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Wednesday 20 May 2015

Sangiovese - A Fine Italian Wine

The name Sangiovese comes from an Italian phrase meaning "the blood of Jove." This red wine is best known as the blend used in Chianti wines from Tuscany. As a young wine, it has very fruity tastes of strawberries and spices, but when left to age in oak barrels, it takes on the flavor of oak. There are actually 14 different clones of this wine, the best known of which is Brunello.

Although these grapes originated in Tuscany, they have since spread to all the winemaking regions of Italy. In addition to being one of the main components of Chianti, Tignanello and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, there are several versions of this wine on its own. These include Brunello di Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino and Sangiovese di Romagna. In fact it is the only other wine permitted in Brunello di Montalcino.

Sangiovese grapes are also grown outside of Italy and the wine has become very popular in Australia. It is also used to make rose wines and a dessert style wine called Dolce Nero. One of these wines produced in Australia by the Chalk Hill Winery has an alcohol content of 16%, the highest of any wine. In the United States, Italian immigrants brought the seeds of this grape with them in the 1800's, but it wasn't until the wine became successful as one of the Super Tuscans that it was grown in any amount for wine production.

Even though the vines of the Sangiovese grape are quite hardy and are resistant to most of the diseases that affect grape vines, the berries rot very easily. They are small in size and blue black in color and need hot dry climates in order to grow well. They ripen slowly, but the vines do produce a high yield of grapes. This is a difficult grape to grow because it is very sensitive to the soil conditions. Due to the slow ripening process, it is very tannic and does not have a lot of depth.
Winemakers are always experimenting with Sangiovese and have come up with an extensive list of different types of wine. The list continues to grow, especially in Australia, where there are over 200 varieties alone. There is always something different to discover about making wine from these grapes.

Pairing food with this wine is also easy to do. It works well with any Italian or Mediterranean cuisine, especially pastas. It is the perfect choice of wine to serve at a barbeque or even with different types of cheese. They do not work well when paired with fish dishes because they overpower the taste of the fish.

The taste improves with age. Some of the unique flavors you will experience in these wines include:

  • • blueberry
  • • orange peel
  • • plum
  • • strawberry
  • • smoke
  • • tar
  • • toast
  • • vanilla
  • • sweetwood
  • • cinnamon
  • • cloves
  • • thyme
  • • violets

You will notice the difference between Sangiovese wines and other red wines as soon as you take the first sip. These are medium bodied wines with a fruity taste and scent along with a moderate to high level of acidity. The finish is usually bitter, similar to a Mourvedre, especially if it is a young wine.
If you do not like bitter tasting wines, then you probably won't like the taste of Sangiovese. However, it is a wine that will grow on you, so you shouldn't dismiss it too quickly!

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