Montepulciano ( , ) is a red

Italian wine Italian wine () is produced in every region of Italy. Italy is the country with the widest variety of indigenous grapevine in the world, with an area of under vineyard cultivation, as well as the List of wine-producing regions#Countries, world's ...

grape variety This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, Zante currant, currant, sultana (grape), sultana). For a complete list of all grape species, including those unimp ...

that is most noted for being the primary grape behind the

DOCG The following four classification of wine, classifications of wine constitute the Italy, Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: * ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; 'designation of origin'); * ''Indicazione ...

wines Colline Teramane Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and Offida Rosso; and the DOC wines

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is an Italian wine, Italian red wine made from the Montepulciano (grape), Montepulciano vitis vinifera, wine grape in the Abruzzo (wine), Abruzzo region of east-central Italy. It should not be confused with Vino Nobile di M ...

, Rosso Conero, and Rosso Piceno Superiore. It should not be confused with the similarly named Tuscan wine

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a red wine with a '' denominazione di origine controllata e garantita'' status produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montepulciano, Italy. The wine is made primarily from the Sangiovese grape varieta ...

, which is made from predominantly Sangiovese and is named for the town it is produced in, rather than for containing any Montepulciano grapes in the blend. The grape is widely planted throughout central and southern Italy, most notably in

Abruzzo Abruzzo (, ; ; , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; ), historically also known as Abruzzi, is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy with an area of 10,763 square km (4,156 sq mi) and a population of 1.3 million. It is divided into four ...

Lazio Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...

Marche Marche ( ; ), in English sometimes referred to as the Marches ( ) from the Italian name of the region (Le Marche), is one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. The region is located in the Central Italy, central area of the country, ...

Molise Molise ( , ; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region in Southern Italy. Until 1963, it formed part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise together with Abruzzo. The split, which did not become effective until 1970, makes Molise the newest region in Ital ...

Umbria Umbria ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region of central Italy. It includes Lake Trasimeno and Cascata delle Marmore, Marmore Falls, and is crossed by the Tiber. It is the only landlocked region on the Italian Peninsula, Apennine Peninsula. The re ...

and

Apulia Apulia ( ), also known by its Italian language, Italian name Puglia (), is a Regions of Italy, region of Italy, located in the Southern Italy, southern peninsular section of the country, bordering the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Strait of Ot ...

, and is a permitted variety in DOC wines produced in 20 of Italy's 95

provinces A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...

. Montepulciano is rarely found in northern Italy because the grape has a tendency to ripen late and can be excessively "green" if harvested too early. When fully ripened, Montepulciano can produce deeply colored wines, with moderate

acidity An acid is a molecule or ion capable of either donating a proton (i.e. hydrogen cation, H+), known as a Brønsted–Lowry acid, or forming a covalent bond with an electron pair, known as a Lewis acid. The first category of acids are the ...

and noticeable

extract An extract (essence) is a substance made by extracting a part of a raw material, often by using a solvent such as ethanol, oil or water. Extracts may be sold as tinctures or absolutes or dried and powdered. The aromatic principles of ma ...

and alcohol levels.J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes'' p. 112 Oxford University Press 1996. .

Origins and confusion with other Montepulciano wines

Although the varietal's name refers to the Montepulciano region in the province of Siena in Tuscany, its origin is more likely to be in the Abruzzo region in central Italy, possibly in the area of Torre de' Passeri. Because Sangiovese is widely grown in the Montepulciano area of Tuscany, Montepulciano has often been considered a synonym for Sangiovese, but this is contradicted by ampelographic observations and

DNA profiling DNA profiling (also called DNA fingerprinting and genetic fingerprinting) is the process of determining an individual's deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) characteristics. DNA analysis intended to identify a species, rather than an individual, is cal ...

(Vouillamoz). Despite its name, the Montepulciano grape does not seem to have any tangible connection to the town of that name or to the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Furthermore, despite being widely planted throughout central Italy, the Montepulciano grape is not grown in the vineyards around the actual town of Montepulciano.

Jancis Robinson Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, ComMA, MW (born 22 April 1950) is a British wine critic, journalist and wine writer. She currently writes a weekly column for the ''Financial Times'', and writes for her website JancisRobinson.com, updated daily. She ...

(ed) '' The Oxford Companion to Wine'' Third Edition p. 450

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...

2006. .

Wine regions

After Sangiovese, Montepulciano is Italy's second most widely dispersed indigenous grape variety. It is a recommended planting in 20 of Italy's 95 provinces and is a permitted or required grape in the red wines of DOCs in Apulia, Molise, Lazio, Umbria, Marche,

Emilia-Romagna Emilia-Romagna (, , both , ; or ; ) is an Regions of Italy, administrative region of northern Italy, comprising the historical regions of Emilia (region), Emilia and Romagna. Its capital is Bologna. It has an area of , and a population of 4.4 m ...

