A Beginner’s Guide to Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
It’s been several months since Zin Valle Vineyards introduced our sister winery in Italy to our customers. Fattoria Svetoni in Montepulciano, Italy is co-owned by myself along with three of my longtime Italian business partners. Zin Valle Vineyards is the only dedicated retail outlet for Fattoria Svetoni wines in the United States and we hope you’ve already had a chance to come by and try these fantastic wines.
Italian wines have never been better and the wine market for Italian wines has never been stronger. However, with over 200 grape varietals coming out of Italy’s 20 provinces, Italian wines are difficult to learn and differentiate. But know this – they are exciting, delicious and food friendly. In addition, the diversity of Italian wine – with the classics coming out of Tuscany, Piedmont, Veneto and Umbria – have a sense of historical and cultural continuity that remains unchallenged in the world. Over the coming weeks, I’ll share more about these wines to hopefully help enhance your tasting experience at Zin Valle and make you the Italian wine “expert” amongst your friends. Welcome to the old world and the new world of Italian wine!
The best-known Italian red wine grapes are, in alphabetical order, Aglianico, Barbera, Cannonau, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, Primitivo and Sangiovese. Fattoria Svetoni, located in the middle of the Italian state of Tuscany, has a special wine known as Vino Nobile, made from Sangiovese. The noble Sangiovese displays high acidity coupled with supple tannins that will remined you of a nice, but soft Cabernet Sauvignon.
Once you try one of these Tuscan wines, you’ll want to taste more and more. However, today we are looking more at the wine unique to the Tuscan commune of Montepulciano called Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
All of Tuscany’s most famous wines are made from Sangiovese. While pronouncing Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a mouthful, it is a delicious wine, of historical significance at a very reasonable price. The wine is fragrant, with herbal and spice notes, moderate acidity and finishes with mature red fruit. This wine was also one of Thomas Jefferson’s favorite wines. In the 18th century, the wine was given the name “Vino Nobile”— a reference not to nobility, but to the noblemen, poets and popes who regularly drank it.
By law, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano must be aged for two years in wood, while the “reservas” are required to age three years. In 1980, Vino Nobile was granted DOCG status, the highest rating of Italian wines. Be careful not to confuse Vino Nobile di Montepulciano with the grape “Montepulciano” which is planted in central and southern Italy.
Hopefully, I’ve piqued your interest and you’ll visit us soon to enjoy a glass in our barrel room with pictures of the vineyards and town of Montepulciano. As always, we offer three complimentary tastings per person, so come in and compare the Vino Nobile to our other Italian wines – or our local wines. If you’re planning a visit to Tuscany, Fattoria Svetoni has recently opened a bed and breakfast with an on-site restaurant and tasting room, where El Paso visitors receive special guest status. Let us know if you are planning a trip – we would love to have you stop by the winery!