cultural heritageil bel paese
By: Amy Chambers, Founder of Scappare Travel Club
There are plenty of places to taste wine in Montepulciano. But there is only one where you can walk around with a glass of Vino Nobile in your hand while looking straight down through a glass floor at archaeological ruins beneath your feet and then walk ten steps and stand in front of the most gorgeous view of the Val d’Orcia you’ve ever seen – with San Biagio church beneath you to boot.
Welcome to the Fortezza di Montepulciano and the Enoliteca Consortile.
This is one of our favorite places in Montepulciano, and one that a surprising number of visitors never find. We think you should go there.
Most people make their way up the steep streets of Montepulciano, reach Piazza Grande and understandably think they have made it to the top – it can be a hike up there depending on where you started. But keep going.
If you continue up Via di S. Donato which leads out from the piazza immediately from the left of the Palazzo Comunale (if you are looking straight at it) and pass its lovely shops you will make your way slowly and easily up to a beautiful tree-lined path leads toward the Fortezza di Montepulciano, sitting at the highest point of town. The Fortezza itself has centuries of history behind it, but tucked inside is something very modern and very cool: the Enoliteca Consortile, the official wine tasting space of the Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
And if you love wine, history, beautiful views, or just finding the places that aren’t necessarily on everyone’s list, it is worth the extra few minutes of walking.
First, the Fortezza di Montepulciano
The Fortezza sits at the highest point of Montepulciano’s historic center and has been part of the town for centuries. More recently, it underwent a major restoration project involving the Comune di Montepulciano and the Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Today, the Fortezza is also home to the Consorzio’s headquarters and its Enoliteca.
But you don’t need to know any of that before you go.
One of the things we love most is simply getting there.
Walk past Piazza Grande and keep heading up. You’ll eventually find a tree-lined path leading toward the Fortezza that feels completely different from the busy streets below. It’s quiet, green and beautiful, and if you didn’t already know there was something waiting for you at the end, you might not think to wander up there at all.
That’s part of what makes it so good.
Wine tasting at the Enoliteca Consortile in Montepulciano
Then you walk into the Enoliteca. The Enoliteca Consortile isn’t really a traditional wine bar, and it isn’t a winery either.
It’s run by the Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and gives visitors the opportunity to taste wines from every single member producer all in one place. There are more than 100 labels represented, and you can taste different wines using a rechargeable card and the Enomatic style wine dispensers inside. You can choose a smaller assaggio, or taste, or pour yourself a calice, a glass.
This is a great way to start understanding Vino Nobile because you’re not limited to the wines from one particular winery. You can try different producers and styles and begin to figure out what you like.
And don’t worry if you’ve never used a wine dispenser before or don’t know anything about Vino Nobile. That’s part of the fun.
Self-serve wine tasting in Montepulciano: how it works
You don’t need to know anything about wine
And please don’t think you need to know anything about wine to come here. You don’t need to know the difference between vintages, understand tasting notes, or have any idea what you’re supposed to be looking for in a Vino Nobile. That’s actually part of what makes the Enoliteca so much fun. Start with a small taste, try something different, and figure out what you like as you go. The staff are incredibly kind and welcoming and will happily explain the wines, show you how the tasting machines work, and help you choose something to try. Ask questions. Taste. Learn a little. Or don’t learn anything at all and just find a wine you like and take your glass outside to the terrace.
Now look down
The glass floor over Etruscan ruins beneath the Fortezza This is one of the most unique parts of tasting wine here.
There is a profound sense of history in this particular tasting. It is a very special thing about drinking wine here – you are standing right on top of the past.
The Enoliteca was built over Etruscan remains beneath the Fortezza, and much of the tasting room has a glass floor.
So while you’re walking around choosing your wine, you can literally look between your feet and see the ruins below you. And they don’t sit right underneath the glass. You can see down into the layers below ground.
It is spectacular.
There’s something wonderfully historic about standing inside a sleek, modern wine tasting room, drinking a wine that has been made in this area for centuries, while looking down at evidence of the people who were here long before any of us. It gives us a sense of humanity and belonging, and a deep attachment to and respect for those who were here before.
My old Montepulciano homework spot
Studying Italian in Montepulciano: the Enoliteca as homework spot The Enoliteca is special to us for another reason.
Years ago, when I was studying Italian at Il Sasso language school in Montepulciano, this became one of my favorite places to do my compiti, my Italian homework.
I’d bring my books up to the Fortezza, get a light glass of white wine or rosé, find a spot outside on the terrace and do my homework overlooking the Tuscan countryside.
