Montepulciano and its wines
I spent a few days of this year’s May Bank Holiday in an amazing place: the small and surrounded by vineyards Tuscan town of Montepulciano.
Tuscany, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. A mildly waving landscape, towering cypresses, charming towns, amazing cultural heritage and excellent wines make me invariably eager to return there. During May Bank Holiday I had the opportunity to visit the town of Montepulciano, famous for its excellent wines and fine food.
The medieval town of Montepulciano is located in the province of Siena, in southern Tuscany. Legend has it that the town was founded by the Etruscans – this is confirmed by architectural excavations which have proved that first settlements in this areas date from IV-III BC. The village has many interesting monuments that testify to its rich history. This includes the Renaissance church of San Biagio built of honey and cream travertine, the church of St. Agnes with striped façade, a town hall built in a style reminiscent of the Florentine Palazzo Vecchio or Palazzo Bucelli with Etruscan basoreliefs and funerary vases embedded in the façade.
Nevertheless, Montepulciano is not just about architecture. It is also a unique atmosphere and delicious Tuscan wines. Grapes from the surrounding vineyards are used to produce famous alcoholic drinks from this area since Etruscan times. Below I present a brief description of three of them.
Nobile di Montepulciano is a noble red wine, which was the first Italian wine to achieve DOCG status. Due to its taste this wine works well in the company of meat (especially venison), but it also suits hard and long-maturing cheeses such as pecorino from Tuscany.
Rosso di Montepulciano on the other hand, is a slightly less noble wine variety from Montepulciano. The basic grape is Sangiovese, which in this wine must account for at least 70%. This appellation was created not so long ago. It differs from its “older brother” primarily because of lower alcohol content and length of ageing.
Different sensations are provided by the white Vin Santo dessert wine, produced in small quantities from carefully selected fruit. Before vinification, grapes are dried on special mats. Thanks to this, the concentration of sugars in fruits is so large that they give origin to a sweet wine high in alcohol. Vin Santo di Montepulciano is a symbol of hospitality and given to someone expresses respect and friendship.
