello a Chianti?

A big difference between the two wines is the blend. Chianti Classico allows a blend of up to 10% of other grape varietals besides Sangiovese, while Brunello's strict rules require it to be made with 100% Sangiovese grapes .

What kind of wine is Amarone?

Amarone is a rich red wine that originates from Valpolicella in the Veneto region of north-eastern Italy. Known for its very strong, powerful flavour. It also has a high alcohol percentage of up to 15-16 percent. Amarone is a firm favourite here at Vincarta.

What pairs well with Montepulciano?

The high tannin content in Montepulciano means that it is best when paired with rich and fatty foods. While not the most elegant of food pairings, Montepulciano goes extremely well with meaty pizzas and fatty beef burgers. Other meats that fare well with this wine include roast pork, beef brisket, and shepherds pie.

Is Montepulciano a grape variety?

Montepulciano is a red grape variety indigenous to Italy. It is the second-most widely planted red grape in Italy, after sangiovese. The grape plays a role in many flavorful yet easy-drinking wines that pair well with food, especially pizza.