Italian Wine Adventure #11: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo! (An underrated and underappreciated Italian beauty, the ultimate cookout wine)

Show Notes

Episode 113: Italian Wine Adventure #11: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo!  00:00

Hello! And welcome to The Wine Pair Podcast. I’m Joe, your sommelier of reasonably priced wine, and this is my wife and my wine pairing partner in crime, Carmela. And we are The Wine Pair! 

Ok, a quick orientation for those of you who may be new to the podcast - in each episode we learn about, taste and give our honest review of three wines that are reasonably priced - meaning under $20 each -  and should be easy for you to find. And our podcast is made for people who want to learn more about wine, find new wines to enjoy, and just want someone to talk about wine in a fun way that regular people can understand. So, if that sounds like you, you are in the right place! And we are proud to say that we are recommended by the editors of Decanter Magazine who call us fun, irreverent, chatty, and entertaining

Carmela, we are back with another one of our Italian Wine Adventures, and this time we are going to talk about a wine that is pretty easy to find and is very reasonably priced, but may be one that has slipped under our listeners’ radars because it is just not a wine they are very familiar with, or have been a little nervous to try, and/or were just intimidated by it’s name.  Which is a shame, because this wine is a food-friendly, crowd-pleasing type of wine that deserves your respect. 

That’s right - show some respect to good old reliable Montepulciano d'Abruzzo!

I bring up this note on choosing this wine because we have been selecting Italian wines for these Italian Wine Adventure episodes that are generally off the beaten path. Wines like Fiano or Gavi or Soave or Cirò or Salice Salentino - which are fantastic wines that we think our listeners should seek out and are really not that hard to find if you just look around, and are well priced. In fact, we would highly recommend that you take a listen to some of these Italian Wine Adventure episodes from the past if you have not yet. 

But Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is one of those Italian wines that is relatively ubiquitous, but I still think is underrated and underappreciated. Kind of like me. And it is the perfect wine for this podcast. Under $20, easy to find, and a fantastic option to add to your wine repertoire and get out of your Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and Chardonnay rut. Ok?!?

I will also say at the top of this podcast a few other things before we get into just exactly what Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is and why you should seek it out. 

First, I just want to mention that you can find links to lots of good articles and information on our website thewinepairpodcast.com. For each episode, we give you the complete show notes, including our tasting notes and ratings for each of the wines we taste, and links to the websites and articles I use when I am researching the episodes. Although I do not share the script or show notes with Carmela before each episode, I happily share them with you on our website. So, please take a moment to visit our website and check out our show notes. 

Second, we had a lot of fun hearing from several listeners before and after our Pinotage episode a few weeks ago. Again, that episode was an ask from a listener named Carol, and we were so happy to do the episode, regardless of how our ratings turned out, because we love to create content you care about. And then, we got a note from another listener named Bud who wanted to let us know that he had recently had a Pinotage at a higher price point - about $27 - from his local wine shop in Norfolk, Virginia, and he liked it quite a bit - which may just mean that we were trying Pinotages at too low of a price point. Either way, we love to hear from our listeners, we love the dialogue, and we would love to do more episodes that you want to hear about - whether about a particular wine or a wine region or a wine producer. So please don’t be afraid to reach out, we don’t bite, at least not very hard, and we really want to make sure we are creating content that you enjoy and want to hear!

So, I think it’s time to learn a little more about Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and taste and review the three Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wines we have selected for today. . . 

But first . . . we have to do our shameless plug.

First, we want to thank you for listening to us and for supporting our show, and if you have not had the chance to do so yet, now would be the perfect time to subscribe to our podcast  - it is a free way to support us, and then you never have to miss a show!  - and a huge thank you to all of you who have subscribed already! 

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And, as we do every week, we’ll tell you someone we think you should tell about The Wine Pair Podcast. This week, we want you to tell someone who loves Italian food to let them know there is a great podcast they can listen to to learn more about Italian wine - or at least hear our ridiculous banter and opinions on it!

ARTICLES and LINKS

• https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomhyland/2023/07/19/montepulciano-dabruzzoa-new-day/?sh=16eebe2d3cac 

Topic: WTF is Montepulciano d'Abruzzo? 08:10

So let’s talk a little bit about just what the F Montepulciano d'Abruzzo wine is all about. 

