Montepulciano ( , ) is a red Italian wine grape variety that is most noted for being the primary grape behind the DOCG wines

Offida Rosso Offida () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Ascoli Piceno in the Italian region Marche, located about south of Ancona and about northeast of Ascoli Piceno, on a rocky spur between the valleys of the Tesino (from north) and Tro ...

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Teramane 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. ...

, Rosso Conero and the DOC wine

Rosso Piceno Superiore Rosso is the major city of south-western Mauritania and capital of Trarza region. It is situated on the Senegal River at the head of the river zone allowing year-round navigation. The town is 204 km south of the capital Nouakchott. The A ...

. It should not be confused with the similarly named Tuscan wine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, 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 (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=Sabino dialect, Aquilano, Abbrùzzu; #History, historically Abruzzi) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy wi ...

, Lazio,

Marche Marche ( , ) is one of the twenty regions of Italy. In English, the region is sometimes referred to as The Marches ( ). The region is located in the central area of the country, bordered by Emilia-Romagna and the republic of San Marino to the ...

, Molise, Umbria and

Apulia it, Pugliese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographic ...

, and is a permitted variety in DOC wines produced in 20 of Italy's 95 provinces. 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 The color of wine is one of the most easily recognizable characteristics of wines. Color is also an element in wine tasting since heavy wines generally have a deeper color. The accessory traditionally used to judge the wine color was the tastevin, ...

, with moderate acidity and noticeable

extract An extract 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, absolutes or in powder form. The aromatic principles of many spices, nuts, h ...

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

According to wine expert

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 ...

, the Montepulciano grape likely originated in Tuscany and may be related to the Sangiovese, with which it is often confused. Despite this possible origin, the Montepulciano grape still does not seem to have any tangible connection to the town of that name or to the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, beyond what Robinson describes as " linguistics".J. Robinson ''Vines, Grapes & Wines'' p. 212 Mitchell Beazley 1986 Furthermore, despite being widely planted throughout central Italy, the Montepulciano grape is not grown in the vineyards around the actual town of Montepulciano.

(ed) '' The Oxford Companion to Wine'' Third Edition p. 450 Oxford University Press 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, Abruzzi and Tuscany. Among the DOCs that are most noted for Montepulciano are Montepulciano d'Abruzzo in Abruzzi,

DOCG, Rosso Conero and Rosso Piceno in Marche. Though it is a secondary variety to

Uva di Troia Uva di Troia is a red wine grape variety grown in the Italian region of Apulia, particularly in the areas around Andria and Barletta, and in the Province of Bari. The name probably derives from the town of Troia in the Province of Foggia the lege ...

in the

Castel Del Monte DOC Castel del Monte (Italian for "Castle of the Mountain"; Barese: ''Castìdde du Monte'') is a 13th-century citadel and castle situated on a hill in Andria in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. It was built during the 1240s by King Fr ...

, according to wine expert Jancis Robinson the character that Montepulciano contributes to the blend as perhaps ''"its finest incarnation"''.

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 Alezio ( cms, Alytia; la, Aletium) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Lecce in the Apulia region of south-east Italy. History Alezio (despite legend assigning its foundation to a king of Crete) was a centre of the Messapi, who would c ...

– (Apulia) can be blended with Negroamaro, Sangiovese and Malvasia *

Biferno DOC The Biferno is a river of Molise, in southern Italy. Its source is in the ''comune'' of Bojano and during the first few kilometres of its course, it receives the waters of numerous streams which flow from the Matese mountains. It runs through seve ...

– (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 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 skin contact method. ...

and red wines) and

Aglianico Aglianico ( , ) is a black grape grown in the southern regions of Italy, mostly Basilicata and Campania. It is considered with Sangiovese and Nebbiolo to be one of the three greatest Italian varieties. Aglianico is sometimes called "The Barolo ...

Brindisi DOC Brindisi Rosso is a red DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) wine from the Southern Italian province of Brindisi, in the region of Apulia. The official appellation was granted on November 22, 1979, when a presidential decree was published in ...

