Montepulciano is an Italian variety, one of the most widely grown red grapes in central Italy. California's bearing acreage has been shrinking, from 95 acres five years ago to 53 in 2025, scattered across 18 counties led by Riverside, Yolo, and Amador. It produces soft, deeply colored wine with moderate tannin. In California it has never been more than a minor, dispersed planting, grown by a small number of producers for varietal or blended reds.
What kind of grape this is
- Species
- VITIS VINIFERA LINNÉ SUBSP. SATIVA (DE CANDOLLE) HEGI
- Berry color
- NOIR
- Country of origin
- ITALY
- Synonyms
- 26
- Approved on a US label
- Montepulciano
- FPS selections
- 4
names this grape is known by elsewhere, per VIVC
the names TTB permits on a bottle
distinct clones and selections held at UC Davis
Registries
What is published
Counts describe what this atlas holds for Montepulciano, not what California grows. A zero is a published answer: it means the source names the grape and reports nothing under it, or does not name it at all.
- 257
county-years of acreage
18 counties, 53 bearing acres in 2025
- 269
district-years of crush
16 of 17 crush districts, 26 crop years
- 269
district-years of Brix
tonnage-weighted at the crusher, Crush Report Table 3
- 2
producers in this atlas
producers whose curated wine list names it — a curated roster of 2,772 producers, not a census of California
- —
regions with a maturity date
not one of the eight cultivars with a
Acreage in California
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Counties and concentration
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Where it is planted
Reported by county — never by AVA
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Share of each county's vineyard
Reported by county — never by AVA
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The counties
Reported by county — never by AVA
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Tonnage and price by district
Reported by crush district — never by county or AVA
All 16 districts on one axis →
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Brix at the crusher
Reported by crush district — never by county or AVA
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