Montepulciano: Day Trip to a Tuscan Wine Town and Finding My Italian Cooking Roots

I remember my first time in Montepulciano like it was yesterday. It was a cool, crisp October afternoon during the Fall of 2002.

I was doing the obligatory semester abroad in Rome, and had asked my international business law professor for recommendations on on Tuscan vineyards to visit that weekend. Since I was pretty sure he was drunk while teaching more days than not, I figured he would be a fairly reliable source.

Without hesitation, he said that Montepulciano would fit all of my requests - small, beautiful, and possessing one of the country's greatest dry red wines. As an added bonus, it was perched atop a beautiful hill looking out over the Tuscan country side. It's old city center, complete with cobblestone streets and picturesque stone walls looked truly stunning when I Googled it after class. After some quick research, I saw that Montepulciano was just a few hours by train and bus from Roma Termini, and was therefore a perfect day trip. I was sold, and quickly rounded up my roommates for an early morning train ride from Rome's central station to the train station in Chiusi, (Chiusi/Chianciano Terme) another sleepy little Tuscan town.

Ribolita makes 8 servings (This soup freezes very well. Simply thin with a little red wine and serve it again.) Ingredients 4 tbsp olive oil 8 slices of center cut bacon, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped 6 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced 4 stalks of celery, sliced thinly 4 c (about 1/2 a head) of cabbage (green or red, I use red) 2 28 ounce cans of San Marzano tomatoes with liquid 2 15 ounce cans of cannellini beans, drained 1/4 c red wine 3 cups chicken broth (keep an extra cup on hand to thin as necessary) 1 Parmesan cheese rind 1 1/2 tbsp herbs de provence 1 bay leaf 2 1/2 tsp italian herb salt* 1 1/2 tsp truffle salt** 1 1/2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper 1 loaf of Italian bread, slightly crusty 8 slices of provolone cheese olive oil, black pepper and Parmesan cheese for drizzling Directions heat olive oil in a deep dutch oven or soup pan over medium heat add bacon and cook until crispy add onions, garlic, celery and carrots, sautee until onions and garlic are translucent reduce heat to medium low add cabbage, tomatoes, broth, wine, and beans and bring to a simmer add seasonings and Parmesan cheese rind, simmer for 2-3 hours preheat oven to 350 ladle soup into oven safe bowls, leaving at least 2 inches at the top drizzle soup with a little olive oil thinly slice Italian bread to fit inside bowls top bowls with Italian bread and provolone cheese bake for 15 minutes until cheese is melted top with Parmesan cheese and black pepper * make your own with 1/4 c coarse sea salt, 1 tsp each of basil, oregano, rosemary, celery seed and sage ** can be omitted <serve>

From the train station, we hopped on the LFI bus, which comes hourly, for a scenic ride to Montepulciano. Thirty or forty-five minutes later, as the bus pulled to a stop, we arrived at the base of Montepulciano, outside of the stone walls marking the foot of this stunning hilltop town. We quickly began the steep climb up the cobblestoned streets and past a myriad of terra cotta roofed houses and shops to the main plaza, Piazza Grande, in Montepulciano. Once we arrived, we glanced around quickly at the buildings facing into the square, all in stunning earthy tones of reds, browns and grays that looked warm and inviting under the rising morning sun. We excitedly snapped a few pictures before pulling out our well worn copies of Let's Go to begin navigating the steep and winding streets.

We were in search of vineyards selling the robust, delicious (and pricey!) Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Vino Nobile is a deep, earthy red wine known for its dry taste, and has achieved DOCG status, meaning that it's pretty heavily regulated as to content and production. Vino Nobile is made primarily of Sangiovese grapes, and is aged in oak barrels for two years, three if it is Riserva. It might be tempting to confuse this wine with the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, but don't! That wine is made from another red grape, the Montepulciano which is from the Abruzzo region of Italy. Confusing, huh? I thought so too. It makes more sense after you've had a few bottles of wine.