First, I will say again that this wine is a sweet spot wine for our podcast. First, it is not a California wine or a Cabernet Sauvignon, so that’s awesome right from the jump. Second, it is pretty easy to find and is generally very reasonably priced. And, third, it is a very approachable wine that goes great with food. And, for a bonus point - it is Italian, which we love!

I will also just make this note again from a pronunciation standpoint that in Italian when you see words with ci or ce, the c makes a “ch” sound. And when you see words in Italian with a chi or che in them, the c makes a hard “k” sound. So, in this case, the ci in Montepulciano is pronounced as “chee.”

But don’t be fooled. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is not just a low-cost crowd-pleaser. Over the past few years, there have been more and more producers creating more serious and more complex versions of the wine.

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is from, as the name implies, the Abruzzo region of Italy, which is to the east and a next door neighbor to the Lazio region, which is where Rome is. So, while Montepulciano grapes and wines are grown and made in other areas of Italy, we are going to focus on the region of Abruzzo, and why these wines are specifically called Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.

Before I go any further, I must make this note - do not confuse Montepulciano d’Abruzzo with the wine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. That wine, the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is actually made from Sangiovese grapes, which is the grape most well known for Chianit wines, and is named after the city of Montepulciano which is in Tuscany where it is grown. Super confusing, I know. But those are two totally different wines!

Again, to be clear, the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine is named for the grape it is made from AND the region it comes from. 

There are two designations for Montepulciano d’Abruzzo using the Italian legal designations of DOC and DOCG. The largest area is the DOC designated area, and there are several DOC sub-zones that are specifically designated, but I won’t call them all out here - but you can find more information in our show notes. To be designated a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC the wine must be made of at least 85% Montepulciano grapes, and then up to 15% of Sangiovese is allowed. It also has to be aged for at least 5 months. Note that bottles that are named Riserva must be aged at least two years. In the DOC sub-zones, the requirements for aging and the percent of the wine that is made from the Montepulciano grape is higher.

And, there is a DOCG designation in Abruzzo for what is supposed to be the highest quality Montepulciano d'Abruzzo - called Colline Teramane - which is a small area in the province of Teramo, and there the wines have be made with 90% Montepulciano grapes and aged for 24 months to reach Riserva status in that area.

The area of Abruzzo where Montepulciano is grown is in the mountains and can be as high as 9,000 feet above sea level. The earth is also quite “chalky” which means it drains well, and although it can get very warm, the Adriatic sea and elevation can cool things down especially at night. 

For wine drinkers who like Merlot, this can be an especially good “transition” wine to Italian wines - so think of flavors and smells like plum, blackberry, and tobacco. The grape is supposed to be pretty robust, meaning it grows relatively easily and at pretty high yields. The wine tends to be medium-bodied and with soft tannins and high acidity, which again, like a lot of Italian wines, makes it very food friendly. It should be the perfect cookout wine. And, it is a wine that can be served a little on the cool side - think cellar temperature rather than room temperature - or you can put it in the fridge for 15-30 minutes before you serve it. 

Ok, I think that is enough background for now - I think it’s time to learn more about the wines we chose for the episode!

ARTICLES and LINKS

• https://www.vinovest.co/blog/montepulciano-dabruzzo 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vino_Nobile_di_Montepulciano 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montepulciano_d%27Abruzzo
• https://usualwines.com/blogs/knowledge-base/montepulciano-wine  

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Wines We Chose for This Episode 16:21

As usual, all of the wines we have chosen for this episode are under $20, and all of them should be relatively easy to find because I bought them all at either Total Wine or QFC. And, at least two of these wines I have seen all over the place and have bought off and on for years. You should have no trouble finding a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo if you look around - it may be buried or lost somewhere in your local wine shop or grocery store, but you will find it if you look or ask.

While only one of these had reviews from the big wine reviewers for the vintage that we are drinking, all of them had reviews online, so that is good. 

The first wine we are going to try is one that we have had many times over the years, and one that your dad would serve quite often, especially before he thought I knew anything about wine, but I think he stopped buying it when they moved to a screw cap - which we actually really like. The wine is called Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and it has a red top and a gold-yellow label and should be super easy to find. 

This wine, like all of the wines we are drinking today, is 100% Montepulciano. As far as I could find, none of these wines are blends at all. This wine had a review for the 2020 vintage, which we are drinking, from the Reverse Wine Snob, but early vintages have been covered by Wine Enthusiast, Jeb Dunnuck, and good old James Suckling and gotten ratings in the low 90s pretty consistently.

