The Montepulciano grapes come from the rugged, hilly Abruzzo region in central Italy, known for the production of rich, robust reds made from the local Montepulciano grape. The Appenines tower over the region, which has vineyards stretching from the mountain slopes down to the Adriatic sea. The grapes for Canaletto Montepulciano are grown in selected vineyards in the Casabordino and Pescara areas, which have quite distinct microclimates and soils. We believe that it is the combination of grapes grown in these two different areas that gives our Montepulciano its unique character. All the vineyards are on hillside slopes of around 300-400 metres above sea level. Despite its southerly location, the Abruzzo has cold winters with abundant rainfall. Summers are hot with a good differentiation of temperature between day and night. During the final stages of ripening, these conditions help to develop the spicy, cherry fruit flavours, characteristic of Montepulciano.