Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a red

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

with a

Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: * ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English: “designation of origin”), * ''Indicazione geografica tipi ...

status produced in the

vineyard A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineya ...

s surrounding the town of

Montepulciano Montepulciano () is a medieval and Renaissance hill town and ''comune'' in the Italian province of Siena in southern Tuscany. It sits high on a limestone ridge, east of Pienza, southeast of Siena, southeast of Florence, and north of Rome b ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. The wine is made primarily from the

Sangiovese Sangiovese (, also , , ) is a red Italian wine grape variety that derives its name from the Latin ''sanguis Jovis'', "the blood of Jupiter". Though it is the grape of most of central Italy from Romagna down to Lazio (the most widespread grape ...

grape varietal (known locally as ''Prugnolo gentile'') (minimum 70%), blended with

Canaiolo Nero Canaiolo (; also called Canaiolo nero or Uva Canina) is a red Italian wine grape grown through Central Italy but is most noted in Tuscany. Other regions with plantings of Canaiolo include Lazio, Marche and Sardegna. In Umbria a white berried ...

(10%–20%) and small amounts of other local varieties such as

Mammolo Mammolo is a red Italian wine grape that is planted primarily in Tuscany. While its use has been diminishing, Mammolo was historically included in the blended Sangiovese-based wines of Chianti where it contributed a distinctive violet or ''mammo ...

. The wine is aged for 2 years (at least 1 year in oak barrels); three years if it is a riserva. The wine should not be confused with

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. ...

, a red wine made from the Montepulciano grape in the Abruzzo region of east-central Italy.

History

In a document dated 789, quoted by

Emanuele Repetti Emanuele Repetti (1776-1852) was an Italian historian and naturalist who wrote extensively on the history of Tuscany. He was born in Carrara.Italian Institute of Archaeology, University of Siena http://www.archeogr.unisi.it/repetti/paginerep/bior ...

in "Dizionario Geografico Fisico Storico della Toscana", the cleric Arnipert offers to the Church of San Silvestro in Lanciniano (Amiata area), farmland and a vineyard located in the Castello di Policiano; another document of 17 October 1350, also mentioned by Repetti, lays down the terms for trade and export of a wine produced in the Montepulciano area. In 1685 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is also mentioned by the poet Francesco Redi, who, in addition to praising the work of

Bacchus In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, Dionysus (; grc, wikt:Διόνυσος, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstas ...

in Tuscany (Montepulciano is the king of all wines!), wrote an ode to Count Federico Veterani dedicated exclusively to praise of the qualities of this wine. The name Vino Nobile di Montepulciano was invented by Adamo Fanetti. Until 1930 and beyond, the wine was officially called "Vino rosso scelto di Montepulciano," but Adamo called his wine “nobile” (noble). In 1925, Adamo Fanetti produced about 30 tons of Nobile, all bottled and sold for two ITLire a bottle. It was greatly appreciated. Its increased success was seen at the first trade show of wine held in

Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centur ...

in 1931, organized by Ente Mostra-Mercato Nazionale dei Vini Tipici e Pregiati, when Mr. Tancredi Biondi-Santi, a friend and admirer of Adamo Fanetti, said prophetically: "this wine will have a future. Fanetti must be considered the first producer of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. 'Cantine Fanetti' has promoted Vino Nobile di Montepulciano all over the world in the years following

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, and in the years of the "economic miracle" after World War II. Other companies, which until that date had produced mostly Chianti, followed Adamo's example and in 1937 founded a 'Cantina Sociale' (Vecchia Cantina di Montepulciano) with the intention of creating a structure for the marketing of wine produced even by small farmers. The wine produced in Montepulciano continued to be appreciated, and over time it obtained the DOC Denominazione di Origine Controllata (Denomination of Controlled Origin) with DPR July 12, 1966. The DOCG Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin) of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano was authorized by DPR July 1, 1980 and modified by DM July 27, 1999.

Wines made in Montepulciano

The industry in the wine-producing town of Montepulciano produces a number of different wines: * Novello (produced not only in this specific region) * Rosso di Montepulciano - The wine is made primarily from the Sangiovese grape varietal (known locally as ''Prugnolo gentile'') (minimum 70%), blended with Canaiolo Nero (10%–20%) and small amounts of other local varieties such as Mammolo. The wine is aged in oak barrels for 1 year. * Nobile di Montepulciano * Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva * Grappa - By Italian law, the same company cannot be both a certified winery and a certified distillery, therefore, the Grappa is produced in cooperation, but, is usually sold by the winery and bears the winery name on its label.

References

{{reflist, refs= Disciplinare di produzione della Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita dei vini "Vino Nobile di Montepulciano"
(in Italian). Rome: Ministero delle politiche agricole alimentari e forestali. Accessed December 2021.

External links

*Official site of the Consorzio del Vino Nobil

*Official site of the local Wine Route Organization - Strada del Vino Nobile di Montepulcian

*"Civiltà del bere" nr.4 aprile 1999
"Nobile, re dei vini" di Luca Maroni & Silvia Imparato
* Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Wine Region Guid

Italian DOCG Wines of Tuscany Montepulciano