Vino Nobile di Montepulciano: great stories behind a great wine

Do you know the history of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and its bond with the hamlet of Montepulciano in Tuscany?

A territory, its people, a wine. The first unique history of  Valdichiana Senese we share is that of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG. The relationship between Montepulciano, but in general between the territory of the Valdichiana Senese, and wine is a historical fact that honors Tuscany and Italy. A certainty of quality in the panorama of Italian wine production, establishing itself with the denomination of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano as well as the first Italian DOCG to be marketed forty years ago and thanks to the work that the Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano has been carrying out since 1965 promoting the product and the Strada del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and the Sapori della Vladichiana Senese promoting its territory.

The History

The bond of this territory with the wine has very deep roots and far precedes the fame and diffusion of the Vino Nobile. Remote origins testified, for example, by a kylix, a wine cup found in 1868 in an Etruscan tomb near the city of Chiusi in which Flufluns, the Etruscan god of wine, is represented, playing cottalo together with a maenad: a game in which wine was the protagonist. It is then the Roman historian Livio who then reports how the Gauls arrived in Italy attracted by the wine of these hills, tasted by an Etruscan from Chiusi. From here, going on over the centuries, a series of testimonies of wine production in Montepulciano followed one another.

A noble wine for the tables of the nobles, as remembered here in Montepulciano, appreciated in nineteenth-century exhibitions thanks to the commitment of some wineries that have obtained well-defined recognition with the first national market exhibition of typical and fine wines held in Siena in 1933 On that occasion the Fanettti family, which is still active in production, presented their Nobile and was particularly appreciated.

To the point that from that moment on with “Nobile” a red of great value began to be identified that would have made a long road marked over time by international acclaim arriving, in 1980, to achieve the recognition of the Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin.

The Disciplinary 

The Vino Nobile di Montepulciano according to the latest version of the Production Regulations, in force since 2010, must be obtained from Sangiovese grapes, which in Montepulciano is called Prugnolo Gentile, for a minimum of 70% and, for the remainder, up to to a maximum of 30% from complementary red grape varieties, usually Canaiolo, Colorino and Mammolo of indigenous production or the international Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Vino Nobile must be vinified and must mature for at least 2 years (three for the Vino Nobile Riserva) and from 2020 it is on the market with the wording "Toscana" on the label: the first Italian wine to become an ambassador of a destination in the world. Furthermore, from 2024 the label will have a new nomenclature: "Pieve, name of the parish, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Docg Toscana" - with the increasingly intention of telling its story and its unmistakable characteristics that will characterize the territoriality of Vino Nobile using the territorial toponyms referable to those of the ancient Pievi in ​​which the territory was divided since the late Roman and Lombard tim

The great stories to live behind a great wine

To learn about the history of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, however, a simple article is not enough, you need to taste it by the glass, meet the producers and visit the companies where it is produced. For this Valdichiana Living has thought of different types of wine tours suitable for everyone, from wine lovers to curious tasters who want to discover Tuscany through its iconic products.

For true wine lovers there are two unmissable experiences. The first, a novelty among the Valdichiana Living offers: the wine experience with the winemaker. An experience from the earth to the glass, in which the winemaker (literally the owner of the company) will accompany you through the vineyards of three wineries, introducing you to the differences between the different terroirs. At the end a tasting with a platter of wines from the three wineries. The other, the Wine Lovers Experience together with a companion. You will visit three wineries in Montepulciano, learning to appreciate their differences and peculiarities and of course tasting the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Also included in the experience is a lightlunch in the second company and transfer, to enjoy a day in complete tranquility.

Another important novelty among the Valdichiana Living wine tours is Wine Designs:the two souls of Montepulciano. An experience that will first lead you to a designer winery in the Montepulciano countryside. Between pieces of art, sustainability and design, you will discover a unique side of Montepulciano, always linked to beauty and architecture by visiting some of the wineries that are part of the Wine Architecture circuit. Then return to the historic center at a cellar in the basement of Montepulciano where a light lunch based on typical products awaits you. If you are passionate about architecture, design and of course wine, this is the experience not to be missed.

For those looking for a more classic but no less fascinating experience, Valdichiana Living offers you the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Wine Tour which will take you to two wineries in the Montepulciano countryside. For lovers of the outdoors, the tour is also available by e-bike. Finally, for those who want to deepen the link between the village of Montepulciano and the Vino Nobile, the suggestion is the tasting tour in the historic cellars of Montepulciano that will take you to discover the undergrounds of the ancient city where the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG still rests. the Rosso DOC. An absolutely unique experience: Montepulciano is in fact the only village to host cellars within its own for a historical reason. But we do not reveal to you. That is another story that you will discover directly in the cellar, with the producers.