📍 Molise
A small mountainous region of Italy: 5,432 ha of vines, DOC Molise built on Montepulciano and DOC Tintilia del Molise.
Molise is a small mountainous region of Italy covering 4,438 km², where mountains make up 55 % and the rest is hills. It has 5,432 ha of vines (2025). The regional DOC «Molise» has existed since 1998 and rests on Montepulciano, while the region's emblem is DOC Tintilia del Molise (2011), made from the local Tintilia grape at no less than 95 %.
The relief is long ridges, deep valleys and in places landslides and clay badlands; the Matese and Mainarde massifs rise in the west, and the Trigno, Biferno and Fortore rivers flow through. The average annual temperature is 13.5–14.8 °C, rainfall 697–1,067 mm, with about 60 % in autumn and winter. The region has two provinces: Campobasso and Isernia.
For DOC «Molise», red wine contains at least 85 % Montepulciano; 16 varieties are allowed. DOC Biferno (1983) combines Montepulciano at 70–80 % with Aglianico at 10–20 %, while Pentro di Isernia pairs Montepulciano at 75–80 % with Tintilia at 20–25 %. Tintilia del Molise was recognised on 01.06.2011: at least 95 % of the variety, vineyards only from 200 m up, and yields up to 8 t/ha. The specification mentions a gold medal at the Paris exhibition of 1900 for a wine of the Janigro house. Osco and Rotae are IGTs covering whole provinces, Campobasso and Isernia, and not separate DOC zones.
Why it matters to you. Molise's main red is Montepulciano, and you find Tintilia by the words Tintilia del Molise on the label. Molise has its own DOCs and is not just «Abruzzo wines».
Facts
| Country | Italy |
|---|---|
| Region | 4,438 km², mountains 55.3 % |
| Registered | DOC Molise: DM 18.05.1998, EU from 19.02.1999 |
| Cultivars | Montepulciano, Tintilia, Aglianico, Trebbiano |
| Main use | 5,432 ha of vines (2025) |
How it connects to Wine
📍 Molise ← grows in ← 🍇 Aglianico → kind of → 🍇 Grape varieties → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🗺️ Italian wine
- Related to
- 📜 Biferno, 📜 Osco / Terre degli Osci, 📜 Pentro di Isernia / Pentro, 📜 Rotae, 📜 Tintilia del Molise, 🍷 Still wine, 🍷 Sparkling wine
- Grapes
- 🍇 Tintilia, 🍇 Montepulciano, 🍇 Aglianico
- Main grapes
- 🍇 Montepulciano
- Wines
- 🍷 Red wine, 🍷 White wine, 🍷 Rosé
- What grows here
- 📜 Molise (olive oil)
Frequently asked questions
Where is Molise?
It is a mountainous region of Italy of 4,438 km² with two provinces, Campobasso and Isernia.
What grape is Molise Rosso made from?
At least 85 % Montepulciano; the rest may be other permitted varieties.
What does DOC Tintilia del Molise require?
At least 95 % Tintilia, vineyards at 200 m or higher above sea level, and yields up to 8 t/ha.
Is it true that Tintilia is a young fashionable grape?
No. The specification mentions traces of the variety from the end of the XVIII century, a manuscript of 1810 and a medal at Paris in 1900.
Is it true that Molise is part of Abruzzo in wine terms?
No. The region has its own DOCs — Molise, Biferno, Pentro di Isernia, Tintilia del Molise — and its own IGTs.
What to read next
- 📜 Osco / Terre degli Osci — A regional wine of Molise, named after the ancient Oscan people.
- 🍷 White wine — Wine made from grape juice without the skins; it can come from pale and even dark berries.
- 🍷 Still wine — Wine without noticeable bubbles: EU category 1, at least 8.5–9 % actual alcohol and no more than 15 % total; red, white, rosé or orange.
- 📜 Pentro di Isernia / Pentro — An appellation around the town of Isernia in Molise.
- 📜 Tintilia del Molise — Red wine from the local Tintilia grape, a symbol of the small region of Molise.
Similar
📜 Trevenezie · 📜 Alto Livenza · 📜 Valdadige · 📜 Delle Venezie · 📍 Basilicata · 📜 Valdadige Terradeiforti
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.
What it includes
Sources
- MASAF — дисциплінари DOC «Molise», Biferno, Pentro di Isernia, Tintilia del Molise; IGT Osco, Rotae
- eAmbrosia — реєстр географічних зазначень ЄС: Molise (PDO)
- eAmbrosia — реєстр географічних зазначень ЄС: Tintilia del Molise (PDO)
- ISTAT — Superfici e produzione: виноградники за областями (2025)