Are you really gonna spend your whole Italy trip in big cities? Nah, go to Montepulciano instead! It’s a beautiful hill town in Tuscany that produces legendary wine. It’s also the perfect home base for exploring all the great food and scenery in Tuscany. Here are 9 reasons to add Montepulciano to your next trip to Italy.
Montepulciano’s Wine
Let’s start at the top: Tuscany is world renowned for its wine, and Montepulciano makes some of the very best! The signature wine here is Vino Nobile de Montepulciano, a full bodied red wine with strong fruit flavors and a gentle oaky finish. If you like wine, trust me that it’s worth the trip to Montepulciano just for this stuff. The area produces a few other wines too, like the more simple Rosso di Montepulciano.
Tasting this fabulous wine is pretty easy. You’ll find outposts for many of the wineries in the area, as well a good selection of wine shops and wine bars. My favorite place to drink wine was Enoliteca Consorzio Vino Nobile, a self-serve wine bar inside the old medieval fortress at the top of town. You can sip wine while soaking in the views from the terrace or stay inside and look through the glass floor to see ancient Etruscan ruins. It’s cool!
Another great place to go is Contucci Cantine, a winery tasting room right on the Piazza Grande.
Medieval and Renaissance Architecture
Speaking of castles, the architecture of Montepulciano is really beautiful. Cobblestone lanes wind up and down the hills, following the medieval street plan. Grand Renaissance-era palaces project the power of wealthy merchants from the past.
The best way to enjoy Montepulciano’s architecture is a stroll up the main drag, Via di Gracciano nel Corso. (OK, technically it has different names so just call it “il Corso.”) You’ll start at Porta al Prato, the stout gate built to keep the medieval town safe from intruders. Walking uphill, you’ll pass Renaissance palazzos and fragments of Roman buildings. Soon you reach a clocktower topped with a figure called Pulcinella on top of it. Why is this odd masked character from traditional Italian theater up there? No one’s exactly sure.
There’s a great self-guided walking tour in Rick Steves’ Italy guidebook.
Cheese and Salumi
The perfect complement to a glass of vino nobile is a spread of local cheeses and cured meats (salumi). You might be tempted to call this a charcuterie board, but in Tuscany it’s called a tagliere.
Tuscany produces its own local versions of salami, prosciutto, and more. And the area is famous for sheep’s cheese (pecorino), especially the cheese produced in nearby Pienza. I’m no expert in these Tuscan delicacies, but VisitTuscany.com has you covered if you want a rundown of all the meats and cheeses to look for.
You can sample these treats at one of the many wine bars or shops along il Corso. A tagliere also makes a great appetizer before dinner. If you really want to slow down and do things Italian-style, make it an aperitivo: a drink and snack in the early evening.
Historic Churches
One thing about me is I love visiting old churches. Montepulciano’s churches may not have the “wow” factor of the ones in Florence, but they are beautiful and much less crowded.
The most famous church is Templo di San Biagio, located a just outside of town. It’s a Renaissance-era church with a unique Greek cross shape (looks like a +). Disclaimer: I did not go inside this church, but it does look picture-perfect from the outside.
I loved visiting Chiesa del Gesu, a Baroque church near the top end of il Corso. Behind a rough, unfinished facade is an elegant space with fine painting. It was painted by Andrea Pozzo, a master of optical illusions known as trompe l’oeil. Many of the architectural details are painted on to the flat walls of the church!
Amazing Panoramic Views
Montepulciano’s hilltop location gives you gorgeous views of the surrounding Tuscan countryside. Rolling hills, orderly vineyards, tall pine trees, and stone houses make for a perfectly pastoral scene. Views like these invite you to linger around sunset as you sip a glass of wine.
There are many viewpoints, but my favorites were Piazza di San Francesco, Vicolo dei Cacciatori, and the terrace of Enoliteca Consorzio Vino Nobile.
Montepulciano’s Restaurants
Dinner time is always a highlight when you’re in Tuscany, and Montepulciano has a great restaurant scene. I found the Google reviews to be pretty accurate. So instead of recommending specific restaurants, here are a few things to look for on the menus.
