Rosso Di Montepulciano WIne Region Guide

Known for its red wines made from Sangiovese grapes, the Rosso di Montepulciano DOC is made in the town of Montepulciano. It's located in Tuscany, central Italy. Montepulciano appellations are often associated with a particular style of wine. The Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG is typically considered to be the "premium" wine of the region, but can sometimes be too dry. This wine region is a favourite touristic destination for wine lovers around the world.

History of Rosso di Montepulciano DOC

Wine from Montepulciano has been around for hundreds of years and took international fame in the 1600s when it was described as "the King of all wine" by Francesco Redi. Viticulture has always been the main crop in terms of how it was a valuable part of ancient grape-growing missions and fortified cities, but also how it can be used as a great view.

Lots of red wine producers are focussing on making wines that complement their region. These can be long-aged and full-bodied, perfect for the cold winter months. For a fruitier, light and younger wine that retains its fragrant aromas, the “Rosso di Montepulciano” is the right choice. It’s not a contradiction to the “Nobile” style, but instead completes the historical authenticity of the territory.

In 1989, the regulatory changes caused a change in the Rosso di Montepulciano wine style to exist. Regulations now allow Rosso wines to be made in the same region with similar grape varieties, like its better-known sibling.

Unique Terroir of Rosso di Montepulciano

All vineyards producing wine of the Rosso di Montepulciano DOC must be located in the territory of the Municipality of Montepulciano, located in the province of Siena. The valley floor area in Valdichiana is excluded from the production area. The production region is hilly and can get up to 600 meters above sea level. It follows the DOCG Limitations on Vino Nobile di Montepulciano productions.

The climate of Rosso di Montepulciano is considered a humid subtropical climate. This type of climate is typically characterized by warm, wet summers and mild, dry winters. The soils of the Rosso di Montepulciano region are red because they contain a lot of iron. The region is not known for its red soil, though, but for the grape called Sangiovese.

Grape Varieties of Rosso di Montepulciano

For example, Rosso di Montepulcino is made with a variety of grapes including Sangiovese Grosso. This wine consists of at least 70% Sangiovese Grosso with other types of grapes also allowed. This is also combined with Canaiolo (maximum 20%) as well as other varieties like Mammolo and Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon, the latter being kind of international grapes. If a wine region wishes to produce high-quality wines, it needs to be situated at a top elevation of around 300m, face southeast and have clayish soils.

The Rosso di Montepulciano DOC gives producers more control over the location in which their grapevine fruit ends up. We cannot comment on the factors making the grapes DOC or DOCG standards. However, there are some important factors that need to be looked at in order to assess quality before deciding whether or not a grape is worthy of these labels. Due to the use of declassified Vino Nobile in Rosso di Montepulciano, the wine produced is of consistently higher quality.

Food to Pair With Rosso di Montepulciano

Buglione D'Angelo

Buglione D'Angelo is a traditional Tuscan dish, originating from Maremma. The dish in L'Aquila is made with a combination of lamb shoulder, tomatoes, garlic, red wine, rosemary sprigs and black pepper. It's browned on all sides in olive oil over high heat.

Garlic is added to the pot and the red wine is poured over it. The mixture is cooked until all of the liquid evaporates. Dice the tomatoes and add them to the dish, season with salt and pepper. Put a lid on and simmer over low heat until the lamb is tender (about 45 mins). If the sauce still appears too thin, remove the lid and cook for a little longer until it thickens up.

To serve the dish, thick slices of toasted bread are rubbed with garlic and placed in a bowl. Then, the sauce is placed atop the bread and covered with succulent pieces of lamb. It's recommended to pair the dish with a glass of either Morellino di Scansano or Brunello di Montalcino.

Agnolotti

A variety of Italian pasta ripiena and agnolotti are tender, bite-sized pillows of dough, plump with a variety of fillings. The cheese-based filling is often savoury and delicious. Agnolotti originated in the Piedmont region over 800 years ago, and they are often regarded as the first of many stuffed pasta types.

Unlike ravioli, agnolotti is only made from one sheet of pasta and the filling is usually encased in a pocket not too different from ravioli. Agnolotti comes in various shapes, such as those with a half-moon shape, quadrilles and figures eight.

Around Langhe and Monferrato, they are traditionally sealed with a firm pinch which gives them their distinctive appearance. Asti is the place to go for Agnolotti Gobbi - pasta pockets that are filled so abundantly that you can see their shape from the outside.

Vitello tonnato

A classic dish of the Piedmont region is veal in tuna sauce, called Vitello tonnato. This dish is typically made by marinating the veal with white wine and then boiling it before making a mixture with tuna, anchovy and mayonnaise.

Caper, parsley, anchovies and lemon slices are commonly used in Italian dishes. History records that pasta has been around since the 1700s but it wasn't until Italian doctor, Benjamin R. Martino published a recipe in his cookbook in the mid-1800s that this dish became popular.

Places to Visit in Rosso di Montepulciano

Piazza Grande stage set

The Piazza Grande is Montepulciano's noisy, crowded and busy tourist area. This has always been the focal point of summer festivals, open-air concerts under the stars and even film sets. The main town square is located at the highest point of the town, symbolically and physically. The Palazzo Comunale is a small but elegant building it. It's no coincidence that the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence was the inspiration for this design. The building has been used as both a Town Hall and as the headquarters of a bank, but today it houses offices of administrational officials. Across the way is an impressive mansion from the 16th-century, the Palazzo Contucci. The florentine design shaped the grand façades of Piazza Grande, but there are other details that you might recognise as being more typical of Sienese Gothic architecture, like contrasting double arches and doorways. Both the Renaissance and Medieval styles of architecture could be seen in Montepulciano, implying its close ties with both city-states. It was eventually dominated by Florence. The Duomo, which can be found between the two palaces, is home to a sombre nave that has been redeemed by an altarpiece from the Siena School (the Assumption triptych, 1401), the work of Taddeo di Bartolo.