Montepulciano is a medieval and Renaissance hill town and comune in the Italian province of Siena in southern Tuscany.
According to legend, it was founded by the Etruscan King Lars Porsena of Chiusi; recent findings prove that a settlement was already in existence in the 4th-3rd centuries BC. In Roman times it was the seat of a garrison guarding the main roads of the area.
The city is renowned for its walkable, car-free nature. In the Piazza Grande, there are several stalls as of 2014, which offer the ability to taste wine from the local vineyards. The Cantina Contucci is off the Piazza Grande, where you can view how the city’s jail was converted into a wine cellar. The Contucci family claims to have made wine and owned vineyards for over 40 generations, or over 1000 years in the Montepulciano area.
The industry in the wine-producing town of Montepulciano produces a number of different wines:
Rosso di Montepulciano – The wine is made primarily from the Sangiovese grape varietal (known locally as Prugnolo gentile) (minimum 70%), blended with Canaiolo Nero (10%–20%) and small amounts of other local varieties such as Mammolo. The wine is aged in oak barrels for 1 year.
Nobile di Montepulciano
Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a red wine with a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita status produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montepulciano, Italy. The wine is made primarily from the Sangiovese grape varietal (known locally as Prugnolo gentile) (minimum 70%), blended with Canaiolo Nero (10%–20%) and small amounts of other local varieties such as Mammolo. The wine is aged for 2 years (at least 1 year in oak barrels); three years if it is a riserva.
