Italian Red

[grumpygirl]

I had a glass of an Italian red wine at a restaurant recently that was labled Pulciana (?spelling) I enjoyed it but I'm not sure if that was the wine maker or type of wine, most of the menu was Italian Thanks

[wondersofwine]

Perhaps it was a Montepulciano (sometimes written as two words: Monte Pulciano). Not being an expert on Italian grapes or wines, I turned to the web and found this from Berry Bros. & Rudd Ltd, a prominent British wine purveyor.
"Montepulciano is an important Italian red grape variety extensively grown in Central and Eastern Italy. Confusingly it has no connection with the Tuscan town of Montepulciano, nor the Sangiovese [grape variety] based Vino Nobile di Montepulciano which is produced [in the Tuscan town of Montepulciano]. It is adaptable to most soils and is a high yielding and late ripening grape. It is extensively planted in the Abruzzi district and perhaps Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is its most famous incantation....
It normally produces light to medium bodied fruit driven wines, often low in tannins and acidity and which are usually best drunk young. However there are a handful of producers who produce 100% Montepulciano wines from low yielding old vines which are then oak-aged and which will continue improving in bottle for 10 years or more."

[Innkeeper]

It is most probable that WOW is correct. We have been drinking a lot of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo lately and love it.

Here is another outside possibility. Puglian is a term used to describe a wide variety of wines from Apulia. The most common of these found in the U.S. are Primitivo and Salice Salentino, two other wines we are fond of.

[hotwine]

We're also drinking more of the stuff lately. Had Illuminati's Riparosso tonight with pizza. Yummy stuff.

[This message has been edited by hotwine (edited 02-11-2005).]

[wineguruchgo]

Because of the lables on Italian wines people tend to be confused. The easiest way to remember it is to replace the "di or d'" with the word "from".

Example: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano = Vino Nobile from Montepulciano.

Montepulciano d'Abruzzi= Montepulciano from Abruzzi.

Unfortunately you will need to research the wines before you will begin to understand them because they don't put the varietals on the lable.

For this reason many people shy away from Old world wines (Italian, French, German and Spanish).

If you have a reputable wine shop near your house they can help you explore these regions and you can have fun doing it.