So much Sangiovese

In a recent text exchange, my oldest friend pointed out how the tour guides in Tuscany love talking about Sangiovese.

Sangiovese is THE grape in Tuscany and is the most planted red wine grape in Italy overall. Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino are 100% Sangiovese wines. Sangiovese is also the main grape in Chianti, Super Tuscans, and Vino Mobile di Montepulciano (which can be confusing because Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is NOT Sangiovese, it’s actually the Montepulciano grape.)

Sangiovese is also kind of a big deal in Corsica, where my ancestors are from. It’s called Nielluccio there.

So what should you know about Sangiovese?
It has medium to high acid, low to medium tannins, and is light to medium bodied. You’ll pick up cherries and spices when you taste it, along with leathery and earthy notes.

I’m a big believer that you can’t go wrong pairing wines and foods from the same region…it just makes sense. So, I’m a huge fan of Sangiovese with red Italian sauces, earthy vegetables like mushrooms, meat, game, prosciutto, pizza (especially if it’s topped with mushrooms or prosciutto). We had this bottle with chicken parmesan and bucatini and it was awesome.

Don’t believe the hype that all Brunellos are overpriced. James Suckling gave the Brunello in this picture 93/100 points, and I paid just $26.99 for it two years ago on wtso.com. They recently had a 2018 Sassodisole Brunello on the site for $29.99 that Jeb Dunnuck gave 92/100 points. Keep checking as their stock changes regularly (hence the name: Wines ‘Til Sold Out) and they frequently have new deals rolling in.