About Salcheto

The Wine Region

History Takes an Ironic Turn

In any realm blessed with a long and colorful past, some historic confusion inevitably occurs. Such is the case with the Tuscan town of Montepulciano, about 75 miles to the southeast of Florence. The area has produced some of Italy’s most renowned wines for at least 500 years. Archeological digs indicate the region was settled in the 3rd and 4th centuries B.C., when wine was surely enjoyed by the local populace. Documents from the Renaissance period attest to the fact that there was much trading of local wines as a prestige. Early wine contracts mention Montepulciano as an example of high quality winemaking emulated throughout Italy. Clearly, the locals have had some time to figure out how to best capture the terroir of the area and produce the best wines possible.

The region’s classic red wine grape is known locally as Prugnolo Gentile—more commonly referred to as Sangiovese. This variety lies at the heart of all wines labeled Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

However, some confusion has arisen because of a grape known as Montepulciano Nero, which is grown throughout much of central Italy. Oddly enough, it is not grown in the town of Montepulciano. Since the late 1500s, the region of Abruzzo (which borders the Adriatic Sea) was inspired by the winemaking of Montepulciano. Eventually, its best-known wines became known as Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (literally “Montepulciano from Abruzzo”). Hence the two wines—Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo—are related in name only.