This is what I am most eager to learn about and explore while visiting this medieval city. In an area where wine has been produced for centuries, the history and culture surrounding it are both mysterious and intriguing. The best Montepulciano wine tasting & cellars are nothing short of amazing and can be budget friendly.
Brief History
A DOCG wine called Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is one of only three in Tuscany. You may have heard of Chianti, one of the others. The history of wine making in this region goes far back. A document from 789 gives a vineyard to a local church.
In 1350 another mentions the export of wine from Montepulciano. The limestone ridge I stand upon is riddled with underground tunnels. Many of these were dug by the Etruscans in the 3rd & 4th centuries BC. These tunnels led to their buried tombs. During medieval times, the tunnels were expanded and bricked over, and this is what has created the current network of cellars.
These cellars served many purposes. They connected the palaces above and provided refuge for the people during times of turmoil. This is where olives were pressed to produce oil and where wool was bathed and carded to create yarn. It is also where noblemen met to make secret plans and where the torture rooms are located.
Where to Visit?
Visitors walking up the main street through the old city will see store fronts beckoning them into their premises. Many of these are cellars that have been converted into tasting rooms and restaurants.
Others are actual wine cellars that are filled with barrels of the luscious deep ruby elixir. This is what I am after. Places to see the cellars, explore, and even taste and enjoy the wine. I found two that let me wander freely, at no cost, and on my own. These are what I am going to tell you about now.
Contucci Cellars
The Contucci family has been in Montepulciano for over 1000 years. Their estate is 170 hectares in size, of which 21 are devoted to wine. They have been cultivating grapes since the 11th century. And in 1773 it is documented that they were one of the founding fathers of the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, the wine this region is famous for.
I wander into the cellars quite by accident. I was busy taking a photo of the entry way, and a lovely lady beckoned me inside. She told me to go ahead and walk around at my leisure. I had the entire cellar to myself, all three floors and it was a surreal experience.
Needless to say, I was in a state of awe being allowed to explore this ancient place full of hundreds of barrels of precious wine. The oldest bottle on site dates from 1887. The deeper underground one walks the quieter the atmosphere becomes and the temperature is surprisingly mild.
All of the Contucci wine is aged here, either in these oak barrels or stainless-steel vats. There are two tasting rooms. A small beautifully decorated one that is on site near the entrance and another in the fortress. The tastings are at no cost; however, it is assumed that you will make a purchase before you leave.
Ercolani Cellars
Visitors won’t be able to miss the entrance to this establishment as there is a full-sized medieval knight standing guard at the entrance. This is the Ercolani wine cellar. Enter from the street and descend into the abyss. Full of dark passageways, the curious can wander from room to room, for free.
This set of cellars is massive and deep. Parts formed the old medieval walls of the city, before the palaces above were constructed. Visitors will find deep wells for collecting rain water and holding fresh water. Today these are filled with coins and money dropped by tourists making a wish. The deepest tunnels lead to the Etruscan tombs and visitors are not able to descend to those depths for liability purposes.
The Underground City
The Ercolani family call their cellars The Underground City. They have gone to great lengths to create a museum like experience for visitors and often times there are bus loads of people down here. The space is so large though, if you do find a crowd, simply walk to an empty room and explore that area in peace and solitude.
Set out in display cases or not, are hundreds of antique items and implements, all once in use. See the workshops and tools, room where the sheep’s wool was cleaned and processed.
Another vast room was the torture room and these cases are filled with the unpleasant implements used for punishment. It must not have been an uncommon practice, as there is an entire separate Torture Museum in another part of the city.
Exploring this massive labyrinth of tunnels, passages and rooms is indeed like being in an underground city. Imagine this place, 500 years ago or even more, lit my candlelight and flame. The smells, noises, dampness and darkness must have been eerie and surreal.
Vino Nobile, the Wine of Nobles
All of this ancient history is culminated in creating the space for the barrels of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano to age. What is so special about this wine? Once I arose from the bowels of the earth, I entered the tasting room.
The Vino Nobile is a combination of at least 70% Sangiovese grape blended with Canaiolo Nero to create this ruby red beauty. That produces the regulated and required blend to maintain the DOCG designation. The wine also has to be aged for at least two years and one of those must be in an oak barrel.
Tasting the Goods
At Cantina Ercolani I was provided with four wines and a grappa to taste. I happily accepted the board of locally produced snacks to pair with my sips. The first wine was the €8 bottle and my last was the €65 one. The difference in flavour and complexity is astounding.
What produces such a price difference? As far as I understand, it is mostly the aging process. The basic red is aged for the minimum two years, one of which is in an oak barrel from Croatia. Conversely, the €65 bottle has been stewing in the Croatian oak barrels for two years and spends a third year in a Tuscan oak barrel.
Of course, there are much greater complexities and nuances, but that gives some very basic idea of the differences. And just like the Contucci cellars, it is expected that once you have accepted the tasting and time spent, a purchase is made. For this budget traveller, that was the €8 bottle. 😂 Not a drinker? There are a myriad of other products ranging from all sorts of local cheeses, Tuscan meats, olive oils, fruit cakes and more.
My brain is full of new information about subjects that I am passionate about. What more could I ask for? Visiting any of the ancient cellars in Montepulciano will be a memorable experience. Learning about the history, the incredible wine and most enjoyable, tasting that delicious nectar of the gods leaves one feeling fulfilled.
