Montepulciano wine variety

Montepulciano is a red wine grape variety originating in Italy and now being used by a small number of winemakers in Australia

First let's clear up some confusion about the name. Montepulciano is the name of both a grape variety and a town in Tuscany. This can cause problems as the wine and the town are not connected.

There is a red wine called Vino Nobile di Montepulciano which is in fact made from the Sangiovese grape variety around the town of Montepulciano in Tuscany.

The grape variety Montepulciano is planted in Central and Southern Italy. It ripens late in the season and is thus unsuitable for the cooler northern regions of Italy. In Italy Montepulciano is also known Cordisco, Morellone, Primaticcio, Uva Abbruzzi.

Montepulciano the grape variety has its most noteworthy expression is in the wine Montepulciano d'Abbruzzo from the mountainous region of Abruzzi on the Adriatic coast of Central Italy.

The wines made from this variety are typically full bodied with deep colour, spicy and plummy flavours and high levels of tannin. They usually need some bottle age. You can pair them with hearty Italian cuisine or with sharp cheeses.

Australian wineries with Montepulciano

• Atse's Corner Wines Barossa Valley
• Banrock Station Riverland
• Bassham Riverland
• Brown Brothers King Valley
• By Jingo Adelaide Hills
• Epsilon Barossa Valley
• First Drop Barossa Valley
• Kimbolton Langhorne Creek
• Oak Works Riverland
• Tscharke Barossa Valley
• Whistling Kite Riverland

Do you know of any more Australian wineries with this interesting variety?

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