A poet crowned it the king of all wines, and popes drank it by name. But its true story begins with a confusion that still trips up drinkers three centuries later.
In the hills of southeastern Tuscany, the medieval town of Montepulciano makes a red wine that carried the title of nobility long before modern wine law existed: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, the “noble wine” of Montepulciano. It is one of Italy’s most historic reds — and, thanks to an unlucky coincidence of names, one of its most misunderstood.
The wine of nobles
Montepulciano’s wine was prized at the tables of the powerful for centuries. As far back as the 1500s, Sante Lancerio — cellar master to Pope Paul III — singled it out for praise, and by the 1600s and 1700s it had become the wine of the local aristocracy, the vino nobile that gave the bottle its name.[1] Its most famous endorsement came in 1685, when the poet-physician Francesco Redi ended his dithyramb Bacco in Toscana (“Bacchus in Tuscany”) with a line every Montepulciano vintner still quotes: that Montepulciano is the king of all wines.[1]
“Montepulciano d’ogni vino è il re” — Montepulciano is the king of all wines.
That pedigree was formalized in the modern era. In 1980, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano was among the very first Italian wines granted DOCG status — Italy’s highest quality tier — alongside Brunello and Barolo, and it is often cited as the first bottle to carry the new DOCG seal.[2]
Sangiovese in a nobleman’s coat
Despite the name, Vino Nobile is not made from a grape called Montepulciano. It is built on Sangiovese — the same noble grape behind Chianti and Brunello — which around this town is called Prugnolo Gentile. By law the wine must be at least 70% Prugnolo Gentile, blended with local varieties, aged a minimum of two years (three for a Riserva) before release.[2]
| Where | The town of Montepulciano, southeastern Tuscany[1] |
|---|---|
| The grape | Min. 70% Sangiovese (locally “Prugnolo Gentile”)[2] |
| Aging | Minimum 2 years; 3 years for Riserva[2] |
| Status | Among Italy’s first DOCG wines, 1980[2] |
| The name | “Noble wine” — the drink of Montepulciano’s aristocracy[1] |
Montepulciano today
The town remains one of Tuscany’s most beautiful hill towns, its Renaissance streets riddled with ancient cellars where Prugnolo Gentile still ages in oak. Vino Nobile sits proudly alongside the region’s other legends — the mighty Brunello of Montalcino and the whites of nearby San Gimignano — a living reminder that in Tuscany, nobility is something you can pour.
Related reading: the history of Tuscan wine · Brunello di Montalcino · San Gimignano · the Wine History Timeline · the town of Montepulciano
Frequently asked questions
Is Vino Nobile di Montepulciano made from the Montepulciano grape?
No. It is made mainly from Sangiovese, locally called Prugnolo Gentile. “Montepulciano” here is the name of the Tuscan town, not the grape. The Montepulciano grape is used in the unrelated Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.
Why is it called “noble” wine?
Because for centuries it was the wine of Montepulciano’s nobility, praised by popes’ cellarers and by the poet Francesco Redi, who in 1685 called Montepulciano the king of all wines.
Sources
- “Vino Nobile di Montepulciano — history” (praised by Sante Lancerio, cellar master to Pope Paul III; the “noble wine” of the local aristocracy; Francesco Redi’s 1685 Bacco in Toscana calling Montepulciano the king of wines), Consorzio Vino Nobile di Montepulciano / Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vino_Nobile_di_Montepulciano
- “Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG” (min. 70% Sangiovese / Prugnolo Gentile; aging minimum 2 years, 3 for Riserva; among the first DOCG wines in 1980), Italian Wine Central. italianwinecentral.com
Want to read more?
Books we drew on and recommend for going deeper on wine history.
The World Atlas of WineHugh Johnson & Jancis Robinson
9000 Years of Wine: A World HistoryRod Phillips
Wine from Grape to GlassJens PrieweAs an Amazon Associate, Wine History Tours earns from qualifying purchases. This supports our research at no extra cost to you.