– (Apulia) can be blended with Negroamaro, Sangiovese and Malvasia * Cacc'e mmitte di Lucera DOC – (Apulia) can be blended with

Sumarello Uva di Troia is a red wine grape variety grown in the Italian region of Apulia, particularly in the areas around Andria and Barletta, and in the Province of Bari. The name probably derives from the town of Troia in the Province of Foggia the ...

, Sangiovese, Malvasia, Trebbiano and Bombino bianco *

– (Apulia) can be blended with

, Sangiovese, Aglianico and

Pinot noir Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French language, French words for ''pine'' and ''black.' ...

Castelli Romani DOC The so-called Roman Castles (''Castelli Romani'' in Italian) are a group of ''comunes'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome. They are located a short distance south-east of the city of Rome, at the feet of the Alban Hills, in the territory corresp ...

– (Lazio) can be blended with

Cesanese Cesanese Comune (more commonly known as just Cesanese) is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown primarily in the Lazio region. The grape has three ''Denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC) regions dedicated to it-Cesanese di Affil ...

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 ''merle'', the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the ...

, Sangiovese and Nero Buono *

Cerveteri DOC Cerveteri () is a town and ''comune'' of northern Lazio in the region of the Metropolitan City of Rome. Known by the ancient Romans as Caere, and previously by the Etruscans as Caisra or Cisra, and as Agylla (or ) by the Greeks, its modern name de ...

– (Lazio) can be blended with Sangiovese, Cesanese,

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 ...

, Carignan and Barbera * Cesanese di Olevano Romano DOC – (Lazio) can be blended with Cesanese, Sangiovese, Barbera, Trebbiano and Bambino bianco *

Colli Amerini DOC Colli may refer to: Places of Italy ;Municipalities (''comuni'') *Colli a Volturno, in the province of Isernia *Colli del Tronto, in the province of Ascoli Piceno *Colli sul Velino, in the province of Rieti ;Civil parishes (''frazioni'') *Colli ( ...

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

Colli Etruschi Viterbesi DOC Colli may refer to: Places of Italy ;Municipalities (''comuni'') * Colli a Volturno, in the province of Isernia *Colli del Tronto, in the province of Ascoli Piceno *Colli sul Velino, in the province of Rieti ;Civil parishes (''frazioni'') *Colli ...

– (Lazio) can be blended with Sangiovese *

Colli Maceratesi DOC Colli Maceratesi is a denominazione di origine controllata wine made in the province of Macerata, in the region of Marche, Italy. The DOC was created in 1975, and allows white and red wines. Geography The region lies on the eastern coast of Italy ...

– (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 Lebanon' ...

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 style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire's Chinon. In addition to being us ...

, Ciliegiolo, Lacrima, Merlot and

Vernaccia nera Grenache () or Garnacha () is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world.Niels Lillelund: ''Rhône-Vinene'' p. 25, JP Bøger – JP/Politikens Forlagshus A/S, 2004. . It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditi ...

Colli Martani DOC Colli may refer to: Places of Italy ;Municipalities (''comuni'') *Colli a Volturno, in the province of Isernia *Colli del Tronto, in the province of Ascoli Piceno *Colli sul Velino, in the province of Rieti ;Civil parishes (''frazioni'') *Colli ( ...

– (Umbria) can be blended with Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo, Barbera, Merlot, Trebbiano, Grechetto, Malvasia, Garganega and Verdicchio *

Colli Perugini DOC Colli may refer to: Places of Italy ;Municipalities (''comuni'') * Colli a Volturno, in the province of Isernia *Colli del Tronto, in the province of Ascoli Piceno *Colli sul Velino, in the province of Rieti ;Civil parishes (''frazioni'') *Colli ...

– (Umbria) can be blended with Sangiovese, Ciliegiolo, Barbera and Merlot *

Colli Pesaresi DOC Colli may refer to: Places of Italy ;Municipalities (''comuni'') * Colli a Volturno, in the province of Isernia *Colli del Tronto, in the province of Ascoli Piceno *Colli sul Velino, in the province of Rieti ;Civil parishes (''frazioni'') *Colli ...

