sangiovese-a-fine-italian-wine
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%PRCTG%, 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.
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. 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
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!
Allison Ryan is a freelance marketing writer from San Diego,
CA. She specializes in the history of viniculture,
international cuisine, and fine wine varietals such as
Sangiovese and Mourvedre. For a wide selection of fantastic
wines, please visit http://www.wineaccess.com/.
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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.
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