Beneath the streets and palaces of Montepulciano, carved into the volcanic tuff on which the town stands, lie some of the most impressive wine cellars in Tuscany. The major producers — Contucci, Avignonesi, Poliziano, and others — have cellars in and around the main square and the streets descending from it. Most offer tastings and many are open without appointment.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is one of Italy's oldest DOCG wines, made primarily from Prugnolo Gentile, and the cellars here allow you to taste vintages at different stages of aging. The Cantina del Redi beneath Palazzo Ricci is one of the largest and most atmospheric, its vaults extending for several hundred metres under the town. Even if wine is not your primary interest, the underground architecture is worth seeing.