– (Marche) can be blended with Sangiovese and Ciliegiolo *

Colli di Rimini DOC Colli may refer to: Places of Italy ;Municipalities (''comuni'') *Colli a Volturno, in the province of Isernia *Colli del Tronto, in the province of Ascoli Piceno *Colli sul Velino, in the province of Rieti ;Civil parishes (''frazioni'') *Colli ( ...

– (Emilia-Romagna) can be blended with Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Barbera, Terrano and Ancellotta * 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 Controguerra ( Abruzzese: ', ') is a town and ''comune'' in Teramo province in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. Controguerra DOC Controguerra is noted for the Italian DOC wine produced in the hills and a valley near the comune. The area produ ...

– (Abruzzi) At least 60% of the blend. Can be blended with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc *

Copertino DOC Copertino (; historical en, Cupertino, italic=yes; scn, label= Salentino, Cupirtinu ), also known in English as Cupertino, is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Lecce in the Apulia region of south-east Italy. History Following Charles ...

– (Abruzzi) can be blended with Negroamaro, Malvasia and Sangiovese * Cori DOC – (Lazio) can be blended with Nero Buono and

Bonvino nero Cesanese Comune (more commonly known as just Cesanese) is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown primarily in the Lazio region. The grape has three '' Denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC) regions dedicated to it-Cesanese di A ...

Esino DOC The Esino (, la, Aesis) is a river in the Marche region of central Italy. Geography The source of the river is east of Monte Penna in the province of Macerata near the border with the province of Ancona. The river flows east past Esanatoglia and ...

– (Marche) Along with Sangiovese must be at least 60% of the blend with local varieties filling out the rest *

Gioia del Colle DOC Gioia del Colle (; Barese: ) is a town and '' comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. The town is located on the Murge plateau at above sea level, between the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Physical geography Territor ...

– (Apulia) can be blended with Primitivo, Sangiovese, Negroamara and Malvasia *

Lacrima di Morro d'Alba DOC Lacrima is the Latin word for '' tear''. It may refer to: * Lacrima (grape) Lacrima is a rare red wine grape that is native to the Marche region of Italy. It is almost entirely found in the Italian DOC Lacrima di Morro d'Alba. The grape's nam ...

– (Marche) can be blended with Lacrima and Verdicchio *

Leverano DOC Leverano (Salentino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Lecce in the southeastern part of the Apulia region of south-east Italy. It is bounded by the ''comuni'' of Arnesano, Carmiano, Copertino, Nardò and Veglie. History Leverano ...

– (Apulia) can be blended with Negroamaro, Malvasia and Sangiovese *

Lizzano DOC Lizzano (Salentino: ; la, Licyanum) is a '' comune'' of 10,175 inhabitants (2013) in the province of Taranto in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. Lizzano DOC The area around Lizzano produces red, white, '' rose'' and sparkling Italian D ...

– (Apulia) can be blended with Negroamaro, Sangiovese, Bombino nero, Pinot noir and Malvasia * Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC – (Abruzzi) at 85% of the wine. Can be blended with Sangiovese *

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Teramane DOCG 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. ...

– (Abruzzi) at least 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 Orta Nova is a town and ''comune'' about from Foggia, in the region of Apulia, in southern Italy. It stretches to the southern part of the ''Tavoliere'' (Foggia's plain) on the right bank of the River Carapelle. The origins of the name "Orta" ...

– (Apulia) can be blended with Uva di Troia, Lambrusco Maestri and Trebbiano. *

Parrina DOC Parrina is a small Italian Denominazione di Origine Controllata comprising parts of the commune of Orbetello in the province of Grosseto, Tuscany. The DOC was awarded in 1971, and extends to with about 20 wine producers, the largest of which, by fa ...

