The Comune of Montepulciano has a population of 15,000,
of which a third reside in the main town, and has a surface
area of 165 sq. km. It is the largest Comune in the Valdichiana
Senese, and is situated on a hill at 605 m above sea level,
giving a stupendous view of the valleys and hills around.
The delightful landscape is enhanced by olive groves and
vineyards as well as natural features such as the chalky
hills and cypresses which delineate the vertical contours
of the landscape. From the Renaissance Municipal Palace
one can see Mounts Sibillini and Cimone, and on an exceptionally
clear day, the Gran Sasso d'Abruzzo. From Montepulciano
it is easy to reach the Orcia Valley (Pienza, San Quirico,
Bagno Vignoni), Mount Amiata, Umbria (Perugia, Assisi,
Lake Trasimeno) and Latium.
The History of
the Vino Nobile .
The origins of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano are
ancient and inextricably linked with the history of the
town - the fact that wineries are perfectly integrated
into the fabric of the historic centre is proof of this.
A rich cache of documents
and articles relating to the flourishing history of
the town are kept in the Politian Archives and show
that as far back as 1350, terms and conditions governing
trade and the exportation of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
had already been established. In the second half of
of the sixteenth century, Pope Paul III extolled the
exceptional qualities of the wine. In his poem "Bacchus
in Tuscany", Francesco Redi defined it as the "kingdom
of all wines", and in the second half of the eighteenth
century the Montepulciano wine was accorded the description
of "noble", an obvious sign of the high qualitative
standards employed in its production. The reputation
of this wine has spread abroad, being mentioned by Voltaire
in his celebrated "Candide", while overseas
admirers have included US Presidents Martin Van Buren
and Thomas Jefferson.
The Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Wine Trail
The Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Wine Trail
Association was set up on the 8 April 1988 with the
objective of promoting and safeguarding the image of
the Montepulciano area, considering its wine-growing
eminence and outstanding cultural and historical heritage.
This Trail seeks to promote this rich heritage as well
as its natural features and enological and gastronomic
traditions.
The culture-vulture traveller can thus explore churches,
monuments, villages, spas and tourist facilities of
the highest order. The Wine Trail Visitors' Centre is
to be found at the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo,
a building of enormous architectural and historical
interest situated in the magnificent setting of Piazza
Grande onto which the Town Hall, the Cathedral and other
Renaissance buildings face. The Visitors' Centre is
easy to reach and very accessible, and is the lynchpin
of the Trail providing all relevant information for
the enjoyment of the Trail.
There are four "enotouristic" itineraries:
(a) Historic Centre; (b) Cervignano; (c) Gracciano;
and (d) Valiano. Abundant signposts help the visitor
to find the components making up the trail. Most of
these are wineries but we also find farm/guesthouses,
restaurants, wine cellars and producers of traditional
goods.
Wine tasting in Tuscany:
We offer a wine tours along road wines of Tuscany.
You can accomodate in the best charming structures of the Tuscany country-side and tasting the best wine of Tuscany.
For more information about wine tours in Tuscany:
Typical Tuscan Products Tasting : Wine tasting
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