Wine Denomination from Abruzzo
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is a dry red wine from Abruzzo, on the Adriatic coast of central Italy, east of Rome. It is made mainly from the Montepulciano grape and is one of Italy's most widely exported reds. Most bottles are soft, fruity and inexpensive, but the best producers make deep, long-lived wines. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo became a DOC in 1968 and covers vineyards in all four provinces of the region: Chieti, Pescara, Teramo and L'Aquila.
The wine must contain at least 85% Montepulciano. The rest, up to 15%, can be other local red grapes, but many producers use Montepulciano alone. The grape is dark-skinned and ripens late. It gives deep color, generous fruit and fairly soft tannins. It is the most planted red grape in Abruzzo and is also grown in the nearby Marche and Molise.
This is the most common mix-up in Italian wine. The names look alike, but the wines are different:
- Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is named after the grape. It comes from Abruzzo.
- Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is named after a town in Tuscany. It is made mainly from Sangiovese, not from the Montepulciano grape.
So when you order "a Montepulciano" in a restaurant, you will almost always get Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. Vino Nobile is a firmer, more expensive Tuscan wine, closer in style to Chianti.
It is always dry. A typical bottle has 12.5–14% alcohol, a deep ruby or purple color and aromas of black cherry, plum, blackberry and violets, sometimes with notes of licorice, pepper or herbs. Tannins are present but usually smooth, and acidity is moderate. Simple versions are juicy and easy to drink young. Riserva and top single-vineyard wines are fuller and more structured, and gain leather, tobacco and earthy notes with age.
If you like Merlot, Malbec or a softer Zinfandel, you will probably like Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. Like Merlot, it is plush and fruity with gentle tannins. Within Italy, it is close in weight to Primitivo or a Nero d'Avola from Sicily, but usually less sweet-tasting and a little more rustic.
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is one of the best-value red wines in Italy. In the US, simple bottles cost about $10–15, and good bottles from reliable producers about $15–30. Riserva and single-vineyard wines usually cost about $25–60. The two cult names, Valentini and Emidio Pepe, are the exception: they make small amounts, release older vintages, and can cost $100 or more.
The low price of everyday bottles comes from the size of the area and its high yields. That is also why quality varies so much: the producer's name matters more than the label.
For specific bottles at every price, see our best Montepulciano d'Abruzzo wines guide.
Serve it at about 16–18°C (61–64°F), slightly below room temperature. Everyday bottles need no decanting and are best within three to five years. Open a young Riserva an hour before drinking. Wines from Valentini or Emidio Pepe can age for decades, and older bottles may have sediment.
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is an easy match for everyday food: pizza, lasagna, pasta with meat sauce, burgers and barbecue. In Abruzzo it is drunk with arrosticini (grilled lamb skewers), maccheroni alla chitarra with lamb ragù, roast meats and aged Pecorino cheese. Its soft tannins also make it a good red for tomato-based dishes and mildly spicy food.
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is pronounced mon-teh-pool-CHAH-noh dah-BROOT-soh. The "ci" sounds like "ch" in "cheese", and "zz" sounds like "ts".
Abruzzo also makes the white Trebbiano d'Abruzzo and wines from the Pecorino grape. Read our Abruzzo wine guide for the whole region, or browse every Montepulciano d'Abruzzo in our catalog below.