Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, authentic symbol of Montepulciano, today is one of the most prestigious wines in the world. The production is eight million bottles and 90 wineries whose bottling, guarantees its prestige, also recognized by the numerous awards it has received over the years. The first appellation (that as being recognized as a D.O.C.) dates back to the 12th July, 1966; then, with the 1980 vintage, Vino Nobile obtained there cognition of D.O.C.G. and it was the first wine to be marketed with this label, that is considered the maximum classification provided by Italian law. But why is it Noble the “Vino Nobile”? There are those that date its nobility back to the XVIII century, when with term noble meant a wine of superior quality, adapted to the aristocracy that could afford to pay a higher price. But there is those that said the term comes from the fact that many nobles in the area produced it. Today, as yesterday, it is the Sangiovese vine variety (known locally as the Prugnolo Gentile) that gives the wine its soul, a wine that, after two years aging in barrels, achieves the unmistakable taste, with a strong territorial identity. There are two other important D.O.C. next to Vino Nobile: Rosso di Montepulciano D.O.C. and Vin Santo di Montepulciano D.O.C. To safeguard and promote the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, there is a Consortium of producers that promote not only the wine, but also the territory itself. www.consorziovinonobile.it