, Abruzzi and Tuscany. Among the DOCs that are most noted for Montepulciano are

in Abruzzi, Offida Rosso DOCG, Rosso Conero and Rosso Piceno in Marche. Though it is a secondary variety to Uva di Troia in the Castel Del Monte DOC, according to wine expert Jancis Robinson the character that Montepulciano contributes to the blend is perhaps "its finest incarnation".J. Robinson ''Vines, Grapes & Wines'' p. 212 Mitchell Beazley 1986. .

DOCs and DOCGs

The following is a list of DOCs and DOCGs that include Montepulciano as a permitted grape variety, along with other grapes that may be included in the blend under varying percentages that are regulated under the DOC/G label. The wines of which Montepulciano must account for a majority of the blend are in bold.P. Saunders ''Wine Label Language'' pp. 119–215 Firefly Books 2004. . * Alezio DOC (Apulia) – can be blended with Negroamaro, Sangiovese and

Malvasia Malvasia (), also known as Malvazia, is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region and Macaronesia, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world. In the past, the names Malvasia, Malvazia, ...

* Biferno DOC (Molise) – must be 60–70% of the wine. Can be blended with Trebbiano Toscano (in

rosé A rosé () is a type of wine that incorporates some of the wine color, color from the grape skins, but not enough to qualify it as a red wine. It may be the oldest known type of wine, as it is the most straightforward to make with the Macerati ...

and red wines) and Aglianico * Brindisi DOC (Apulia) – can be blended with Negroamaro, Sangiovese and Malvasia * Cacc'e mmitte di Lucera DOC (Apulia) – can be blended with Sumarello, Sangiovese, Malvasia, Trebbiano and

Bombino bianco Bombino bianco is a white Italian wine grape variety planted primarily along Italy's Adriatic coast line, most notably in Apulia. The vine is prone to high yields and often produces neutral flavor wines.J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Wine Co ...

* Castel Del Monte DOC (Apulia) – can be blended with Uva di Troia, Sangiovese, Aglianico and

Pinot noir Pinot noir (), also known as Pinot nero, is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name also refers to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French language, French words fo ...

* Castelli Romani DOC (Lazio) – can be blended with Cesanese,

Merlot Merlot ( ) is a dark-blue-colored wine grape variety that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of , the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the color ...

, Sangiovese and Nero Buono * Cerveteri DOC (Lazio) – can be blended with Sangiovese, Cesanese, Canaiolo nero, Carignan and Barbera * Cesanese di Olevano Romano DOC (Lazio) – can be blended with Cesanese, Sangiovese, Barbera, Trebbiano and Bambino bianco * Colli Amerini DOC (Umbria) – can be blended with Sangiovese, Ciliegiolo, Canaiolo, Merlot and Barbera * Colli Etruschi Viterbesi DOC (Lazio) – can be blended with Sangiovese * Colli Maceratesi DOC (Marche) – can be blended with Sangiovese,

Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebano ...

Cabernet Franc Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux (wine), Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire (wine), Loire's C ...

, Ciliegiolo, Lacrima, Merlot and Vernaccia nera * Colli Martani DOC (Umbria) – can be blended with Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo, Barbera, Merlot, Trebbiano, Grechetto, Malvasia,

Garganega Garganega (, ; meaning "from Gargano") is a variety of white Italian wine grape widely grown in the Veneto region of North East Italy, particularly in the provinces of Verona and Vicenza. It is Italy's 6th most widely planted white grape. ...

and Verdicchio * Colli Perugini DOC (Umbria) – can be blended with Sangiovese, Ciliegiolo, Barbera and Merlot * Colli Pesaresi DOC (Marche) – can be blended with Sangiovese and Ciliegiolo * Colli di Rimini DOC (Emilia-Romagna) – can be blended with Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Barbera, Terrano and

Ancellotta Ancellotta is a wine grape varietyAncellotta

* Colline Teramane Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOCG (Abruzzi) – at least 85% of the wine. Can be blended with Sangiovese * Collo della Romagna Centrale DOC (Emilia-Romagna) – can be blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Barbera and Merlot * Colli della Sabina DOC (Lazio) – can be blended with Sangiovese * Conero DOCG (Marche) – at least 85–100% of the wine with Sangiovese making up the other component * Controguerra DOC (Abruzzi) – at least 60% of the blend. Can be blended with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc * Copertino DOC (Abruzzi) – can be blended with Negroamaro, Malvasia and Sangiovese * Cori DOC (Lazio) – can be blended with Nero Buono and Bonvino nero * Esino DOC (Marche) – along with Sangiovese must be at least 60% of the blend with local varieties filling out the rest * Gioia del Colle DOC (Apulia) – can be blended with Primitivo, Sangiovese, Negroamara and Malvasia * Lacrima di Morro d'Alba DOC (Marche) – can be blended with Lacrima and Verdicchio * Leverano DOC (Apulia) – can be blended with Negroamaro, Malvasia and Sangiovese * Lizzano DOC (Apulia) – can be blended with Negroamaro, Sangiovese, Bombino nero, Pinot noir and Malvasia *

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC 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 grape ...

