129. Montepulciano Grape Guide: Abruzzo, Cerasuolo & Italy's Underrated Red Grape

129. Montepulciano Grape Guide: Abruzzo, Cerasuolo & Italy's Underrated Red Grape

Host: Joanne Close Episode Length: 12:07 Release Date: September 15, 2026

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Episode Description

Joanne continues the series on Italian grape varietals with a grape that rarely gets top billing, but deserves more attention: Montepulciano. Before digging into the grape itself, she clears up one of the most common points of confusion in Italian wine, the fact that there is a grape called Montepulciano and also a town called Montepulciano in Tuscany, and the two have nothing to do with each other. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is made from Sangiovese near the town of that name, while Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is made from the actual Montepulciano grape, grown mainly in the Abruzzo region.

From there, Joanne walks through why Montepulciano has never reached the household-name status of grapes like Sangiovese or Nebbiolo, despite being planted on roughly 30,000 hectares across Italy. She covers its character (deep color, medium acidity, high tannin, black plum and black cherry fruit), its late-budding and late-ripening nature, and the growing regions where it thrives, with a particular focus on Abruzzo. You'll also hear about the dramatic landscape of Abruzzo, from the Apennine Mountains and Corno Grande's glacier to the Adriatic coastline, and why that geography shapes the wine.

Joanne also introduces Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo, a deeply colored rosé style not covered in the WSET curriculum but well worth knowing, and highlights two producers, Tiberio and Emidio Pepe, who are proving Montepulciano can be far more serious than its commercial reputation suggests.

Joanne also shares details on upcoming Wine Educate trips for the spring and summer, along with a live Zoom session where she will answer questions about traveling with her. You can see all the trip details at https://www.wineeducate.com/trips

What You'll Learn in This Episode

Clearing Up the Name Confusion

• Vino Nobile di Montepulciano: a Sangiovese-based wine from the town of Montepulciano in Tuscany, where the grape is locally called Prugnolo Gentile
• Montepulciano d'Abruzzo: a wine made from the Montepulciano grape, grown in Abruzzo
• No clear historical link found between the town name and the grape name

Why Montepulciano Isn't a Household Name

• Roughly 30,000 hectares planted in Italy, compared to 6,000 to 7,000 hectares of Nebbiolo
• Considered a workhorse grape rather than a noble grape
• Valued for high yields, deep color, and approachable wines that don't require years of aging
• Often used to add color and body in blends

Grape Characteristics (WSET Level 2)

• Deeply colored
• Medium acidity
• High tannins
• Black fruit flavors, especially black plum and black cherry
• Best known for producing Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
• Mostly simple, fruity, inexpensive wines, though some are aged briefly in oak

Growing Conditions and Key Regions

• Late budding, which helps avoid spring frost
• Late ripening, which requires a long, warm growing season
• Concentrated mainly in central Italy and parts of the south
• Key regions: Abruzzo, Marche, Molise, Puglia, Umbria, and Lazio
• Limited plantings outside Italy, including some in California

A Closer Look at Abruzzo

• Located on the Adriatic side of Italy, at the "calf" of the boot, bordered by the Apennine Mountains
• Home to Corno Grande, the highest peak in the Apennines at just under 10,000 feet, and the southernmost glacier in Europe
• Cooling influence from both the mountains and the Adriatic Sea
• Known as the Green Region of Europe, with three national parks covering about 270,000 hectares
• Strong food culture built around sheep farming, cheese, and lamb
• About 90 minutes from Rome by car via the A24, despite feeling like a completely different world

Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo

• A deeply colored rosé made from Montepulciano, more intense than a pale Provence-style rosé
• Named for its cherry-like color
• Versatile with food and easy drinking on its own

Producers Worth Knowing

• Tiberio, led by Cristiana Tiberio, whose single-vineyard Colle Volta shows Montepulciano's potential