There are worse places to conjugate Italian verbs.
I studied at Il Sasso many times over several years, so this became part of my regular life in Montepulciano rather than somewhere I visited once and checked off a list.
These days, we bring Scappare Travel Club guests and friends here instead. But it’s still one of those places we go back to again and again.
And if Sabina or Aisha are there, say ciao
One of the things that makes the Enoliteca so easy and comfortable is the people who work there.
We have gotten to know the wonderful women who work inside over the years. If Sabina or Aisha are there when you visit, say ciao.
They speak excellent English and are wonderful about explaining how everything works, helping you navigate the machines and talking you through the wines if you want some guidance. They have all of the knowledge of a somm and none of the pretentiousness.
If you’re learning Italian, even better. Try your Italian with them.
And if things aren’t too busy, ask about getting a tagliere to go with your wine. A tagliere is a board of salumi, cheeses and other little bites that is exactly what you want sitting in front of you while you’re drinking wine on a terrace in Tuscany.
This isn’t a formal wine tasting where you need to know what you’re doing. Come in, ask questions, taste something new and stay awhile.
FAQ
What is the Enoliteca Consortile in Montepulciano?
The Enoliteca Consortile is the official wine tasting space of the Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, located inside the Fortezza di Montepulciano at the highest point of the historic center. It is run by the Consorzio and lets visitors taste wines from more than 100 Vino Nobile producers all in one place, using rechargeable cards and Enomatic style wine dispensers.
Where can you taste Vino Nobile in Montepulciano?
One of the best places to taste Vino Nobile in Montepulciano is the Enoliteca Consortile inside the Fortezza di Montepulciano. Because it represents every member producer of the Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, you can try wines from many different wineries in a single visit rather than at one particular cellar, making it a great introduction before deciding which producers to visit.
How do the wine dispensers at the Enoliteca work?
The Enoliteca uses Enomatic style self-serve wine dispensers. You load a rechargeable card, then choose between an assaggio (a small taste) or a calice (a full glass) from any of the 100+ Vino Nobile labels on display. The staff are happy to explain how the machines work and help you choose, so you do not need to know anything about wine
beforehand.
What can you see beneath the glass floor at the Enoliteca? The Enoliteca was built over Etruscan remains beneath the Fortezza di Montepulciano, and much of the tasting room has a glass floor. As you walk around with your wine, you can look down through the glass and see the ruins below, giving the tasting a deep sense of history that you will not find at an ordinary wine bar.
What is Vino Nobile di Montepulciano?
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a historic Tuscan red wine made with a minimum of 70 percent Sangiovese (known locally as Prugnolo Gentile), grown in vineyards between 250 and 600 meters above sea level within the municipality of Montepulciano. It received DOC recognition in 1966 and in 1980 became the first Italian wine to earn the DOCG seal, Italy’s highest classification. It is not the same as Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, which is a different wine from a different region.
Where is the Fortezza di Montepulciano and how do you get there? The Fortezza di Montepulciano is at Via San Donato 21, just beyond Piazza Grande at the top of the historic center. From Piazza Grande, take Via di San Donato (to the left of the Palazzo Comunale as you face it) and continue uphill along a shaded, tree-lined path that leads to the Fortezza. It is a short walk but worth allowing extra time for the climb.
Is the Fortezza di Montepulciano good for families?
Yes. Right beside the Fortezza there is a community park with trees, shade, places to sit, and a playground with swings for kids. It is a lovely local space and particularly useful for families who need somewhere to rest after walking uphill through Montepulciano.
Is wine tasting in Montepulciano worth it?
Wine tasting in Montepulciano is one of the main reasons people come to the town, and the Enoliteca Consortile inside the Fortezza is one of the easiest places to start. Instead of committing to a single cellar, you can taste across more than 100 Vino Nobile producers in one room, take your glass out to the terrace over the Val d’Orcia, and use what you learn to decide which wineries around Montepulciano you want to visit next.
What are the best things to do in Montepulciano, Italy? Most visitors to Montepulciano, Italy walk up through the centro storico to Piazza Grande, visit the historic cellars, and see the church of San Biagio below the walls. Our favorite addition is to keep walking uphill past Piazza Grande along Via San Donato to the Fortezza di Montepulciano, where you will find the Enoliteca Consortile for a Vino Nobile tasting, a glass floor over archaeological ruins, a community park with a playground, and a terrace with views across the Val d’Orcia.
What are the opening hours for the Enoliteca Consortile? Opening days and hours for the Enoliteca Consortile can change, so we recommend checking directly with the Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano before your visit for the most current tasting information and schedule.
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