Montepulciano Wine Grape
History And Origin
Montepulciano is a dry red wine grape grown widely in central Italy. The most commons regions being Abruzzo, Marche, Molise, Umbria and Puglia.
Despite being widely planted throughout central Italy, the Montepulciano grape is not grown in the vineyards around the actual town of Montepulciano itself.
The most well-known region in which it is grown in Abruzzo. Hence many wines from the region are labelled Montepulciano d'Abruzzo.
Montepulciano is the 2nd most planted red grape in Italy after Sangiovese and has had a reputation for being one of the most reasonably priced red wines.
The Montepulciano grape is widely available in 20 of Italy's 95 provinces and is a required grape in several denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) red wines.
Some of the more well know Montepulciano DOCs are wines such as Montepulciano d'Abruzzo in Abruzzi, Offida Rosso Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) and Rosso Piceno in Marche.
Outside of Italy, vineyards in the USA and Australia contribute to about 1% of Montepulciano wines. However, they are more on the experimental side instead of the classic wines from Italy.
Flavours, Taste & Texture
Despite its darkness, Montepulciano wines taste fruity red flavours such as cherries, cranberry and red plum. In better quality-aged Montepulciano wines, you can expect to taste more herbal notes such as oregano and savoury notes such as tobacco.
The more the wine is aged, the more fruit flavours develop to tones of black fruit, such as prune, blackberry, and boysenberry.
The Montepulciano grape variety typically produces a medium-bodied red wine and is often easy to drink alongside food, particularly the younger fruitier wines.
Whilst the wine is generally a deep purple colour, it provides a slightly rustic sense and feels, while the tannins remain pleasantly soft.
The longer the wine is aged, the more complex the flavours are, with some of the best examples of Montepulciano wine being at least four or five years.
How Long To Age And Blend With Other Grape Varieties
There are generally two ways of ageing Montepulciano wine:
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In small oak barrels or casks for the high-quality varieties.
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In stainless steel barrels for more table wines.
Montepulciano oak-aged wines are known for their rich, deep flavours and strong tannic presences. They are given at least four years for better taste. Below are the varieties of different blends of Montepulciano grapes.
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Montepulciano d'Abruzzo: Usually blended with other indigenous Italian red grapes in dry red wines. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, made predominantly from the Montepulciano grape, is permitted to contain up to 15% Sangiovese.
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Riserva: Montepulciano wines labelled Riserva must be at least three years, with six months of that time spent in oak barrels.
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Rose: Montepulciano is also made into a dark rosé wine called Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo.
What Foods To Pair With
Dry red wines like Montepulciano generally pair nicely with a wide variety of rich-tasting foods due to their natural acidity. Montepulciano is an easy-drinking wine, often a table wine in native Italy.
You do not need to mess about when it comes to food pairings. This wine will work well with vegetable stew, pizza, pasta, and many meat dishes, including roast pork, beef burgers and cheese.
Montepulciano Food Pairings:
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Beef Bolognese, Beef Brisket, Beef Burgers, Shepherd's Pie, Braised Goat, Roasted Pork Shoulder.
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Parmesan, Aged Cheddar, Asiago.
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Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Coriander, Black Pepper, Cumin, Chipotle, Balsamic
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Stuffed Baked Potato, Roasted Mushrooms, Pinto Beans, Wild Rice.