Red grape variety
Montepulciano
An Adriatic Italian variety producing soft, deeply coloured, affordable reds — and nothing to do with the Tuscan town of the same name.
What is Montepulciano?
Montepulciano ripens late and produces deeply coloured, soft-tannined wine with generous plummy fruit — one of the most reliable inexpensive reds in Europe.
Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, a deeply coloured rosé from the same grape, has its own DOC and is far more substantial than most pink wine.
Central and southern Italy, principally Abruzzo.
The Vitis International Variety Catalogue, maintained by the Julius Kühn Institute, holds this variety as accession 7949 under the prime name MONTEPULCIANO, with berry skin colour noir and country of origin italy. Checked 2026-08-17.
- Sangiovese — Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is made from Sangiovese in the Tuscan town of Montepulciano, and has nothing to do with the Montepulciano grape. This is one of the most persistent naming confusions in Italian wine.
What it tastes like
This is the envelope across every expression of Montepulciano, not a description of one bottle. Wide ranges are the honest answer.
| Dimension | Typical | Range | Variation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweetness | low | Consistent | |
| Acidity | medium | Some variation | |
| Tannin | medium | Some variation | |
| Alcohol | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Body | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Fruit intensity | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Aromatic intensity | medium | Consistent | |
| Oak influence | low-medium | Some variation | |
| Savoury character | medium | Some variation | |
| Floral character | low | Consistent | |
| Herbal / green character | low | Consistent | |
| Spice | low | Consistent | |
| Earthy character | low | Consistent | |
| Perceived freshness | medium | Some variation | |
| Texture | medium-plus | Some variation |
Common flavours
Wines made from it
The same grape in different places and different hands. These are where the wide ranges above resolve into something specific.
Where it grows
- Montepulciano d’Abruzzo — Italy
- Abruzzo — Italy
- Marche — Italy
If you like Montepulciano, try…
Every suggestion says why it is connected and what will be different.
Closest matches
What is most like this?
Merlot
Comparable softness, plummy fruit and low tannic grip.
Higher acidity and a more rustic finish.
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Both are made from montepulciano, and the structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, both come from the same country.
Primitivo
Both are generous, affordable southern Italian reds.
Riper, jammier and higher in alcohol.
Similar but lighter
Something like this, but lighter?
Dolcetto
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be leaner and more cutting, and more tannic and structured.
Canaiolo
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be more floral, and less oaky.
Colorino
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be less oaky, and more restrained in fruit.
Similar but lower in alcohol
Something like this, but less alcoholic?
Cerasuolo di Vittoria
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be fresher, and more floral.
Dolcetto
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be lighter, and leaner and more cutting.
Trousseau
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be spicier, and lighter.
Similar but fuller
Something like this, but richer?
Primitivo
Both are generous, affordable southern Italian reds.
Riper, jammier and higher in alcohol.
Argentine Malbec
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be more floral, and spicier.
McLaren Vale Shiraz
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be spicier, and fruitier.
What to eat with it
Ranked by WineHQ's pairing engine, which reasons from the structure of the dish.
Fillet steak
Works because the finished dish, not the raw ingredient, sets the target.
Turkey
Works because the finished dish, not the raw ingredient, sets the target.
Grilled chicken
Works because ripe fruit balances the bitterness of char and smoke.
Roast chicken
Works because a substantial dish needs a wine of matching weight.
Pork chops
Works because a substantial dish needs a wine of matching weight.
Pork
Works because a substantial dish needs a wine of matching weight.
What to avoid with it
Dishes the pairing engine scores badly, and the principle that explains why. A short list: most things are fine.
How to serve it
Temperature
15–17°C
59–63°F · Cellar cool
Most modern rooms are warmer than this. Twenty to thirty minutes in the fridge before serving usually gets a red into range.
Decanting
Optional — it will not hurt, and may help a little
Dense, full-bodied wines tend to open up and show more aroma after time in a decanter.
Glass
Universal wine glass
A medium tulip-shaped glass handles almost everything well. If you own one set of glasses, this is the set to own — the difference between a good universal glass and a grape-specific one is far smaller than the difference between a good glass and a bad one.
Ageing
Most wines made from this grape are for drinking now, but certain styles reward keeping.
Most Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is best within four years and made to be exactly that. Colline Teramane and the small number of producers working with low yields make wines that hold and improve for a decade. Note that the grape and the Tuscan town of Montepulciano are unrelated.
Sources
Sources consulted
- Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) — Julius Kühn-Institut, Institute for Grapevine Breeding Geilweilerhof
- Italian DOP and IGP wine register — Ministero dell’agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste (MASAF)