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Montepulciano Red Wine Variety in Australia

This variety is not taken all that seriously in Italy, but it is set for a superstar role in Australia.

Montepulciano has really taken off in Australia over the past few years - over 90 producers listed on Vinodiversity

Montepulciano is a red wine grape variety originating in Italy and now being used by a small number of winemakers in Australia. After Sangiovese it is the second most planted variety in Italy.

A widespread and old grape variety often has many synonyms. All of the following are listed in Wikipedia: 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.

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 over much of Central and Southern Italy. This variety ripens late in the season and is thus unsuitable for the cooler northern regions of Italy.

Montepulciano the grape variety has its most noteworthy expression is in the wine Montepulciano d'Abruzzi from the mountainous region of Abruzzi on the Adriatic coast of Central Italy. Elsewhere in Central and Southern Italy it is often found in blends but there are many varietal wines as well.

Montepulciano in Australia

Until a decade ago there were virtually no plantings of Montepulciano in Australia. Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Barbera were the Italian red wine varieties attracting the most attention from growers and winemakers.

It is quickly emerging as a very suitable variety for warmer Australian areas and is gaining recognition at regional and specialist wine shows.

prize winning Montes

At the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show (AAVWS) in 2021 a total of 24 Montepulciano wines were judged. The judges awarded 1 Gold Medals, 1 Silver and 14 Bronze medals. The Gold medal was won by Prometheus.

Alejandro Riverland
Alpha Box and Dice McLaren Vale
Amadio Adelaide Hills
Angullong Wines Orange
Atze's Corner Wines Barossa Valley
Ballycroft Barossa Valley
Banrock Station Riverland
Bassham Wines Riverland
Beach Road McLaren Vale
Bellwether Coonawarra
Big Easy Radio McLaren Vale
Bird in Hand Adelaide Hills
Bruno and George Barossa Valley
By Jingo Adelaide Hills
Calabria Family Wines Riverina
Catlin Wines Adelaide Hills
Cirami Estate Riverland
Cloudbreak Wines Adelaide Hills
De Iuliis Hunter Valley
Delinquente Wine Riverland
Dell'uva Wines Barossa Valley
Di Giorgio Coonawarra
Dune McLaren Vale
Epsilon Barossa Valley
Feathertop Alpine Valleys
First Drop Barossa Valley
First Ridge Mudgee
Five O’Clock Somewhere McLaren Vale
Frederick Stevenson Barossa Valley
Galli Estate Heathcote
Georges Folly Currency Creek
Gibson Barossa Valley
Gracebrook Vineyards King Valley
Grand Casino Riverland
Granite Rose Mornington Peninsula
Grove Estate Wines Hilltops
Haselgrove McLaren Vale
Hesketh Wines Barossa Valley
Hugh Hamilton McLaren Vale
Il Cativo Currency Creek
Kangarilla Road McLaren Vale
Kimbolton Langhorne Creek
Kirrihill Estates Clare Valley
La Fattoria Perth Hills
La Prova Adelaide Hills
Langmeil Barossa Valley
Lino Ramble McLaren Vale
Lion Mill Vineyards Perth Hills
Lonely Vineyard Eden Valley
Marnong Estate Sunbury
Matriarch and Rogue Clare Valley
Merindoc Heathcote
Mr Riggs Wine Company McLaren Vale
Mundoo Ridge Riverland
New Era Adelaide Hills
Next Crop Wines Langhorne Creek
Noble Road Clare Valley
Oak Works Riverland
Paulmara Estate Barossa Valley
Peter Drayton Wines Hunter Valley
Pindarie Wines Barossa Valley
Pirate Cru Barossa Valley
Prometheus Riverland
Purple Hands Wines Barossa Valley
Red Feet King Valley
Ringer Reef Winery Alpine Valleys
Robert Stein Mudgee
Rolf Binder Barossa Valley
Salena Estate Riverland
Saltram Barossa Valley
Savina Lane Granite Belt
SC Pannell McLaren Vale
Scarpantoni Estate McLaren Vale
Seabrook Barossa Valley
Serafino Wines McLaren Vale
Sfera Limestone Coast Zone
Sieber Barossa Valley
Signor Vino Riverina
Silent Noise Mclaren Vale
Sirromet Granite Belt
Smidge Wines Langhorne Creek
Springton Hills Eden Valley
St Ignatius Vineyard Pyrenees
Susuro Adelaide Hills
Symphony Hill Wines Granite Belt
Taylors Clare Valley
Tenafeate Creek Wines Adelaide Plains
The Overflow Queensland Zone
The Pawn Wine Company Adelaide Hills
Tscharke Barossa Valley
Unico Zelo Adelaide Hills
Wangolina Station Mount Benson
Way Wood Wines McLaren Vale
Whistling Kite Wines Riverland
Woodstock McLaren Vale
Yarran Wines Riverina

Updated 15 October 2022

Where to find Montepulciano red wine variety in Australia

Where to find Montepulciano in Australia

More Italian red wine varieties used in Australia

One of the best books about Italian wine grape varieties is Ian d'Agata's Native Wine Grapes of Italy

Order some montepulciano

Our wine merchant partners have a great selection Montepulciano. Make up your own mixed pack

Monte and food

Italian wines made with this variety are often light to medium bodied and are suitable for the Italian standby foods of pizza and pasta, especially with tomato based sauces.

A few Italian wines and many Australian wines are more substantial with firmer tannins. These are more enjoyable paired with heartier meat dishes, game sausages and the like.

Daring pairing book on alternative wines

Click image for details of this book

An Offer from our online Wine Shop Partner

Med Red offer. Includes two bottles of each of six wines, different producers, different regions, different alternative varieties and blends. Plus a bonus bottle. All at an affordable price.

Details here