 According to wine expert Jancis Robinson, the Montepulciano grape likely originated in Tuscany and may be related to the Sangiovese, with which it is often confused.Despite this possible origin, the Montepulciano grape still does not seem to have any tangible connection to the village of that name or to the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, beyond what Robinson describes as "linguistics".Furthermore, despite being widely planted throughout central Italy, the Montepulciano grape is not grown in the vineyards around the actual village of Montepulciano.