In Tuscany, Chianina beef is king. If you like steak even a little bit, it’s a must-try. The most famous cut is the bistecca alla fiorentina, a massive T-bone steak. I really enjoyed the tagliata, a sliced steak with olive oil and simple seasoning.
Another must-try is hearty Tuscan pasta. There are many varieties, but the hand-rolled pici and the ribbon-like tagliatelle both are very traditional. Or go crazy and get some tortelli stuffed with potato and covered in black truffle sauce. Do I need to elaborate here?
One big major: if you want to eat at one of the good restaurants, make a reservation in advance. Sometimes a day in advance is sufficient, but it’s worth booking a couple weeks before for in-demand restaurants.
The Piazza Grande
The Piazza Grande is Montepulciano’s main square. It’s a Renaissance-era creation with harmonious proportions. Surrounding Piazza Grande are the town hall, the cathedral, and the aforementioned Contucci Cantine (housed in a nobleman’s palazzo).
The Piazza Grande is frequently the site of concerts or other entertainment. When I visited there was a sort of re-enactment of Montepulciano’s famous barrel race. I think they were filming it as a promotion maybe? In any case, it’s always worth strolling through Piazza Grande to see what’s going on.
If you happen to be a fan of the movie Twilight: New Moon, you’ll also be excited to learn that the Piazza Grande was the filming location for an iconic scene with Edward and Bella.
Wine Cellars
Montepulciano’s winemakers age their famous vino nobile to perfection in huge oak casks stored in underground wine cellars. And you can visit them! Not only is it an excuse to drink more wine, but you’ll also learn about the process that makes the wine special. The cellars themselves are fascinating, a huge network of tunnels dug beneath the city hundreds of years ago.
If you want a proper guided tour, it’s best to make a reservation in advance. Many of the wine cellars are happy to let you self-guide through their cellars also. A notable exception is De Ricci Cantine Storiche. They have probably the coolest looking cellars, but you need to make a reservation to see them. I missed out on a reservation there, but I enjoyed the cellars at Talosa and Contucci nearby.
Tuscan Side Trips
Montepulciano is a perfect home base for exploring. Montepulciano sits in a region known as Val d’Orcia that’s dotted with villages, ruins, and lots of vineyards. It’s actually a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site. Besides the scenery itself, here are a few highlights to visit:
Bagno Vignoni
Bagno Vignoni is a tiny town with a fascinating hot spring. With origins in the Etruscan times, the spring became sort of a holiday resort during the Middle Ages. Follow the path from the rectangular main pool where hot water bubbles up to where the spring water flows over rocky cliffs.
Montalcino
The town of Montalcino has less sightseeing than Montepulciano, but they produce their own world-famous wine. Brunello di Montalcino is a bold red wine made from Sangiovese grapes with flavors of dark fruit, vanilla, and spices. It’s well aged and heavier than vino nobile. Demand for brunello is high, so it can be pricey, but you’d be crazy not to try it if you’re in the area.
Pienza
The hill town of Pienza is famous for its Renaissance architecture. Back in the 1400’s, Pope Pius II decided to carry out a massive renovation of his home town. He commissioned architects to create a perfectly symmetrical town square, built a brand new cathedral, and even re-named the town after himself. (It used to be called Corsignano).
Besides the cool architecture, Pienza is also famous for pecorino cheese. Make sure to visit a shop and at least take in the aroma.
Tips for Visiting Montepulciano
- When to go – Fall or early spring are ideal (Mar/Apr or Sept/Oct). Summer is hot and crowded. Winter brings smaller crowds but some chilly weather.
- How to get there – The best way to get to Montepulciano is to rent a car in Florence and drive. Having a car is helpful for side trips, and you can easily park it outside town. Taking a bus is also possible, but it will slow you down a lot.
- How long to stay – Plan to stay at least a couple nights, but I’d say something like 5 days would be better. You could combine it with a few days in Florence to round out a week.
- How to visit the wineries – If you want to visit the actual vineyards and do tastings there, you should make advance reservations. Personally, I found that visiting the wine cellars and wine bars in town was enough. But enthusiasts could fill days and days with all the options in Val d’Orcia.
