Montepulciano Tuscany Hilltown
Title: | Montepulciano Tuscany Hilltown | |||||||
Category: | Destinations We Visit on Our Soriano Vacations | |||||||
Author: | Daniele Pintaudi | Updated: | Jan 30, 2019 | Views: | 5,373 | |||
Tags: | montepulciano tuscany montepulciano wine montepulciano winery tour |
Montepulciano is a beautiful medieval and Renaissance hill town in southern Tuscany, but it is most famous as the home of Vino Nobile, one of Italy's most coveted wines. Besides the wonderful wine, Montepulciano is a stunning town, filled with interesting shops and beautiful scenery. It is a must-stop location for anyone visiting the southern Tuscany wine towns along the Orcia Valley Wine Trail, which is the part of Tuscany where most images we have of the region originated.
Vino Nobile
For those seeking wine tasting, Montepulciano will never disappoint. The streets are lined with wine shops (Enoteca), all offering tastings. Many of these shops have wine cellars below that they will happily show you. The most striking and awe-inspiring of these cellars is one that very few visitors ever discover, as it is difficult to find. It sits underneath the Ricci Palace, just off of the Piazza Grande, and is the town's original wine cellar from the 14th century. It is, quite literally, the birthplace of Vino Nobile.
What to See
The 'Piazza Grande' is an incredible sight, especially for those that know Florence. You will find that it looks like a miniature version of Piazza della Sigoria. Here you will find the city hall and the Duomo. Followers of the 'Twilight' Saga will recognize this piazza instantly from the movie New Moon.
Just outside of town, you will find the unmistakable 'San Biagio' church, and simply walking around Montepulciano is a sight in and of itself.
This is a destination on almost all of our tours that visit Tuscany. When we visit Montepulciano, we are granted a private tour and tasting of the Vino Nobile cellar noted above (and pictured here), and we stroll the town.