The winery says correctly that this wine is most people’s first experience with this varietal and region, and maybe Italian wines in general. This winery also makes some higher end wines, so don’t be fooled into thinking they just make inexpensive wines. 

This wine is meant to be enjoyed young, and they do not oak this wine - they say that they keep it on the skins for 10-15 days, and then age in stainless steel. So this should be a fresh, juicy, and zippy wine. 

The next wine we are going to try is the Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Tralcetto from 2021, and this, again, is a wine you should be able to find pretty easily. The bottle has a little wood stem attached to it with straw, so it is a very distinctive bottle. 

The winery also says that they age the wine in stainless steel before bottling, so again, no oak, and my expectation is that it will be similar to the Masciarelli. They also note that they soft press the grapes and submerge the cap - that means that they close the opening of the vat they are fermenting the grapes in and fill the container to the top so that the skins stay submerged in the wine, which is evidently a very ancient method of wine making. This will add more flavor without “stressing” the wine - because they are not pushing the cap back into the wine to extract flavor, but just keeping it in contact with the skins. 

It is also a wine that should be drunk young.

The last wine we are going to drink is one that I have not had before, but found at our local QFC store, which is a Kroger grocery store, and it is called  La Valentina Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, and it is also a 2021 vintage.

I bought it without knowing anything about it, but chose it because it was a tiny bit pricier than you sometimes see these wines. Turns out that this wine has good ratings from Wine Spectator and Vinous, which I respect, and James Suckling, which I do not respect.

This wine is organic, and the winery says that they use sustainable practices, and the wine is vegan, which is nice. They also use some oak in their aging of the wine. It looks like they age 80% of the wine in stainless steel, and then 20% in small barrels and Slavonian oak casks, and they let the wine age for 12 months. So I am expecting this wine to have a little more depth and a little more character, and while I am sure it can be drunk young, it should be a wine that you can age a bit, too. Maybe 5 years or so would be my guess. 

Well, I think we are ready to drink. What do you say?!? We’ll take a quick break and be right back. And, if you have these wines or similar wines, drink along with us!

ARTICLES and LINKS

• https://www.masciarelli.it/en/i-vini/montepulciano-dabruzzo-linea-classica/ 
• https://www.reversewinesnob.com/masciarelli-montepulciano-dabruzzo
• https://www.cantinazaccagnini.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Tralcetto_Montepulciano_dAbruzzo_doc_EN.pdf 
• https://www.dallaterra.com/tech-sheet/la-valentina-montepulciano-d-abruzzo-doc 

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Wine Pairing Tasting and Reviews 22:42

Wine: Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (Click here to find and buy this wine on wine.com. Affiliate link)
Region: Italy, Abruzzo
Year: 2020
Price: $12.99
Retailer: Total Wine
Alcohol: 13.5%
Grapes: Montepulciano
Professional Rating: Reverse Wine Snob 7.5 (7 taste)

What we tasted and smelled in this Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo:

• On the nose: Black cherry, cherry licorice, plum, cinnamon, baking spice, blackberry pie, smoke, smooth, forest, evergreen, chalk 
• In the mouth: Smooth, acidic, food wine, chalky, tart cherry, red plum, grapyness, violets, floral. Solid wine. Crowd pleaser. Easy to drink. 

Food to pair with this Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo: Good food wine, red sauce pasta, pizza, red meat, chicken, spicy foods, very versatile, barbecue, good cookout wine, grilled food. 
 
As a reminder on our rating scale, we rate on a scale of 1-10, where 7 and above means that we would buy it, and 4 and below means that we are likely to pour it down the sink, and a 5 or 6 means we are likely to drink it and finish it, but we are probably not going to buy it. 

Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Wine Rating: 

• Joe: 7/10
• Carmela: 7/10

Wine: Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Tralcetto 
Region: Italy, Abruzzo
Year: 2021
Price: $12.97
Retailer: Total Wine
Alcohol: 13%
Grapes: Montepulciano
Professional Rating: Ken’s Wine Guide 89

What we tasted and smelled in this Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Tralcetto:

• On the nose: Rich, cherry, juicy, smokiness, black cherry, plum, black fruit jam
• In the mouth: Jammy, medium bodied, juicy, not complex, easy to drink, crowd pleaser

Food to pair with this Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Tralcetto: Spaghetti and meatballs, cookout, grilled foods, barbecue, lasagna, pizza, very versatile

Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Tralcetto Wine Rating: 

• Joe: 7/10
• Carmela: 7/10

Wine: La Valentina Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Region: Italy, Abruzzo
Year: 2021
Price: $14.99
Retailer: QFC
Alcohol: 13.5%
Grapes: Montepulciano
Professional Rating: JS 91, WS 89, V 88

What we tasted and smelled in this La Valentina Montepulciano d’Abruzzo:

• On the nose: Floral, violets, fruity, cherry, raspberry, band-aid, red Twizzler
• In the mouth: Tasty, tart, smooth, cleans off the tongue, medium-bodied, juicy, strawberry Twizzler, strong taste of tea at the end, a good wine, energetic

Food to pair with this La Valentina Montepulciano d’Abruzzo: Can strand up to a big meal, cheeseburger, Middle Eastern food, Easter wine, lamb

La Valentina Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Wine Rating: 

• Joe: 8/10
• Carmela: 8/10

Which one of these are you finishing tonight?

• Carmela: La Valentina Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
• Joe: La Valentina Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

Three really solid wines, and great wines for parties and a real crowd pleaser

Taste profiles expected from Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 38:41

• General 
  • Wine Folly: Red plum, oregano, sour cherry, boysenberry, tar
• Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
  • Winery: Rich and ripe dark cherry fruit, along with attractive spicy, smoky notes. Fleshy and full, with surprising depth and length. This wine is intended to be consumed in its youth
  • Reverse Wine Snob: Opens with black cherry, spice, leather and a little tobacco on the attractive nose. Taking a sip reveals lots of sour black cherry flavors and smooth, soft tannins in this easy to drink, balanced and uncomplicated (but still quite flavorful and satisfying) wine. There's nothing extraordinary or all that complex about it, but it's a nice wine for the price. It ends with a dry, long, savory, a bit grippy and even has a hint of a mineral note underneath.
• Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Tralcetto
  • Winery: Aroma: Notes of marasca and cherry and generally red berries with spicy hints of white pepper. Taste: In the mouth, it develops harmoniously between fruity sweetness and savory freshness
  • Ken’s Wine Guide: A rustic and easy drinking Italian Montepulciano wine! It's a clear deep purple color, with aromas of dark cherry, bramble, violets, and musty leather. Quite smooth on the palate, it is medium plus bodied, moderately acidic, with rich concentrated fruit, and nicely balanced. There are flavors of black plum, tart black cherry, dried herbs, lavender, and tobacco leaf. Moderate grippy tannins, and a dry, long finish.
• La Valentina Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
  • JS: Aromas and flavors of berries and cherries, together with hints of rose petals and fruit tea. Medium-bodied with lightly abrasive tannins and a chalky mouthfeel to finish.
  • WS: Dark and tangy, with a lush core of blackberry, mulberry and boysenberry fruit flavors, revealing accents of oolong tea leaf and spiced orange peel. Shows taut, fine tannins that impart a tightly meshed feel, but this is silky and balanced overall, opening nicely on the palate and in the glass.
  • V: Violet florals and crushed chalk introduce the 2021 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. This is juicy and round, with ripe wild berry fruits flowing beneath blue and purple florals. It finishes a bit short and with a mineral tinge, yet it cleans up quite nicely

Outro and how to find The Wine Pair Podcast 41:49

Ok, so, Carmela, it is just about time for us to go, but before we do, we want to thank you very much for listening to us - and if you haven’t done so yet, now would be the perfect time to subscribe to our podcast and also a fantastic time to leave us a nice rating and review on our website or Apple podcasts or other podcast service - and it is an awesome and free way to support us and help us grow listeners.

We would also love to hear from you about a wine you would like us to taste and review. You can, leave a message for us on our website thewinepairpodcast.com and you can join our email newsletter there, too, or you can just email us at joe@thewinepairpodcast.com and tell us about a wine you are curious about, or curious what we think of it. And, follow us on Instagram and Threads so you can see pictures of all of these wines we are tasting and reviewing.

Alright, with that, we are going to sign off, so thanks again, and we will see you next time. And, as we say, life is short, so stop drinking shitty wine.

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