Anyway, not wanting to delay our encounter with the lovely Tuscan vineyards and their tasty product, we set off from the main square. It didn't take long for us to find our prize. We quickly found Contucci Vineyards and got ready for a tour, which requires advanced booking (although tastings do not). The highlight of the tour was the winding stone staircase, leading down to the cool stone basement where the wine was stored. Gigantic oak barrels filled the room, one after another holding the earthy reds produced from the Sangiovese grape, as well as some white wines that were less exciting to me.

After a tour and a tasting, I knew I could not leave without a (few) bottles. I selected a 1997 Vino Nobile Riserva, and a 2001 Vino Nobile, as well as two bottles of Rosso di Montepulciano, a less expensive wine produced with the same Sangiovese grapes. If you are in the market for "investment" wines, 1997 is considered one of the best years for this grape, thanks to good old Mother Nature setting the perfect climate stage for this grape to mature into one tasty bottle of wine. Shopping on a budget? Try the Rosso de Montepulciano, or any other one of the numerous red Sangiovese table wines. You won't be disappointed. My friends similarly indulged, also buying bottles of extra virgin, first cold press olive oil, and some bottles of white wine.

After leaving, we wandered throughout the the town, seeking out other small vineyards marked simply with a wooden sign saying "vino," sometimes accompanied by a small drawing of the vineyard's label. After getting our fill of of wines, we walked (stumbled) over to one of the low stone ledges marking the edge of the town, and gazed out onto the rolling hills marked with evergreen colored trees, deep red dirt and terra cotta roofs, glowing in shades of gold under the afternoon sun. All of the stores seemed to be closing down for lunch, so we started looking for a cafe that would allow us to have a typical Tuscan lunch. Halfway down one of the main cobblestone streets, we were rewarded with a little vineria that sold sandwiches, soups, pasta and charcuterie plates. We all quickly ordered our red wines, and each selected our lunches.

There are few meals I remember as clearly, or fondly, as this lunch. I had never had ribolita, although I have made it many times since that day in Montepulciano. Ribolita means "reboiled," and it is kind of one of those "kitchen sink" soups. Scraps from vegetables combine with red wine, stock, tomatoes and beans that are simmered slowly, all day. At the last minute, the soup is topped with a crusty Italian bread and a slice of cheese, and then literally "reboiled" in the oven. This soup was pure heaven, and was the perfect meal for that cool autumn day while we sat around, resting our feet before beginning to explore again.

After lunch, we wandered the streets of Montepulciano, visiting the many 14th and 15th century palaces, squares and churches. As the sun began to wind its way down below the Tuscan hills, we stopped in some of the leather making shops to sample another one of the famous Tuscan exports. After watching some crafters demonstrate their leather making skills, we continued our way down the cobblestone street, and out on to the main road encircling the town to board the bus. Thirty minutes later, we were back in Chiusi and waiting for our train back to Rome, still talking about that amazing wine and delicious soup.

I have travelled back to Italy many times since then, and have rarely failed to visit Montepulciano. Now, however, I stay for a few days - driving to other surrounding towns (Montalcino being my other favorite - for wine and sight seeing), lazily reading underneath the warming sun, or simply spending a day touring vineyards and tasting the wines that they produce. And, of course, I never pass up a chance to eat another bowl of ribolita.

There are few countries in this world that have inspired my cooking as much as Italy. It is where I learned to cook, at the age of 18, in my cousin's kitchen in Connegliano. It is where I returned during college, and perfected my kitchen skills by shopping farmers markets in Rome and creating traditional Italian dishes. And the first time I ever made this soup, it solidified both my love of smelling olive oil and garlic in a pan, and for the rustic warmth that Italian food signifies. So on cool falls days when I wake up wishing I was in a small pension, looking out on the rolling hills of Montepulciano, I make this soup. I hope you enjoy it. And most of all, I hope that some day, you get to enjoy it in Montepulciano. 

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Heather Rascona is Galavanting's food editor. She is lives in Virginia with her husband Nick and adorable dog Roxie. She works as an attorney for Legal Services of Northern Virginia.

Heather has lived abroad with her Italian family and learned to make wine and other delicious things.

She also keeps a cooking blog called Diary of a Fanatic Foodie.