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Sangiovese is the spirited soul of Italian wine: the grape behind Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and roughly every red poured across a red-checked tablecloth in Tuscany. The name comes from sanguis Jovis, “the blood of Jupiter”, which is a lot of pressure for a grape that mostly wants to be drunk with pasta.
It is not a wine that hugs you on first sip. Sangiovese is sour cherry, dusty tannin and bright acidity, and it makes little sense without food. Add a plate of anything with tomato, and it suddenly makes all the sense in the world.
Table of Contents
What Does Sangiovese Taste Like?
Sour red cherry and plum, dried herbs, a savoury earthiness that Italians call terroso, and, with age, leather and balsamic. Medium in body, firm in tannin, and lifted by acidity that keeps you reaching for the next mouthful and the next bite.
| Aspect | Rating out of 5 | Characteristic |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetness | 🍷 | Predominantly dry, with a flirtatious nod to red fruits |
| Body | 🍷🍷🍷 | Medium-bodied, as wiry and athletic as a Roman gladiator |
| Tannins | 🍷🍷🍷🍷 | Strong and assertive, like a passionate Italian debate |
| Acidity | 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷 | Bright and lively, like a Vespa zipping through Tuscan hills |
| Alcohol by Volume | 🍷🍷🍷🍷 | Typically around 13–14.5%, as warming as the Tuscan sun |
Each wine glass icon is one point on a 5-point scale: one glass is low, five is high, based on the grape’s typical style.
Where It Grows
Tuscany, above all: Chianti for the everyday classic, Montalcino for the grand, long-lived Brunello, and Montepulciano (the town, not the grape) for Vino Nobile. It is Italy’s most planted red and rarely thrives far from home, because it is fussy about heat and sulks in the wrong soil.
Australia is one of the few places outside Italy giving it a serious go. The King Valley, with its Italian family heritage, leads the way, and McLaren Vale, Heathcote and the Adelaide Hills all make bright, savoury versions that suit our food and climate. Often you will find it blended with Shiraz, which gives it a friendlier Australian accent.
How to Serve It
Temperature: 16–18°C. Its acidity handles a slight chill better than most reds.
Glass: a medium to large bowl; our glasses roundup has shapes that do the job.
Decanting: young Chianti benefits from thirty minutes; Brunello and other serious bottles deserve an hour in a decanter.
Ageing: everyday Chianti is best within five years. Brunello is a marathon runner, improving for two decades and more.
What to Eat With It
Tomato is the magic word: the grape’s acidity matches tomato sauce the way few wines can. It is our pick for ravioli, minestrone and eggplant lasagne, and it loves salami, roast pork and hard cheeses. More in the pairing guides.
Celebrated Wine Labels
| Winery | Region | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Antinori | Tuscany, Italy | Pioneers of Tuscan winemaking; their Sangiovese blends are benchmarks. |
| Biondi-Santi | Tuscany, Italy | The name that created Brunello, a pure expression of the grape. |
| Castello di Ama | Tuscany, Italy | Superb Chianti Classico showing Sangiovese’s versatility. |
| Penfolds | South Australia | An Australian take, merging Old World tradition with local flair. |
| Seghesio Family Vineyards | Sonoma County, USA | A Californian gem with a unique American accent. |
Drink One Tonight
Minimum Central Victoria Organic Sangiovese Syrah 2022
The Australian way with Sangiovese: keep the sour-cherry soul, soften the edges with a little Syrah, and grow it organically. Open it next to a bowl of pasta and watch it come alive.
- Sangiovese-led blend with a splash of Syrah for warmth
- Certified organic, minimal-intervention winemaking
- Savoury, cherry-bright and built for the dinner table
- Central Victoria doing Italian better than it has any right to
- A blend rather than pure Sangiovese; purists will want a Chianti alongside for comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chianti the same as Sangiovese?
Chianti is a place and a wine; Sangiovese is the grape that makes it. Chianti must be at least 70% Sangiovese (Chianti Classico 80%), so when you drink Chianti you are drinking Sangiovese wearing its most famous outfit.
What is Brunello di Montalcino?
Sangiovese at its grandest: 100% of the grape, from the hill town of Montalcino, aged at least five years before release. Powerful, long-lived and priced accordingly. Its little sibling, Rosso di Montalcino, gives you the flavour without the wait.
Where does the name Sangiovese come from?
Most likely from the Latin sanguis Jovis, the blood of Jupiter. Nobody knows who first said it, but it has been printed on enough labels to feel official.
What is Sangiovese similar to?
Its high acidity and savoury cherry put it near Tempranillo and Nebbiolo. If you like Pinot Noir’s brightness but want more grip, Sangiovese is a natural next step.
Why does Sangiovese taste better with food?
Acidity and tannin. On their own they can feel sharp; against fat, salt and tomato they turn into the perfect palate cleanser. It is a wine designed by centuries of Italian dinners, and it behaves accordingly.
Curious about Amarone’s grape? Read our Corvina guide.
Sangiovese is also one of the safest bottles for a tray of Greek moussaka, and our moussaka wine pairing guide explains why the béchamel is the part that trips people up.
This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It keeps the wine flowing and the reviews honest.
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