Montepulciano

Montepulciano is the signature red grape of Abruzzo, in central-eastern Italy (not to be confused with the Tuscan town of Montepulciano, where Vino Nobile is made from Sangiovese). It produces wines of deep color, medium to full body, juicy dark fruit, and firm but rounded tannins. It's a late-ripening grape that needs warm, sunny climates to show its best, a condition that western Argentina meets well. It arrived with Italian immigration and is grown on a small scale in Mendoza and San Juan. It's a red with an approachable, food-friendly profile, made for the table rather than long-term cellaring.