Montepulciano ( , ) is a red

Italian wine Italian wine is produced in every region of Italy. Italy is the world's largest producer of wine, with an area of under vineyard cultivation, and contributing a 2013–2017 annual average of 48.3 million hl of wine. In 2018 Italy accounted fo ...

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

that is most noted for being the primary grape behind the

DOCG 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 tip ...

wines Offida Rosso,

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 d'Abruzzo Colline Teramane,

Rosso Conero 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. Th ...

and the

DOC DOC, Doc, doc or DoC may refer to: In film and television * ''Doc'' (2001 TV series), a 2001–2004 PAX series * ''Doc'' (1975 TV series), a 1975–1976 CBS sitcom * "D.O.C." (''Lost''), a television episode * ''Doc'' (film), a 1971 Wester ...

wine Rosso Piceno Superiore. It should not be confused with the similarly named

Tuscan wine Tuscan wine (Italian ''Toscana'') is Italian wine from the Tuscany region. Located in central Italy along the Tyrrhenian coast, Tuscany is home to some of the world's most notable wine regions. Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile d ...

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 varietal (know ...

, which is made from predominantly

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 grap ...

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 , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1 ...

Lazio it, Laziale , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

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 it, Molisano (man) it, Molisana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 ...

Umbria it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , ...

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 In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a ...

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 ...

and

alcohol levels Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as ABV, abv, or alc/vol) is a standard measure of how much alcohol (ethanol) is contained in a given volume of an alcoholic beverage (expressed as a volume percent). It is defined as the number of millilitres (mL) o ...

.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 it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Citizenship , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = Italian , demogra ...

and may be related to the

, 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 Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Ling ...

".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 ''The Oxford Companion to Wine'' (''OCW'') is a book in the series of Oxford Companions published by Oxford University Press. The book provides an alphabetically arranged reference to wine, compiled and edited by Jancis Robinson, with contribution ...

'' Third Edition p. 450

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print book ...

2006

Wine regions

After Sangiovese, Montepulciano is Italy's second most widely dispersed

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

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 egl, Emigliàn (man) egl, Emiglièna (woman) rgn, Rumagnòl (man) rgn, Rumagnòla (woman) it, Emiliano (man) it, Emiliana (woman) or it, Romagnolo (man) it, Romagnola (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title ...

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

in Abruzzi, Offida Rosso DOCG,

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 le ...

in the Castel Del Monte DOC, 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 – (Apulia) can be blended with Negroamaro,

and

Malvasia Malvasia (, also known as Malvazia) is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world. ...

* Biferno DOC – (Molise) Must be 60–70% of the wine. Can be blended with

Trebbiano Toscano Trebbiano is an Italian wine grape, one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the world. It gives good yields, but tends to yield undistinguished wine. It can be fresh and fruity, but does not keep long. Also known as ugni blanc, it ...

(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 – (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 le ...

, 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 C ...

* Castel Del Monte DOC – (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 words for ''pine'' and ''black.'' The word ''pine ...

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

, Sangiovese and

Nero Buono Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 unt ...

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 na ...

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

Carignan Carignan (also known as Mazuelo, Bovale Grande, Cariñena, Carinyena, Samsó, Carignane, and Carignano) is a red grape variety of Spanish origin that is more commonly found in French wine but is widely planted throughout the western Mediterr ...

and

Barbera Barbera is a red Italian wine grape variety that, as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy (after Sangiovese and Montepulciano). It produces good yields and is known for deep color, full body, low tannins and high level ...

* 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 – (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 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 u ...

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

Grechetto Grechetto () or Grechetto bianco is a white Italian wine grape variety of Greek origins. The grape is planted throughout central Italy, particularly in the Umbria region where it is used in the ''Denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC) win ...

, 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. It for ...

and

Verdicchio Verdicchio (, also , ) is a white Italian wine grape variety grown primarily in the Marche region of central Italy.J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes'' pg 195 Oxford University Press 1996 The name ''Verdicchio'' derives from ' ...

* 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

* 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 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 Territory ...

– (Apulia) can be blended with

Primitivo Zinfandel (also known as Primitivo) is a variety of black-skinned wine grape. The variety is grown in over 10 percent of California vineyards. DNA analysis has revealed that it is genetically equivalent to the Croatian grapes Crljenak Kašte ...

, 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 Bombino nero is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown in southern Italy, particularly the regions of Apulia, Basilicata, and Lazio, as well as on the island of Sardinia. It is a permitted grape variety in the ''Denominazione di origine ...

, 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 – (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 – (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. 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'' Third Edition ...

* Pentro di Isernia DOC – (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 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 n ...

* 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 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 ...

, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo, Merlot, Pinot noir, Sangiovese, Barbera, Cesanese, Colorino and

Dolcetto Dolcetto ( , , ) is a black Italian wine grape variety widely grown in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. The Italian word ''dolcetto'' means "little sweet one", but it is not certain that the name originally carried any reference to t ...

. 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 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 Garg ...

– (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 Pro ...

– (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 Pro ...

– (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

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. However, the skin has a fair amount of pigmented tannins and

color Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associ ...

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 are ...

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 Robert Owen Clarke (born 1949), known as Oz Clarke, is a British wine writer, actor, television presenter and broadcaster. Early life Clarke's parents were a chest physician and a nursing sister. He is of Irish descent and was brought up Roman ...

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 Vintage, in winemaking, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product—wine (see Harvest (wine)). A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certa ...

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