Stelo Italian Wine

Allright, let‚is get this out of the way at once: Montepulciano- the grape ‚i has nothing to do with Montepulciano ‚i the Tuscan town. The confusion began when early ampelographers took the easy path and linked the two. Montepulciano ‚i the grape ‚i is thought to have originated in Abruzzo and by the 19th century, spread to Puglia, Molise, Marche and Lazio. This variety produces wines which have a full, lush fruitiness and naturally soft tannins, which give it an even bigger potential for making palate-pleasing wines than Sangiovese. It certainly is capable of producing some of Italy‚is finest reds. Very deep ruby colour. Cherries, nutmeg/cinnamon and lightly roasted almond notes on the nose. On the palate, the wine has soft tannins and is satisfyingly full. A taster may find hints of plums, blackberries, raspberries, marasca cherries and wild strawberries. Abruzzo: Montepulciano accounts for about half the total area under vine in Abruzzo, and is the basis for nearly all of the region‚is DOC red wines. The extremely large production area of Montepulciano d‚iAbruzzo includes hillside or upland plateaux in all four of the region‚is provinces. The landscape ranges from snowy peaks in the west and descends through hills to the Adriatic coast. Soils in the mountainous area consist mainly of calcareous rock, with those in the hilly eastern zone consisting mainly of clay-calcareous soils and sands. The climate is generally mild, with gentle breezes off the sea. Montepulciano d‚iAbruzzo is made from at least 85% of the named grape, has a minimum alcohol level of 11.5° and must be aged for at least five months. With at least two year ageing and a minimum of 12° alcohol, the wine may be labelled riserva. The rosè version of this wine is called Cerasuolo. The Colline Teramane is a sub-zone of Montepulciano d‚iAbruzzo. Its vineyards are located in some thirty communes in the province of Teramo. The wine is produced from at least 90% Montepulciano and has a minimum alcohol level of 12.5°. With at least three years ageing it can be labelled riserva. The vineyards of the Controguerra zone are located on hillsides in the province of Teramo. Montepulciano makes up at least 60% of Controgeurra Rosso, with the rest of the blend composed of Merlot and/or Cabernet (minimum 15%) plus other red grapes. When the wine has an alcohol level of 12.5° and at least one year of ageing (six months of which must be in bottle), it may be labelled riserva. The light and fruity nouveau-style Controguerra Novello is made from the same blend as the previous wine, but around 30% of its grapes undergo carbonic maceration. The Controguerra Passito Rosso, which is made from a minimum of 60% semi-dried Montepulciano grapes, is a dessert wine, with an alcohol level of around 14°. Molise: The Molise DOC zone comprises around seventy communes in the province of Campobasso and Isernia. Montepulciano Molise is made from at least 85% of the named grape and has a minimum alcohol level of 11°. With a minimum alcohol level of 12.5° and two years of ageing (6 months of which must be in bottle), the wine may be labelled riserva. Molise Rosso and Biferno Rosso and Rosato are also Montepulciano-based. With a minimum alcohol level of 13° and at least three years of ageing Biferno Rosso may be labelled riserva. Marche: The most important red in the Marche is Rosso Conero, a Montepulciano-based wine whose vineyards lie on the sea-side slopes of Mount Conero. The dynamic and well-nigh organic co-operative Terre Cortesi owns some 53% of the vineyards in this zone. Rosso Conero wines have a minimum alcohol level of 11.5°. With a minimum of 12.5° and two years‚i ageing, it may be labelled riserva. Rosso Piceno is the Marche‚is largest DOC zone. It stretches south to near the border with Abruzzo and includes the provinces of Ancona, Macerata and Ascoli Piceno. The primary grapes used for this DOC are Sangiovese (30%-50%) and Montepulciano (35%-70%). The word superiore on the label indicates that the grapes for the wine were grown in a small area in the southern part of the zone. Puglia: The San Servero zone is found in the province of Foggia. Dry red and rosè wines are made here from a blend of Montepulciano and Sangiovese. Both wines have a minimum alcohol level of 11.5°. Montepulciano is also a component in the blend of Cacc‚i¨ mmitte di Lucera. Lazio: In Lazio, Montepulicano plays a role in a number of reds, including sprightly novellos (the Italian equivalent of Beaujolais Nouveau); fizzy, slightly sweet wines; as well as satisfyingly fruity and full dry reds. Together with Sangiovese, Montepulciano comprises up to 60% of the blend of the various reds from the Cerverti zone, whose vineyards area is found in the provinces of Roma and Viterbo. Montepulciano makes up between 15% and 40% of the blend of the various reds produced in the Colli della Sabina zone, which straddles the border between the provinces of Roma and Rieti. The Colli Etruschi Viterbesi zone covers the entire province of Viterbo in north-eastern Lazio. In this zone, which shares borders with Tuscany and Umbria. Montepulciano is known as Violone. The variety makes up at least 85% of the dry and fragrantly fruity Colli Etruschi Viterbesi Montepulciano. It comprises 20-45% of the zone‚is Rosso (both dry and semi-sweet styles), novello and rosè. It plays a minor role in the reds and rosès produced in the Castelli Romani zone, which lies in the province of Roma. The Tarquinia zone, which is located on the west coast of Lazio, produces a red based on Montepulciano and Sangiovese. Cori Rosso is a light, easy-drinking Montepulciano blend produced in the area around the communes of Cori and Cisterna in the province of Latina.