Above: Alfonso’s video camera captured winemaker Stefano Illuminati (of the Dino Illuminati winery, Abruzzo) speaking “Montepulciano” at Vinitaly a few weeks ago.
If Merlot (mehr-LOH) is the easiest European grape name for Anglophone consumers to pronounce (and is consequently America’s favorite variety), then Montepulciano (MOH-te-pool-CHEE’AH-noh) is the most confusing and one of the most challenging.
The last time you were on a date and you wanted to impress your dinner companion, did you impress him/her by ordering the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (VEE-noh NOH-bee-leh dee MOHN-teh-pool-CHEE’AH-noh)? Or perhaps you eloquently illustrated how Montepulciano is at once a place name (the name of a township in Tuscany where Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is produced) and a grape name (the name of a variety grown and vinified primarily in Abruzzo but also elsewhere in Central Italy)?
I know that you didn’t order the Merlot!
Above: Dino Illuminati, Stefano’s father and the winery’s namesake, is one of the wonderful avuncular characters of the Italian wine world — larger than life and always bursting with life and energy. His 1998 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo blew me away when I tasted it a few months ago in Chicago (photo by Alfonso, Verona, April 2011).
The bivalence of the topo- and ampelonym Montepulciano often leads complacent wine directors to include bottlings of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo in their “Tuscany” and “Sangiovese” sections. This oversight often tragically eclipses the many wonderful expressions of Montepulciano that come from Abruzzo (anyone who has ever tasted the 1979 Montepulciano by Emidio Pepe knows just how incredible these wines can be!).
Do Bianchi isn’t exactly the blogosphere’s leading resource for dating advice. But, then again, Tracie P probably wouldn’t have given me the time of day if I didn’t know the difference between my Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and my Vino Nobile di Montepulciano!
The Italian Grape Name and Appellation Pronunciation Project got a greatly appreciated shoutout from Eric the Red last week on the Times dining blog. Thanks again, Eric! Remember: friends don’t let friends pronounce Italian grape names and appellations incorrectly! ;-)
Do Bianchi 
It’s a pretty solid, sometimes age worthy wine, but the majority of it is unspectacular…Illuminati, Valentini, Emidio Pepe, Quattro Mani, Villa Medoro, are my fave producers. Plus some of the Rosso Conero iterations too.
too funny…
So if Stefano goes through the trouble of pronouncing it for you like ten times, why do still not get it right? There’s no chee in there. The best way to transcribe the pronunciation for Americans would be
monte-pull-chahno.
with te as in telephone
and cha as in Charles.
Please correct the video’s subtitle, otherwise you’re missing the whole point of your own post!
Hanz, I’m sorry to tell you, your transliteration is way off.
pull, for example, is pronounced in an entirely different manner by native English speakers.
I developed my system of transliteration when I was an instructor of Italian at U.C.L.A. It’s based on a number of authoritative systems that I adapted for my blog.
And btw, the whole point is to hear the speaker enunciate the grape name.
Thanks for being here in any case.