(Abruzzi) – at 85% of the wine. Can be blended with Sangiovese * Nardo DOC (Apulia) – can be blended with Negro Amaro and Malvasia * Offida DOCG (Marche) – at least 50% of the wine. Can be blended with Cabernet Sauvignon * Orta Nova DOC (Apulia) – can be blended with Uva di Troia, Lambrusco Maestri and Trebbiano. * Parrina DOC (Tuscany) – can be blended with Sangiovese, Canaiolo and

Colorino Colorino is a red Italian wine grape variety planted primarily in Tuscany (wine), Tuscany. The grape is known for its deep dark colouring and is used primarily as a colouring agent in red blends. J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Wine Course' ...

* Pentro di Isernia DOC (Molise) – at least 45–55% of the wine with Sangiovese making up the other component. * Rosso Barletta DOC (Apulia) – can be blended with Uva di Troia, Sangiovese and

Malbec Malbec () is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. In France, plantations of Malbec are ...

* Rosso Canosa DOC (Apulia) – can be blended with Uva di Troia and Sangiovese * Rosso di Cerignola DOC (Apulia) – can be blended with Uva di Troia, Negroamaro, Sangiovese, Barbera, Malbec and Trebbiano * Rosso Conero DOC (Marche) – at least 85–100% of the wine with Sangiovese making up the other component * Rosso Orvietano DOC (Umbria) – can be blended with Aleatico, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo, Merlot, Pinot noir, Sangiovese, Barbera, Cesanese, Colorino and Dolcetto. Can be a varietal with 85% of the blend but that is rarely seen. * Rosso Piceno DOC (Marche) – can be blended with Sangiovese, Trebbiano and Passerino * San Severo DOC (Apulia) – at least 70–100% of the blend with Sangiovese making up the other component * Tarquinia DOC (Lazio) – either/or with Sangiovese to make up a minimum 60% of the wine. Can be blended with Cesanese *

Torgiano DOC Torgiano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 10 km southeast of Perugia. Torgiano borders the following municipalities: Bastia Umbra, Bettona, Deruta, Perugia. It is one ...

(Umbria) – can be blended with Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Trebbiano and Ciliegiolo *

Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG Torgiano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 10 km southeast of Perugia. Torgiano borders the following municipalities: Bastia Umbra, Bettona, Deruta, Perugia. It is one ...

(Umbria) – can be blend with Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Trebbiano and Ciliegiolo. * Velletri DOC (Lazio) – can be blended with Sangiovese, Cesanese, Bombino nero, Merlot and Ciliegiolo * Vernaccia di Serrapetrona DOCG (Marche) – can be blend with Vernaccia di Serrapetrona, Sangiovese and Ciliegiolo

Viticultural Characteristics

Montepulciano is late budding (making it an ideal varietal for regions that have late spring frosts) and is late ripening. It is productive (high yielding), deeply colored, firmly structured and widely planted. It has good resistance to botrytis rot and powdery mildew. The grapes tend to be plump with thick skins. However, the skin has a fair amount of pigmented

tannins Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' is widely applied to any large po ...

and

color Color (or colour in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) is the visual perception based on the electromagnetic spectrum. Though co ...

producing

phenols In organic chemistry, phenols, sometimes called phenolics, are a class of chemical compounds consisting of one or more hydroxyl groups (− O H) bonded directly to an aromatic hydrocarbon group. The simplest is phenol, . Phenolic compounds ar ...

that with maceration can produce either a deep ruby colored wine or a pink ''Cerasuolo'' wine. Compared to most Italian varieties, Montepulciano has moderately low

and more mild (i.e. softer) than bitter edged tannins. Wine expert Oz Clarke describes Montepulciano as producing a "round, plummy and weighty red with ripe tannins, good acidity and a low price tag".Oz Clarke ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' p. 139 Harcourt Books 2001. . Jancis Robinson evaluates Montepulciano as a "promising variety" that produces smooth, drinkable wines that can improve for three or four years after vintage.

Synonyms

Various synonyms have been used to describe Montepulciano and its wines, including Cordicso, Cordiscio, Cordisco, Cordisio, Monte Pulciano, Montepulciano Cordesco, Montepulciano di Torre de Passeri, Montepulciano Primatico, Morellone, Premutico, Primaticcio, Primutico, Sangiovese Cardisco, Sangiovese Cordisco, Sangiovetto, Torre dei Passeri, Uva Abruzzese and Uva Abruzzi.

Outside Italy

Montepulciano is also grown in Turkey (Kemalpasa), Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, and the United States (California, North Carolina, and Texas).

References

{{Wines Red wine grape varieties Wine grapes of Italy