Montepulciano
Separate namesakes
The name is a source of confusion. Montepulciano is a well-known location in Tuscany, after which this grape is presumably named. But it is not at all grown in Montepulciano itself, where the Sangiovese reigns. The Montepulciano actually has its stronghold in the Abruzzo region, located in central Italy on the Adriatic Sea. It also plays a key role in Rosso Conero and Rosso Piceno in the Marche region. Wines of this variety are dense and dark with flavours of cherry, plum and spices and earthy, robust tannins. The Montepulciano grape loves the sun, which explains why in recent years it has increasingly spread to southern Italy.
