Montepulciano

In Italy, wine isn’t just a drink!

It is something that represents history, society, food, geography and the evolution of the country. The wine itself is seen as the guardian of tradition, a bit like a time capsule for each year and a way to tell the story of each vintage.

Not only does Italy make more wine than any other country in the world, they also make some of the best.

The history of wine is as old as the culture itself. Italy was one of the first countries to start producing it, before 700 BC. Imagine a place that is home to innovative trends in the vineyard and a nation with the largest heritage of grapes on the planet and you can get an idea of how special Italian wine is.

Wine is so important that Italy soon became the country with the largest number of classifications:

DOCG - Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin

DOC - Denomination of Controlled Origin

IGT - Protected Geographical Indication

These letters are given to different wines depending on how the grapes are grown and the wine is made. They are badges of honour for many wine producers, as it means that they have followed the strictest of guidelines to produce great wine.

When you see these letters on a bottle, it is a guarantee of quality and that the wine’s flavour perfectly expresses a single territory’s characteristics. Only Italian wines fall under these classifications called appellations.

Montepulciano - the King of every wine!

Wine has been made in Montepulciano since the 8th century, possibly earlier. In 1685 the poet and naturalist, Francesco Redi, would make it famous with a line in a poem declaring “Montepulciano is the King of every wine!”

Today, the wine produced in Montepulciano is world famous. It was one of the first in Italy to obtain the DOC appellation in 1966 followed by DOCG in 1980.

Rosso di Montepulciano and Vino Nobile are the two red wines produced within the vineyards surrounding the town. The wine is made primarily from the Sangiovese grape varietal minimum 70%, blended with Canaiolo Nero 10-20% and small amounts of other local varieties. The wine is aged in oak barrels for two years; three years if it is a riserva.

There are eighty wineries in Montepulciano, all members of the local Wine Producers Association. Most of the wineries are family run and quite small. It is difficult to reach them in the countryside unless you have a car, but all of the main producers have their point of sale in Montepulciano.

You can visit the cellars, sample the wine, buy a bottle or arrange to have wine shipped home. An Enoteca is a wine shop offering a collection of local wines and there are quite a few in town. A good example is Enoteca Dolce Vita in the main street owned by the very knowledgeable Christian.

In Piazza Grande (behind the well) you can find the local Wine Producers Association information office. They have all the information about the cellars, tastings and wine related events and tours.

“Age and glasses of wine should never be counted.” Italian proverb

Ci vediamo la prossima settimana.

Deb