#WinePW (Pairing Weekend) is being hosted by Wendy this month. She chose the theme of Exploring New Varietals for our group and so I decided to explore Montepulciano grapes, one that I had never tried before.
Montepulciano d' Abruzzo is an Italian red from the Abruzzi region. The grape can be grown in most of Italy. It is a rich wine with dark, dark fruit flavors and is very earthy. Some wine tasters describe it as having leather, olives, black pepper, or licorice in its flavor profile. The DOC and the DOCG from this area require that wine be produced here by at least 85% Montepulciano, with the rest being Sangiovese if desired.
We found that decanting Montepulciano did not require any decanting but of course, you can. The wine is often drunk fresh and young, after two or three years. We served this wine with stuffed green peppers and I loved the mouthfeel of the rich flavors. There are definitely berries, a bit of sweetness, and a very silky feel.
Since it is a young wine, the price per bottle was very reasonable, between $7-15 on average. There are some that are higher, around $25 a bottle. We thought it was similar to Chianti but that may have been to the Sangiovese in it.
Our green pepper dish and the Montepulciano paired very well together. The young wine was juicy and jammy, standing up to the strong peppers beautifully. The wine had a long finish, so that was the last thing you tasted before taking another bite. Very intriguing and delicious.
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I enjoy Monetpulciano. Great choice of wine and pairing. Thanks for joining me.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, these look so good! I definitely need to save this post. :)
ReplyDeleteNice! I never thought about pairing Montepulciano with something like green bell peppers.
ReplyDeleteThe Italian stuffed peppers sure look like a perfect dish to have with the Montepulciano red. I saved the recipe and will be making it soon as I get a bottle of that delicious looking wine.
ReplyDeleteYour stuffed pepper recipe looks great Terri!
ReplyDeleteStuffed peppers are always a wonderful meal and it sounds like it paired wonderfully with the wine that you had with it. Your stuffed peppers looked perfect.
ReplyDeleteThe Italian stuffed peppers look delicious, I need to make that soon. I prefer sweet wines, so I might give Montepulciano d' Abruzzo a try, even though there is just a bit of sweetness.
ReplyDeleteWow! That looks absolutely delicious and tasty I love to try it!
ReplyDeleteStuffed peppers and a glass of a good Italian wine! Tonight will be a special evening!
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy a good stuffed pepper. It's about time to have some again. -LYNNDEE
ReplyDeleteThe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo sounds delicious and I can imagine the pairing with the peppers being delicious!
ReplyDeleteLooks delicious! I had a chance to visit Abruzzo wineries a few years ago and was impressed with the range of quality Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. When I can I try to grab one a bit higher than the entry level prices, those can be some very good wines.
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