DestinationsMontepulciano
Montepulciano.
Where it sits
the Val d'OrciaMontepulciano is Montalcino's eastern counterpart: higher, cooler, and the home of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, the other great Sangiovese red of the Val d'Orcia. The town climbs a long ridge of honey-coloured Renaissance palaces, with cellars dug deep into the rock beneath them, many open for a tasting at the end of the street.
At the foot of the town stands the Tempio di San Biagio, a near-perfect High Renaissance church in pale travertine, set alone in a field below the walls — one of the great architectural set-pieces in Tuscany, and best at the end of the day.
Don’t miss
- Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, the eastern Val d'Orcia red
- Renaissance cellars open along the main street
- The Tempio di San Biagio below the walls
- Higher and cooler than Montalcino
The Wine and the Cellars
Vino Nobile is the draw — a Sangiovese-based DOCG, not to be confused with the grape Montepulciano grown elsewhere in Italy. The pleasure here is the historic cellars carved into the rock beneath the Renaissance palaces; several open straight onto the main street for a tasting. Producers worth booking include Avignonesi and Boscarelli.
The Town and San Biagio
The corso climbs from the gate to the Piazza Grande at the top, past wine shops, palaces and the odd film location. The set-piece, though, is below the walls: the Tempio di San Biagio, a free-standing Renaissance temple in pale stone, perfect in its proportions and unforgettable in the late light.
Villas near here
Frequently asked
- What wine is Montepulciano known for?
- Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, a Sangiovese-based red DOCG — not to be confused with the grape Montepulciano grown elsewhere in Italy.
- Is Montepulciano worth visiting?
- Yes — a handsome Renaissance hill town with historic cellars open for tastings and the Tempio di San Biagio below the walls.
- Montalcino or Montepulciano?
- Montalcino for Brunello and the bigger name; Montepulciano for the cooler air, the Renaissance streets and Vino Nobile. Both are easy from a Val d'Orcia villa.
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