– (Tuscany) can be blended with Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino *

Pentro di Isernia DOC Isernia () or, in Pliny and later writers, ''Eserninus'', or in the Antonine Itinerary, ''Serni''. is a town and ''comune'' in the southern Italian region of Molise, and the capital of province of Isernia. Geography Situated on a rocky crest ...

– (Molise) at least 45–55% of the wine with Sangiovese making up the other component. *

Rosso Barletta DOC Rosso Barletta is a red Italian wine produced in the ''Denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC) region of Barletta, located in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani of north-central Apulia. The DOC is permitted to produce red wine only, made pr ...

– (Apulia) can be blended with Uva di Troia, Sangiovese and Malbec *

Rosso Canosa DOC Canosa di Puglia, generally known simply as Canosa ( nap, label= Canosino, Canaus), is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani, Apulia, southern Italy. It is located between Bari and Foggia, on the northwestern edge of t ...

– (Apulia) can be blended with Uva di Troia and Sangiovese *

Rosso di Cerignola DOC Cerignola (; nap, label= Cerignolano, Ceregnòule ) is a town and ''comune'' of Apulia, Italy, in the province of Foggia, southeast from the town of Foggia. It has the third-largest land area of any ''comune'' in Italy, at , after Rome and ...

– (Apulia) can be blended with Uva di Troia, Negroamaro, Sangiovese, Barbera, Malbec and Trebbiano *

Rosso Conero DOC Rosso is the major city of south-western Mauritania and capital of Trarza region. It is situated on the Senegal River at the head of the river zone allowing year-round navigation. The town is 204 km south of the capital Nouakchott. The ...

– (Marche) at least 85–100% of the wine with Sangiovese making up the other component *

Rosso Orvietano DOC Rosso is the major city of south-western Mauritania and capital of Trarza region. It is situated on the Senegal River at the head of the river zone allowing year-round navigation. The town is 204 km south of the capital Nouakchott. The A ...

– (Umbria) can be blended with

Aleatico Aleatico is a red Italian wine grape variety. It is notable for being the primary grape in the cult wine Aleatico di Portoferraio made in Elba. In Chile is known as Red Moscatel. The grape has also been cultivated at Mudgee in New South Wales a ...

, 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 Rosso is the major city of south-western Mauritania and capital of Trarza region. It is situated on the Senegal River at the head of the river zone allowing year-round navigation. The town is 204 km south of the capital Nouakchott. The ...

– (Marche) can be blended with Sangiovese, Trebbiano and Passerino *

San Severo DOC San Severo (; formerly known as Castellum Sancti Severini, then San Severino and Sansevero; locally ) is a city and comune of c. 51,919 inhabitants in the province of Foggia, Apulia, south-eastern Italy. Rising on the foot of the spur of Gargano ...

– (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. History Prob ...

– (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. History ...

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

Velletri DOC Velletri (; la, Velitrae; xvo, Velester) is an Italian ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome, approximately 40 km to the southeast of the city centre, located in the Alban Hills, in the region of Lazio, central Italy. Neighbouring co ...

– (Lazio) can be blended with Sangiovese, Cesanese, Bombino nero, Merlot and Ciliegiolo *

Vernaccia di Serrapetrona DOCG Vernaccia is a white wine grape that is found in many Italian wines but is most commonly associated the Tuscan wine Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Ampelographers have determined that the Vernaccia vine has many clonal varieties but is unrelated to ...

– (Marche) can be blend with

Vernaccia di Serrapetrona Vernaccia is a white wine grape that is found in many Italian wines but is most commonly associated the Tuscan wine Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Ampelographers have determined that the Vernaccia vine has many clonal varieties but is unrelated to ...

, Sangiovese and Ciliegiolo

Viticulture and wines

Montepulciano ripens late and has a tendency to favor producing large yields. The grapes can be plump with a low

skin to juice ratio Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different de ...

. However, the skin has a fair amount of pigmented tannins and color producing phenols 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 acidity 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 Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, and the United States (California, North Carolina, and Texas).

References

{{Wines Red wine grape varieties Wine grapes of Italy