Montepulciano

Montepulciano

REGIONS

  • Italy: Abruzzo, Marche, Molise, Puglia

OCCASION

  • Have over a rustic, rich, meat, potato, roasted vegetable infused meal

HOW TO SERVE

  • Decant for up to 2 hours
  • 16 °C – 17 °C (60 °F –
    62 °F) for young wines (2 – 3 years) and
    18 °C – 19 °C (64 °F – 66 °F) for older wines
  • Universal glass

FOOD & CHEESE

  • Rich meat dishes, pasta Bolognese, swordfish, salmon, Thai, Indian, Korean marinades
  • Talamello, Pecorino, marbled cheese, Cheddar, Parmesan

There is Montepulciano wine which is made from the grape with the same name and that comes from Eastern Italy, and then there is Vino Nobile di Montepulciano which is an entirely different wine from Tuscany made primarily from Sangiovese.

Montepulciano wine is a very approachable wine that goes with quite rich dishes, perfect for meat, baked potatoes and anything that is fatty. The less acidic styles of Montepulciano and also the most common ones are best consumed young while the ones with higher acidity and quality can age for up to 15 years.

The grape itself is easy to grow which in most cases means that it is over-produced. The vines with the best quality grow on clay and limestone soil which produce grapes with more concentrated flavors.

Montepulciano wines you will find in the store

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

  • Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC
  • Quality: from low to high
  • Minimum 85% Montepulciano
  • Aging: minimum 5 months and for Riserva minimum 2 years
  • Alcohol level: minimum 12% and minimum 12.5% for Riserva
  • Great quality: Colline Teramane DOCG which requires a minimum of 90% Montepulciano and a maximum of 10% Sangiovese

Rosso Conero

  • Rosso Conero DOC
  • Marche region
  • Quality: usually high
  • Minimum 85% Montepulciano and maximum 15% Sangiovese
  • Full body, strong tannins and aroma
  • Requires aging

Rosso Piceno

  • Rosso Piceno DOC
  • Marche region
  • Quality: usually high
  • Between 40% to 75% Montepulciano
  • Alcohol level: minimum 12%
  • Aging: up to 5 years
  • Not as intense as Rosso Conero

Offida Rosso

  • Offida Rosso DOCG
  • Marche region, around the town of Offida
  • Quality: usually high
  • Minimum 85% Montepulciano
  • Aging: minimum 2 years of which 1 year in oak and 3 months in bottle
  • Offida has 2 more DOCG: Offida Pecorino and Offida Passerina