Montepulciano is not to be confused with Montalcino, which is a region in Italy rather than a grape, or Vino Nobile de Montepulciano, a regional name for Sangiovese wines in Tuscany. Montepulciano is a popular Italian red grape delivering complex black fruit flavors, and a smoky-sweet finish.

TASTE PROFILE

A perfect pairing for any dish with sausages, it's the 2nd most planted red grape in Italy with a reputation for "pizza-friendly" wine. It is a medium bodied red wine, and when aged, produces inky, black fruit driven chocolatey wines.

Oaked styles produce deep black fruit flavors such as blackberry and prune, licorice, and oaky flavors of cocoa, vanilla and mocha. Lighter neutral aged styles would have red fruit flavors of sour cherry, red plum, cranberry and raspberry jam, and are supported with subtle notes of violet, dried herbs, and often an ash-like earthiness.

Due to the robust herbal & tobacco like flavors & grippy tannins, you would need to look for meatier dishes that are richer and more savory to balance out the wine. Fat is the key here.

WINEMAKING REGIONS

Look to Abruzzo for the best expression of this grape, where oak aged styles produce inky, black-fruit driven, chocolatey wines. Marche & Puglia are other Italians producing Montepulciano wine, often in a lighter style bursting with red fruit flavors