Learn About Sangiovese: Wine, Grapes, Regions, and Tasting Notes

Sangiovese is a red wine grape varietal indigenous to Italy. The sangiovese grape is able to adapt to and flourish in many varied environments. Due to its versatility, sangiovese is one of the most diverse grape varieties used in winemaking. Wines made with sangiovese grapes can turn out tasting extremely different, based on climate, terroir, and process. Sangiovese may also go by other names, including sangiovese grosso or brunello.

An Italian word, sangiovese is pronounced “san-jo-VAY-zee.” The name sangiovese is derived from the Latin for the “blood of Jove,” referencing the ancient Roman god, Jupiter.

Although sangiovese grapes can adopt the characteristics of their environments, they maintain commonalities across regions. Sangiovese grapes have:

• Thin skins
• Light color
• Fine tannins
• Long growing seasons

While sangiovese grapes can successfully grow most places, they tend to grow best in hot, dry climates, and like limestone soils. The resulting wine ages well in barrels, and generally has medium levels of alcohol, typically between 13-14% ABV.

Although first discovered and produced in Italy, the sangiovese grape now grows on over 175,000 acres of land across the world. The top sangiovese-producing wine regions include:

• Italy. Sangiovese accounts for 10 percent of all grapes grown in the country. Sangiovese grapes are famously native to Tuscany, but the varietal is also grown in other Italian regions, including Umbria, which borders Tuscany in Central Italy, Campania in Southern Italy, and Romagna, where the grape is known as Sangiovese di Romagna.
• France. The French island of Corsica is the second largest producer of sangiovese grapes, which are known locally as nielluccio.
• Argentina. Sangiovese was introduced to Argentina during the late 19th century by Italian immigrants. Today, the Mendoza region hosts most of Argentina’s sangiovese growers and winemakers.
• United States. Sangiovese saw renewed interest in the United States after the success of Super Tuscan wines in the 1980s. Sangiovese producing areas include the California regions of Napa Valley and Sonoma County, as well as Washington state.
• Australia. Sangiovese is grown in Barossa Valley of South Australia.

Wines made from sangiovese grapes are medium to full bodied, dry, and highly acidic, with fruity and savory flavors. Common sangiovese wine flavors and aromas include:

• Plum
• Cherry
• Herbs
• Violets
• Licorice
• Leather
• Clay
• Brick
• Tobacco
• Smoke

Generally, sangiovese refers to a specific red grape variety, while Chianti refers to a type of Italian wine. All Chianti wines contain sangiovese grapes, blending them with cabernet, merlot, or syrah, which provides the wine with a silkier texture, fine finish, and even more fruity flavors than 100% sangiovese wine.

Sangiovese grapes are used to make more than just Chianti wines. Other wines that contain sangiovese grapes include wines of the same name made from 100% sangiovese, as well as Super Tuscans, rosé, and Vin Santo.

Super Tuscan wines are blends made primarily with sangiovese. But unlike Chianti, which is made only with Italian grapes, Super Tuscans also use French Bordeaux grapes instead of, or in addition to, traditional grapes of the region.

With its strong flavors and texture, sangiovese is a wine that lends itself well to savory carbohydrates, smoky meats, and firm cheeses like Parmesan or Provolone. Try enjoying a glass of Brunello di Montalcino Castelgiocondo, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, or another sangiovese wine with one of the following food pairings:

• Spaghetti aglio e olio
• Grilled hibachi meats
• Roasted carrots and farro salad

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